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| Hiking | 10.76 Miles |
3,407 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.76 Miles | 7 Hrs 17 Mns | | 1.79 mph |
| 3,407 ft AEG | 1 Hour 16 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | After the disaster of riding my bike to the trailhead, I started my hike totally depleted of energy and stamina. Apparently oxygen isn't a thing here either. It was slow going and I had continual thoughts of where and when to call it a day and turn around. Somehow I carried on.
There were a handful of people on 29, but nothing obnoxious. Above the waterline road, I didn't see another soul over the next 5 and a half hours of trudgery. As was the case last year, the water department has graded every old two track to Prius quality. This includes the former cavern that was once the trail from the bus stop up to the 10k contour.
Knowing that stretch of trail is giving Y-bar a run for its money, I stayed in the drainage and climbed to Doyle spring before cutting over to the trail again. I think the stretch of 102 from the 29 junction down to the saddle is my least traveled stretch. Usually when I'm here I go up and add Fremont too. But having done that a couple of months ago I headed over to Doyle.
The view of the inner basin from 11,060 in fall is perhaps my favorite scene in the state. Of course to get there now requires a depressing traverse of absolute maximum heat destruction. It is what it is. No going back now.
The top is still neutralized with nary a blade of grass pushing through the ash yet. Lower down, some horribly unhealthy and sickly aspen are making it a bit of a bushwhack to get through. I spooked two sets of elk including a huge buck and 3 bulls, followed by another harem of ladies half a mile later.
I made the pre-planned but idiotic decision to cut some mileage and drop off the ridgeline straight down to the waterline road near the edge of the burn boundary. The steepitude of this slope cannot be understated. 1010 do not recommend.
Skipped like Dorothy along the yellow-brick road to the former no-molestation station before opting for the old upper 552 two-track back to Lockett for a different view and fewer afternoon peepers.
An additional 3 miles on foot would not have been particularly enjoyable, so I was happy to find my bike where I left it, with two fully inflated tires ready to roll. |
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| I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
