| |
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 12.00 Miles |
1,205 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.00 Miles | | | |
| 1,205 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | | Got to the Miles TH as the sun was coming up to a chilly 34 degrees with no other cars in the parking lot. Started across the meadow and crossed Rock Creek, which was flowing pretty well from all the recent rains. This section I've been on many times, the trail is hit and miss from the erosion. Normally it's an easy creek walk but with the creek raging it was a bit slower. Got to Oak Flat and started up the small ridge to the section I had not done yet. The section on the ridge was eroded in spots with moderate brush (mostly Holly and Sugar Sumac). After a little bit the trail starts dropping into the creek. The trail dissapeared here and has been taken over by mother nautre, I just pushed my way through it until I found the creek. Once in the creek I contempleted taking the trail that raises on the ridge above or stay in the creek. I choose to stay in the creek as I continued on. At first I tried to stay dry but gave that up pretty quickly as it was way to much work hopping across the creek benches multiple times. Made it to Crockett Spring, had lunch and debated about continuing on. It was still 1.5 miles to the Silver Spur Cabin site and the creek hopping had me starting to tire. I made the decision to head back and take the 'trail' up on the ridge to avoid the creek, which turned out to be the worst decision I made all day. The initial part was okay, it was a little washed out and a bit overgrown but still not bad. About a quarter mile on it, it went to crap. Completely washed out in most spots and fields and fields of never ending catclaw. For the next mile and a half, I slipped, slid, and was shredded by endless amounts of eroded mountainside and catclaw forests that never ended. I have a pretty high pain tolerence for catclaw as I have been through my fair share, but this was by far the worst I have ever been through, towards the end of this section, I was hurting pretty bad and yelled out many obscenities. It took me an hour and a half to get through that 1.5 mile section and I had never been so happy to be back in the creek. Took a break at Oak Flat and the rest of the way out was uneventful. I still have a small section of West Pinto to finish from just past Iron Mountain Spring to Crockett Spring. That section of trail up on the ridge is done unless some serious maintainance is done on it, stay far away from it. Did not come across anyone else the entire day and no cars at the TH when I finished, however, I did see a Camry at the Upper Haunted Canyon TH as I was leaving. No idea how they managed that, definately not something I would do. |
| _____________________
Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee.  |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
