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Backpack | 7.00 Miles |
1,375 AEG |
| Backpack | 7.00 Miles | | | |
1,375 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no linked trail guides |
Partners |
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| no partners | | My friend Brian and I started east from the FR410 TH around 4pm and immediately made a wrong turn onto an old quad road. We got really confused when it suddenly petered out at the creek, but retracing our steps we found the #150 trail as it crossed the creek on a split log bridge. We made lots of stops as we climbed through the berry patches (sorry, no bears this trip), all the while watching the storm clouds form above us and listening to the thunder. At the falls Brian took the side trail to get some pictures, then we found the steps leading up that marked the main trail.
We reached the junction with Trail#142 around 7:45 and debated whether we could make it to Knolls Hole before dark, and before it started raining. Brian wanted to pitch the tent there and continue to Murphy Ranch the next day without our heavy packs, but I convinced him to press on. Sorry Brian, your idea was better! Our topo maps said it was like a five hundred foot climb in one mile, and our legs burned for every inch of it. As the sun set the sky glowed orange, giving us another 20-30 minutes of light. At about 8:30 we decided to halt because (1) our GPS told us we had more or less arrived at Knolls Hole, (2) it was now too dark to hike without headlamps, and (3) we did not want to climb any more.
We pitched the tent, ate our sandwiches, and hung the bear bag. All night we watched the occasional far off lightning strike, listened to the thunder and the rain and the aspens creaking in the wind. In the morning we found that we narrowly avoided having at least two aspens fall on our tent, they being so densely packed that they caught on other aspens on their way down.
Brian was fighting dehydration from last night's push up to Knolls Hole (this is what he gets for ignoring his better judgement and listening to me) so we returned the way we came instead of finishing the trail. On the way back, in the switchbacks halfway down from the falls, I almost stepped on a little dark rattlesnake. We really enjoyed this trail, but next time we will do it as a day hike. |
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Knoles Hole Spring |
Gallon + per minute |
Gallon + per minute |
| | Plenty of water from Knolls Hole Spring | | _____________________
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