Deadman FR64, NM

Deadman Canyon... okay, from what I can tell, there are more little canyons and drainages given that name than any other. I know of three in just a small area of these Sacramento Mountains. There are probably more.

I guess folks tended to die and be found in each of the areas... simple naming process.

To distinguish among the ones I'm describing, I've given this one the FR 64 association. The hiking is along the old logging road running from Forest Road 64... Down to the old logging road running along the bottom of Water Canyon.

About midway down, the road bed intersects yet another old logging road (6409)winding up and around and over to Brown Canyon.

If you know where to access it, you can also connect with 64OB (head off left, up and around just below after passing the intersection with 6409! Don't climb too steeply... just up and around...) .

Deadman is all about making a connecting loop. It's grass covered, open road bed is ideal for mountain biking, but too short to make an outing out of just the canyon section. Fortunately, there are lots of looping potentials.

You could even cross over FR64 and drop down Sacramento North Trail, to Sunspot Hiway... adding some pavement to your biking adventure.

Note: the topo maps show that Sacramento North trail runs from FR 64, around and down into Deadman Canyon; it does not. Don't bother looking for it... it is not there. It is across FR64 from Deadman.

I guess we have the early logging activity to thank for these easy to access, easy to hike, meadow filled cuts. They came in and opened up the bottom of all of these canyons... cutting road beds (if not railway beds!) on one or both sides of the opened areas. The meadows have been kept open for cattle grazing over the years. There are drainages which did not get quite as much attention: check out Kathy Canyon for a not so processed, upper meadow canyon hike.

Check out the Triplogs.

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2012-06-25 imike