Brown's Trail #133 is without a doubt the most used trail in the Four Peaks Wilderness. It's a direct route to the popular landmark Brown's Peak. What's interesting is it's newer than the rest. I've heard people call it a short cut to Brown's Saddle over the alternative Four Peaks Trail/Amethyst combo. Although true, it's barely true at maybe a tenth of a mile shorter.

In the past I've hiked Four Peaks Trail over to Amethyst Trail and then pushed up. Either I was having a bad day or that's one mean push up the Amethyst Trail to Brown's Saddle. What I knew in mind but finally recorded today is Brown's Trail is simply cut better with switchbacks.

Hike: A counter-clockwise approach is the way to go starting on Brown's Trail #133. Upon reaching the Amethyst junction (1.85 miles) head up to Brown's Saddle. It's only five minutes out of the loop so I included the side jaunt in the trail data.

The return is down and I do mean down the Amethyst Trail to Four Peaks Trail then over to Lone Pine Saddle Trailhead. It's been years since I've hiked the Amethyst Trail. The good news being it's really a trail now. I last hiked this trail after the Lone Pine Fire. It was very indistinct and hard to follow. The landscape was scorched. The trees where mostly standing, though burned. Now, nearly eight years after the fire, bushes are growing and the majority of the dead trees have fallen. The trail is easy to follow but as suspected it's steep with few switchbacks. At one point you think you're leaving the burn area but it returns soon. Either the fire altered path or this was a direct hit of some sort of fire protection.

Upon reaching the Four Peaks Trail junction take a left and head back to the trailhead. The hike immediately changes to a pleasant stroll. Fire damage is patchy. Scraggly oak provides some nice shady sections of trail though short lived. What makes this trail sweet in my mind are the drainages you cross on route. On this trip, nearly two weeks after snowmelt, the water running down was light. If you time it right you will be rewarded. On my first trip I encountered what seemed like a river roaring down the mountain in three separate drainages. I'll never forget that feeling of excitement.

On this trip I encountered several red and blue birds, a roadrunner, countless dancing blue skippers, a pack of four or five deer and a beaver. Okay it obviously wasn't a beaver as there isn't a river anywhere near, but it sure looked like a beaver!
- Mar 25 2004 joe bartels