| | -
-
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
2 |
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
1 |
-
| |  |
|
1 |
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 1.20 Miles |
103 AEG |
| | Hiking | 1.20 Miles | | | |
| 103 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | GH and I got back to camp mid-afternoon after a couple of short day hikes in another area of the Sierra Ancha. While GH hung out in camp I went for a short off-trail hike to explore around a mixed forest and meadow area on the south side of FR487 a short distance from camp. The late rain and snowfall in the SA this winter has led to the most lush plant growth I've ever seen in this area. Ferns seem to be crowding out the grass in the meadow areas and much of my short hike required pushing through thick growths of knee height up to eye height ferns.
Just out of sight from the road was a 2-3 acre area enclosed by an 8 foot high woven wire fence. Near the northeast end of this rectangular enclosure was what appeared to be a weather station inside a smaller fenced enclosure. A sign on the weather station indicated that the larger enclosure and weather station were part of a Forestry Study Area. My thought is that they are studying the growth of vegetation with respect to weather conditions inside the larger fenced in area where it is not impacted by humans or large herbivores.
The mixed forest and meadow area I was exploring lies on the south side of FR487 extending about 0.15 miles to where it begins to slope down towards the Rim Trail #139 another 0.4 miles away. I had hoped to get some good distant views to the south from the south edge of the meadow but was confronted with an almost impenetrable 10 foot high wall of thorn covered New Mexican Locust that covers most of the slope all the way down to the Rim Trail. So instead I wandered around a grassy area of the meadow before heading back to camp. |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
