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| Backpack | 11.00 Miles |
2,000 AEG |
| | Backpack | 11.00 Miles | 24 Hrs | | 0.92 mph |
| 2,000 ft AEG | | 19 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | This was a quick spur of the moment overnight backpack from Peralta TH to LaBarge Spring via Bluff Spring Trail #235 and Dutchman Trail #104. I wanted to have a look at Charlebois Spring as well, but I started at 4pm and it was getting close to dark by the time I got to the bottom at LaBarge, so I made camp near the junction with Red Tanks.
Bluff Spring Tr. #235 is in great shape until just north of the camping corridor nearby Bluff spring. Soon after, catclaw is everywhere and will soon be cutting into you if you aren't in long pants/long shirt. The catclaw is growing dense in a few spots and is especially apparent north of the junction with Dutchman #104 - no doubt due to fire activity and lack of foot traffic over the past few months.
Once descending down into bluff spring canyon towards the LaBarge drainage, a noticeable boundary between burned (to the east) and unburned (to the west) areas is apparent. On the unburned side there is still a lot of dense, unburned grass fuels. I'm on a new pair of Topo Ultraventure shoes, but neglected to pick up the trail gaiters with them, which would have really helped with the sharp grasses!
Looks like the fire came within about a quarter mile of LaBarge Spring... maybe even closer than that. Looks like the trail junction sign for Dutchman + Red Tanks burned a bit and was knocked over. On arrival to the spring I noticed a distinct "wet ash" kind of smell and saw that the creek bed is muddy with soot. Clearly flash floods from the burn scar have made their way through here.
Spring was flowing well; spring box was overflowing so I collected water and made camp for the night. Quiet, beautiful, milky way overhead.
Next day: real simple, just same way back to the car. Took the spur trail to check Bluff Spring on my way back. We're getting about a quart per minute. No difficulty there aside from bushwhacking through the trees the short distance to where the pipe break is.
Spoke to an old treasure hunter / cowboy type, resting in Barks Canyon. Forgot his name; but he said he was 82 yrs old and looked like a man out of time, with what looked like a 1970s external frame pack that looked beaten to hell. Very friendly soft spoken man. Had a quick chat with him about the history of some of the spanish gold mining operations and such in the area. Fun times! |
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Autumn Foliage Observation None
Bunch of dry grass ready to light up once again. |
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Bluff Spring |
Quart per minute |
Quart per minute |
| | | Flowing at about the same rate as your tiny Sawyer mini filter. If the pipe has not been repaired and you find a bunch of dry rust buckets, bushwhack about 30 ft through the trees following the pipe and you will find it flowing and the upper end of the pipe break. |
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LaBarge Spring |
Gallon per minute |
Gallon per minute |
| | | Probably more than 1 gal per minute. Spring box is overflowing. | | _____________________
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