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| Hiking | 2.70 Miles |
530 AEG |
| | Hiking | 2.70 Miles | 1 Hour 31 Mns | | 1.84 mph |
| 530 ft AEG | 3 Mns Break | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| partners | | Colorado Trip September 2022 - Day #6 (Hike #10)
Wachob Trail #1319
We were quite slow in getting up so we decided we might as well keep that theme and make this a short hiking day. This would leave us plenty of time to pack up in preparation for an early start setting off for home tomorrow, which will include a 10+ mile hike on a section of the CDT into New Mexico. But that's for tomorrow.
For the first lazy-day hike we chose the Wachob Trail. Why?
Hmmm... because we've driven the highway out this direction twice before, it's short and it will overlook the second hike of the day... although it will be more like a leisurely walk.
HIKE NOTE: The current Wachob Trail DOES NOT share ANY part of the original trail.
Due the aftermath of a fire ~5 years ago the 'new' Wachob Trail follows a completely new route. Not only is the current trailhead a hundred yards up the hill from the original, the new trail crosses the old route only once, about a quarter-mile out.
The hike itself is just a steady even climb on a well-defined trail winding just once partway up. Due to HIGH winds within the last month there is a LOT of deadfall. It appears the worst had been cleared very recently and none were blocking the trail. It was obvious much of the deadfall was recent due to actual new-growth on trees laying on their side, something we'd never encountered before.
Continuing on:
The hike doesn't take much more time than I've already spent on this triplog so I better get to the point... although overlook is probably a better word. Or, better yet, overlooksplural.
While one can SEE Lake Isabel from the first (upper) overlook, the view is limited by trees so I'd recommend you continue directly to the lower overlook.
After we checked out the views and started back, we noticed a road following somewhat of the old trail route so naturally decided to check it out as well. While some of the road followed the old route, it's likely it was cut/created as part of the fire fighting measures.
Since I had mapped the old route prior to the trip we decided to see how much evidence of the old trail was left. Not much, in fact it completely disappeared likely a few hundred feet from the bitter end. I say 'bitter' because it was so thick, overgrown and steep we didn't bother to continue. Heading back to the current trail we did manage to find another overlook but being some distance off the old route there was no evidence it had been used as such in the past.
Once back on the current trail we stopped at the point where the old trail used-to-be to see if any evidence of it was to be found. I took a few photos and really tried to imagine the old route but it was futile. Oh well, just a short jaunt back to the trailhead and we're off to Lake Isabel for our last foot-travel of the trip until our CDT hike, about halfway to Farmington tomorrow. |
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