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| Backpack | 12.00 Miles |
300 AEG |
| | Backpack | 12.00 Miles | 3 Days | | |
| 300 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | My friend Sam and I took five of our kids backpacking for three days over the weekend, an out-and-back to the wilderness boundary. The trail was very busy because of the fall colors – we arrived at the trailhead at 8 am on a Saturday morning and the parking lot was already nearly full. We chose to park along the road rather than try to park in the official parking lot (more on this later).
The 6-mile hike to the wilderness boundary was very pleasant, especially after reaching the turnaround point for hikers who want to keep their feet dry. We only saw four other people after that point.
We did this hike 2-1/2 years ago, in the spring, and I was anxious to see how the relatively recent forest fire had affected the landscape. Thankfully, the answer is “not much”. We could see burnt trees along at the canyon rim, and several of the water holes had been filled by eroded dirt, but overall the canyon appeared to be untouched. Hiking in fall was more pleasant than spring because of the fall colors and because the water wasn’t so cold.
We camped in the penthouse suite at the wilderness boundary. The yellow oak leaves still on the trees and blanketing the ground made this spot even more beautiful than it was on our previous visit. We got to the campsite about noon and spent the rest of the afternoon lazing around and then bushwacking up through the thick Manzanita to the overlook behind the camp. The view is worth the scratches.
We spent the next morning exploring two drainages that empty into the main canyon less than ¼ mile downstream of the wilderness boundary. Sam went up the dry drainage to the right because he wanted to keep his feet dry, while the rest of us went up the left-hand one that had water flowing out of it. Sam’s drainage disappeared before too long so he climbed up onto the ridge between the two drainages and followed it as it headed toward the canyon rim. He gave up on it when he ran short on water, but it appeared to him that you could climb it all the way out of the canyon.
The wet drainage that the rest of us explored was a wonderland of color – green moss and green plants, smothered in yellow oak leaves. After walking awhile we came to a rock-walled basin with a pool at the bottom, and the only way to move further upstream was to climb a wet, slippery wall. My older son was able to climb the wall with the aid of a vine and then tie off a rope for the remainder of the group. We found webbing and a carabiner at the top of the wall, so this may be a popular route. The drainage above this basin was dry, but no less beautiful. The walk up this drainage was my favorite activity of the trip.
In the afternoon several of us ventured further up the main canyon. About 1-1/2 miles upstream from the wilderness boundary we saw a fantastic pine tree clinging to an overhanging ledge, 100 feet or so above the canyon floor (see the photoset). We were pleasantly surprised to find that it’s relatively easy to climb to the rock spit that the pine sits on via a very steep slope to the right. The far edge of the spit is a straight drop, so we laid on our stomachs with heads hanging over the edge. We didn’t venture out to the edge where the tree sits because the overhang doesn’t look any too sturdy from below. It was definitely worth the climb.
The only downside to the trip was finding upon our return to the trailhead that someone had broken out the passenger side window in my vehicle and stolen several things, including a copy of the Aeneid, several pairs of prescription glasses and my first aid kit. Fortunately my insurance replaced the window glass for no cost. If I backpack this trail again, I will be sure to park in the parking lot instead of along the road in the hope that the vehicle will be safer there.
This is a lovely backpack and I look forward to doing it again (if I can convince my wife to let me leave a vehicle at the trailhead again). |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
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