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| Hiking | 5.21 Miles |
1,249 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.21 Miles | 4 Hrs 52 Mns | | 2.40 mph |
| 1,249 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 42 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | The triplog title is not a ‘play-on-words’. Well maybe sort of…….
I hiked down Gold Ridge Trail #47 from FR3348 and went off trail, up a mountain, to locate GOLD Benchmark. I had no information on the mark, other than a symbol on some topo maps, plus a remote reference to it from another source. My thought was, if I locate the benchmark - Great.
If I do not, well, that’s OK also, as the Gold Ridge Trail looked like a nice trail to hike anyway.
I located the disk with little problem. It was hidden from the sun and other elements, under a bunch of rocks. The rocks also probably protected it from discoloration from the Willow forest fire of 2004. The wood used for the ‘Height of Light’ didn’t fair as well, as the wood displays alot of fire damage from that lightning produced Willow fire. The entire area still displays alot of fire damage from that fire.
GOLD is a USFS (Forest Service) benchmark, set in place 90 years ago, in 1926. It’s in almost perfect shape, and to top it off, the disk is gold in color. It’s one of the best looking disks I’ve come across. No reference marks were located and my guess is, none were set. The Forest Service usually just sets the main benchmark disk. GOLD BM is probably named after Gold Creek, that runs just south of the benchmark. That’s just my guess.
The Gold Ridge Trail is in great shape, and the part I hiked on is so good, someone should sponsor a trail run on it. Very easy hiking. There are some trees laying across the trail, but it appears the forest service is dealing with the trees nicely.
The off-trail hike up to the mountain top was much easier than anticipated also. It was mostly thick brush (new growth since the fire ?), that was easily pushed to the side.
After I was done with the benchmark peak, I stayed on a ridgeline that led southwest to many other peaks, all the time paralleling the actual trail below. Once I reached a mountain that was full of fire charred brush, I dropped down to the Gold Ridge Tr. I didn’t want to be covered in ‘fire-produced-soot’.
Close-in views included alot of green covered mountains, and the ‘further out’ views included Mazatzal Peak and all the peaks around that highest of peaks. Sadly, views also include the evidence of fire damage in the area, and most of us won’t live long enough to have that ‘view’ disappear.
All in all, it was a great little hike. Since I don’t usually hike on trails, especially trails this good, it was an extra treat of a hike. I should have brought my trail running shoes. |
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Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
J.R.R.TOLKIEN |
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Route Editor
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