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| Hiking | 10.00 Miles |
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| | Hiking | 10.00 Miles | | | |
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| no partners | | As a native Phoenician and growing up in the north valley, I've spent countless summers during my youth at North Mountain! However, as time went on and I moved on to more challenging 'adult' things, I lost the allure to this special place until this weekend!
It had been at least 20 years since I treked the North Mountain Preserve. After a little story telling of the old CLOUD NINE restaurant in the Preserve, my hiking buddy who is from California was eager to check out the ruins.
We started the hike up the North Mountain service road across from The Pointe Hilton. I told her about all the yellow ribbons that everyone tied to the chain link fence around the towers at the beginning of the first gulf war in 1991.
We hiked around the towers and down the mountain to intersect Trail 100. From there we went up to the ruins.
It brought back so many memories of me and my friends hanging out there in the mid-eighties. Even though this hike couldn't compare to those fond memories, this hike turned out to be something special all to itself.
We decided to go off trail and hike down the east side of the ruins, alondside the debris where the owners discarded their trash from the 50s... We were AMAZED at the old junk we found on the way down. Everything from 1950's Pepsi-Cola bottles to old fire extinquishers! It was totally cool!
Also found was this cool old FOR SALE sign from LOOK REALITY. The address was partially faded but the remaining numbers coincide with CLOUD NINE's location. Could this have been one of the few signs the owner posted after his business went up in flames? For those of you who dont know, CLOUD NINE only lasted for a few years before it mysteriously burned down in the late 50s. It was only open for business for a few years. I had the privilege of working with an old man back in the early 90s who ate there one time. Very cool!
We also came across several deep caves hidden on the side of the mountain out of view. What's amazing is that there was stuff in the caves from years ago! Old blankets, glasses and cookware. How in the world did others stumble upon theses caves? I mean, these caves were really well hidden by MAJOR vegitation. We just happen to come across them by accident. Who lived here and why? This high up? Weird...
Once we got to the bottom, we worked our way back over North Mountain on the south side. I think this is Trail #46? Too many pics to post them all!!
Overall, great adventure! |
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Route Editor
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