Route Editor
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DESTINATION Ballantine Trail #283 13 Photosets 2025-04-27 2025-04-27 2019-03-16 2019-02-16 2018-12-01 2016-04-23 2016-04-23 2016-03-13 2016-01-30 2014-11-22 2011-10-22 2011-03-12 2007-12-29 |
| HAZ Member hikingaz2's 156 Photosets 2016-11-06 2016-10-31 2016-10-28 2016-10-26 2016-10-18 2016-10-13 2016-10-10 2016-10-03 2016-09-22 2016-04-27 2016-04-25 2016-04-23 2016-04-20 2016-04-15 2016-04-13 2016-04-09 2016-04-05 2016-04-05 2016-04-01 2016-03-30
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When he suggested Ballantine Trail, I thought maybe a loop over to the Cabin and return, but oh no !!! He wanted a key exchange somewhere in the middle of the Trail 
.... Here's a guy that doesn't want any bushwhacking---off trail hikes or anything that does not resemble a beaten path or needs route finding skills. 
Thanks to Sun_Hiker for the route and Grass Hopper for his triplog from 2007, printed it out and wanted to compare then and what's it's like now. So 9 years later --- couldn't find the Ballantine sign, there is a small cairn buried under the tall grass SE of the parking area, directly in front of the cairn is a large dead tree stump that someone cut down years ago in the grass, the trail runs along the left side of the stump and heads up to the old Cline cabin area. Turn thru the old gate opening and tread lightly due to all the rocks buried under the tall grass. The route is pretty straight forward up to about the 1st mile and 3/4 then due to erosion and over growth of shrubs it gets a little tricky then it opens up for the next mile until you get to the saddle at 2.75 miles and 5818 elevation. Going down from the saddle you will encounter very easy walking, ( nice fire rings setup, plenty of dead wood to keep warm 
) and then, due to all the under growth and fallen trees, you have to navigate around or over and under them, but nothing real serious. Other then 9 years of nature taking it's course Grasshopper was dead on and Sun_Hikers route was also dead on except for all fallen trees across the route. But there were a lot of cairns, and I repaired and added some along the way. Met Rick at about the 4 1/2 mile mark, and exchanged info, had about 1/2 mile or so of heavy Mazzies and after that, it opened up to a great hike down to the trail head. We stopped at my place for a beer and discussed what a great hike this could be if we got a group together and cleared us a more enjoyable path and not fight thru the way it presently is. Going from Cline would be my choice every time 
