Route Editor
Route Scout
It's a Canyon-Ridge Hike! by imike Walking up Lost Trail Canyon South you find yourself walking across some interesting slabs of rock layered into interesting formations… and pocked with one large tub depression in the middle. What you may not easily note is that this formation is the result of added erosion from a canyon cut coming in from your right. Climb the slabs on your right and enter Tub Rock Canyon. This Spur Canyon angles up and into Ortega Ridge North, terminating about halfway up the ridge. You have the option to walk the canyon bottom… or, angle up and around on the nice game trails along the right hand side of the cut. Either route will carry you up to the first dryfall formation. Once to that point the nicer way to enjoy the canyon is walking the ridgeline to the south. This gives you both Tub Rock Canyon views and allows nicer overviews down into Ortega Canyon North. At the first highpoint, Fredo Peak, you will be looking across to the saddle between the two Ortega Canyon cuts. Soon, Staircase Canyon - Yubao’s Cut will come into view… this perspective shows the great stepped features that make it one of the nicer canyon hikes. The drainage slowly turns into a mostly ridge type hike, peaking out on the west side of Ridge Bluff Peak. Effectively, this shorter, shallower canyon cut is best used as an approach to access Ortega Ridge North... but, it could also be enjoyed up to it’s interesting peak top. Depending on the approach you take, you will hike one to one and a half mile to reach the mouth of the canyon from the city streets. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
One-Way Notice This hike is listed as One-Way. When hiking several trails on a single "hike", log it with a generic name that describes the hike. Then link the trails traveled, check out the example. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
Most recent Triplog Review
Tub Rock Canyon
Exploratory Monday
Awake, then up around 3am... supposed to be Marble Madness Monday, but last week's Marble foibles were a bit more than I was in the mood for this morning... so, on the "A" at 5am... 43 degrees and shorts/T shirt felt ideal... though it was pitch dark out!
After a nice warmup into a stiff headwind, I decided to explore the canyon I'd spotted yesterday: up Lost Trail Canyon South... it looked nice and simple. It was... but good, and that lead me on up to complete the ridge it was bisecting: Ortega Ridge North!
I found myself criss-crossing the ridge time and again... great views down into Ortega North, siting the overly impressive dry fall formations I've hiked so many times... then back to check out the upper regions of Lost Trail Canyon South... which I may not have yet hiked?
It was great! I have a new favorite Ridge Hike!!
Eventually, up and on top of our Fraggle Rock... and I figured I should just keep it a Ridge Day, so on up to the Horse Ridge/Ortega Traverse... and on to Ortega Peak.
I met up with Jim near the bottom of the "A"... was going to loop back up for more training, but knee felt a bit glitchy.
All in all... a good day.
Once again getting way behind on writing up Descriptions: Fissure-Leah's Lair, "A" Trail Survey, Michal's Traverse, Horse Ridge-Ortega Traverse, Ortega Ridge-North, Tub Rock Cut, and Six other canyons over in the Marble Drainage!
To Hike or to Write... that is the question...
After a nice warmup into a stiff headwind, I decided to explore the canyon I'd spotted yesterday: up Lost Trail Canyon South... it looked nice and simple. It was... but good, and that lead me on up to complete the ridge it was bisecting: Ortega Ridge North!
I found myself criss-crossing the ridge time and again... great views down into Ortega North, siting the overly impressive dry fall formations I've hiked so many times... then back to check out the upper regions of Lost Trail Canyon South... which I may not have yet hiked?
It was great! I have a new favorite Ridge Hike!!
Eventually, up and on top of our Fraggle Rock... and I figured I should just keep it a Ridge Day, so on up to the Horse Ridge/Ortega Traverse... and on to Ortega Peak.
I met up with Jim near the bottom of the "A"... was going to loop back up for more training, but knee felt a bit glitchy.
All in all... a good day.
Once again getting way behind on writing up Descriptions: Fissure-Leah's Lair, "A" Trail Survey, Michal's Traverse, Horse Ridge-Ortega Traverse, Ortega Ridge-North, Tub Rock Cut, and Six other canyons over in the Marble Drainage!
To Hike or to Write... that is the question...
2014-01-13 imike
