DESTINATION Ida Canyon Trail #110 1 Photoset
2012-05-11 | |
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| Hiking | 6.67 Miles |
2,746 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.67 Miles | 5 Hrs 37 Mns | | 2.03 mph |
| 2,746 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 20 Mns Break | 18 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | I decided to put-off my desire to bag 'Miller Peak' until the beginning of June to allow for full foliage of Aspen Groves & Blooming Yucca, etc. Ida Canyon would provide plenty of elevation - views and an interesting perspective on Miller Peak just the same.
I conversed at length with the Border Patrol Supervisor on duty while turning off of West Montezuma Canyon Rd. (FR 61) onto FR 771 (Cave Canyon Rd.) - I inquired as to the recent fire in the region west of Parker Canyon Lake toward the San Rafael Valley earlier in the week, as well as the sustained rain that had fallen for a good potion of Wednesday afternoon, etc. She gave me a helpful overview of the happenings and I informed her that I was heading-up Ida Canyon Trail to Bear Spring and back down. She informed the other BP in the area and I was not questioned for the balance of the day while in the Canyon. Just friendly waves and such as it was just myself and the BP in the lower elevations. The fact that Ida Canyon with its topside permanent watering hole is a well-known spur route of the Pan-American highway make such a connection before heading-up into the Miller Peak Wilderness a valuable exchange so as to be left unassailed, etc.
I intended to spend a portion of the hike doing detailed botanical photography (NOT part of the photo set). I found Ida Canyon Trail - to spite the occasional trash (mostly gallon H2O jugs) - to be in very well maintained condition, with no hindering overgrowth to the trail until the heavy conifers near Bear Spring, where a handful of downed trees have fallen across the trail at regular intervals for the last kilometer approaching the spring. The pool at Bear Spring spills-over, with a mat of lush green carpet cataracts, cascading downhill below. Several side tributaries are active as well...no bears sighted.
I decided to take the old mining trail cut-off on the route back down so as to mix-it up a bit. Steep!!! as the Topo would imply, but not as difficult as I had imagined from researching the map. Probably not as fun going up I thought... Returns you back to the mining area with slow-rusting truck remains & wench with cabling. A hand-crank engine with spark plugs intact is just what you'd expect at this elevation! The remainder of the hike was sustained bliss all the way down as the views are tremendous...
Note: GPS Route begins about 1/3 of a mile before the roundabout at Ida Canyon & Oversite Canyon Trailheads - Elevation correction has been applied to the AEG calculation |
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Bear Spring |
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| | The pool at Bear Spring spills-over, with a mat of lush green carpet cataracts, cascading downhill below. Several side tributaries are active as well...no bears sighted.
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