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| Hiking | 3.28 Miles |
1,007 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.28 Miles | | | |
| 1,007 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Haven't been back to Black Cross Butte since Andy and I did it back in 2017. Back then, there was only one way to do it, which is probably why we had plenty of options for parking back then.
I wanted to check out this "use trail" that Linda was telling me about and also assess the parking situation for New Year's Day.
There were 4 cars there when I arrived and two were parked a bit wonky so I couldn't fit in-between with my truck, so I backed up the hill since I had enough clearance. Parking may be have to be creative on New Year's if there are others there, but there are wide spots before the end of the road where we can put some vehicles and we can possibly double park and box ourselves in a bit. The road in is fine. When I was leaving, an SRP pickup was exiting the gate, dragging a trio of tires. Apparently, that's how they maintain the road and it was a bit smoother going out as a result. Unless you're in a severe low-rider, you can drive this road. But take care and go slow for the last couple of turns. Somebody parked right on the last curve and if someone came in and took that last corner fast and to the inside, they would have plowed right into him.
You would swear it was March the way everything is blooming. I would say from Canyon Lake to here, 80% of the brittlebush is blooming with gusto, and everything else is trying, including Owl Clover and Buckwheat and even the Ocotillos. Also the tiniest of the Rainbow Cactus. Not sure how that's all going to go when the real spring actually shows up as these flowers may not have a chance to go to seed before a freeze hits.
My opinion of the "use trail"? Well, I don't think it really started out that way. I think someone built this thing and then advertised it, so more and more people started using it. I think it's also being "maintained". Just my take on it, based on how bigger rocks just happen to be in all the right places, the trail looks "cut" in places and it just looks "groomed" in spots. It's just too neat. Like any Supes trail, it is rocky and like many trails that go up in a short distance, there are some steep spots. This trail definitely takes the pucker scramble factor out of the equation for sure and it goes all the way to the high point, though faint in spots on top. There were a few places where I used my hands in a very light scramble mode, mainly because I'm not as confident as I used to be and there are a few spots where an error is non-negotiable. You trip or lose your balance and don't fall into the mountain, you're going to keep falling for a ways.
I had forgotten just how incredible the views are from the top of this thing. I spent a bit of time at the high point and then wandered over to the river edge before descending back down. Now that this is a more popular destination, there were some interesting things along the way. I opted to not do the Cave on this trip, hopefully on New Year's I can get that in.
I took poles with. Didn't use them on the way up. Carried them on the way down and tried not to use them much then either. But by carrying them, it made it harder to scramble down in some places, so it was counterproductive. With 4 vehicles at the TH, I never saw another person until I was almost down and that couple was headed up.
It was a good day and I finished up with leftover pizza from the cooler and a sunset over the Fish Creek Overlook.
If the weather holds, it's going to be a very sweet party in a couple of weeks. [ 11th Annual New Year's Day Peak Bag ] |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Brittlebush are putting on a show and some other spring wildflowers are trying. |
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| Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!" |
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