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| Hiking | 13.80 Miles |
1,125 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.80 Miles | 7 Hrs 53 Mns | | 2.50 mph |
| 1,125 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 22 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | No wonder The Eagle keeps returning to this area!
This hike just kept getting better and better along our clockwise route that you can see in john10s’s triplog for the same date.
We parked in view of Dry Tank, which featured the most water in any one spot today. Soon I spotted tiny trackways that I wish I could have spent more time with. But right at the beginning of a 10+ mile day and with 2 partners that you can’t even run to catch up to? A photo had to do.
Variety was the name of the game--FS roads with some ATV company, off-trail, trails, and creek bed.
We enjoyed escaping valley heat in this lovely forest, though it was a bit charred in places. A ghost-like elk herd would flit in and out of our vision, seeming to know when they were at the limit of visibility and hanging out there for a short time, then reappearing, repeating this until each of us had our turn being the first to spot it. Not sure it was always the same elk…
Then the real excitement of the day began. We needed to descend into the creek bed far below. The Eagle’s words played in my head: Find the elk trail down. A safe route, or at least safe enough perhaps. I couldn’t quite recall that part.
One partner doffed his pack and did a reconnaissance on an opening in the brush with a slope that he was sure was as good as we were going to find. He cliffed out.
We continued on, but brush was dense and the slope steep. It was hard for the group to agree on whether to continue on and hope for a break, or retreat.
We’d go a little further.
The second partner set out on another possible route. He got closer to the creekbed, but also cliffed out.
A quarter mile more was all we’d do.
The first partner pulled ahead and we finally heard him calling that he’d found it.
Indeed he had! It wasn’t The Eagle’s elk route; it was farther along. But it was practically a stroll in the park! Well worth waiting for.
The creek bed was a delight. What views!
And then the cave! The half dozen horses and riders were just finishing up there and we were drawn to the cave entrance between lush ferns and by the escaping cooler cave temps.
We were delighted to go much farther than expected, and were treated to great photo ops of little arches, pockets, and passageways.
The good hike turned into a wow hike! We were surprised this gem was not better known.
Thank you Eagle and kingsnake! |
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