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| Hiking | 7.00 Miles |
2,500 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.00 Miles | 4 Hrs | | 1.75 mph |
| 2,500 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Be prepared for a long drive. The forest road #203 that we (my husband and I) turned on is about 24 miles. Don't let the nicely grated road fool you. Once you pass Ellison ranch thats on the left, it becomes real primitive for the last 1.5 miles. This part of the drive takes a lot of time.
Unfortunately, we missed the spot we should have stopped at to start hiking. We were so involved checking out the campsite on the right, we didn't look to the left where the beginning of the trail was and missed it. So, we drove another mile on the primitive road that was extremely narrow in a few areas due to fallen boulders that took up half the road.
It was rather scary to drive through these areas, and it doesn't help when your scared of heights and the road is on a cliff with a complete drop. No way would anyone survive if the tire slipped and gave way to the enormous canyons below. With that in mind, drive cautiously.
I was driving a Nissan Xterra that has really good clearance and "real" off-road tires. It is not a 4wd, but impressively handled every situation with ease and did not spin it's tires once. I was doubting it's capabilities when we hit Devil's Chasm stream crossing. It was steep on both sides, with boulders and water to maneuver. The Xterra, once again, exhibited it's potential. I'm sure having a fairly heavy trailer hitch in the back added more weight for increased traction.
Now on to the hike.. We didn't begin hiking until 1100, which was an hour later than I anticipated. The weather was beautiful, and hovered in the low 80's tops for the rest of the trip. The first incline which is about a mile, really tests your lung capacity. It was uneventful except for the colorful snake we ran into (pic is on my website). After the first mile, the brush started getting dense and thick in some areas. I did okay, because i'm not tall, however, my husband being 6' tall kept on having to duck and maneuver a lot more than I had to. He also kept on getting his backpack snagged on branches. The ground was also damp in some areas and was a little slippery.
On approaching the first set of ruins, the trail was narrow, and in some areas, there was a straight drop that kept you very well focused on the trail and footing. I am very frightened with heights, and I was almost at a crawling point in some areas, and my husband even saw me shaking. But, I focused on deep breathing and close attention on my footing, and I did okay. We briefly explored a small mining cave near this point as well. We were both happy that I got enough courage to pass through this tough spot, because another half mile introduced a spectacular waterfall. Instead of walking behind it and risking a fall (it was slippery with wet moss), we hiked down the small cliff from the trail and relaxed on the rocks and ate lunch in front of the waterfall. I was able to take some amazing pictures from this view.
After lunch, we headed towards the other ruins, and seeing the time was approaching our turnaround time, we decided to head back, with only another mile to go. This decision also looked inviting when parts of the trail were getting more narrow and closer to the edge. With the stress encountered from the drive, and some parts of the hike being challenging, I more than welcomed a turn around at this time.
The next time we do this hike, I may consider camping the night before in the area, so we can spend more time focused on the hike, than driving. We will also bring a flashlight to explore the cave. Ironically, I just took my flashlight out of my bag 2 days before the hike for something else I needed it for.
I have great admiration and respect for the Indians who built the dwellings. I can only imagine how difficult this was for them. It also makes you imagine how the canyon looked many years ago when they occupied this territory.
This hike was absolutely amazing, it brought many challenges and new experiences. It makes you appreciate mother nature and the Indians who challenged the elements to make this hike spectacular. |
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