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| Hiking | 29.43 Miles |
3,208 AEG |
| | Hiking | 29.43 Miles | 10 Hrs 24 Mns | | 3.13 mph |
| 3,208 ft AEG | 1 Hour Break | | | |
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| no partners | | It's a fun challenge in April timing a rim lakes hike between the melting of the snow and the opening of FR300. Went as work permitted, and ended up going on the day 300 opened. Had The Rim to myself for most of the day. Wanted to loop Bear Canyon Lake and Woods Canyon Lake together and came up with this. Started at the Two Sixty TH around 8am and went clockwise.
Would have started at See Canyon, but I always save Highline for the end and wanted to give it a fair shake for it's best and most piney stretch. Mountain bike highway between the trailheads that winds between a brilliant forest of pine, fir, maple, and others.
See Canyon Trail had a little deadfall but wasn't as bad as last year. Water from Nappa Spring down and in the upper ~mile. some snow left in the canyon higher up but none on the trail. Decided to skip See Spring since it's familiar and there was so much else to see.
Topped out at FR300 and worked my way down Bear Canyon. Still a good amount of snow but nothing bad. Good flow of water. Just love it in that canyon, dense forest of huge conifers with interspersed meadows. Always a fun feeling seeing the lake at the bottom where the canyon opens up. Lake is full as I've seen it. Had it to myself and was going to walk round but decided to savor the south shore solitude instead. Left via the southeast drainage, which had less snow but a strong flow of water. Didn't hang around the bottom and worked up to the road SE and then up to FR84. Nobody on the road as I walked it.
Got down to Carr Loop which is not so much a trail but a road. Nice walk through the pines. Stopped at Carr Lake which was a nice stop, though won't draw crowds. Aspen Trail is similar but better somehow. Denser forest, the road is older or less maintained, so it feels less like walking on 300. Quite liked Aspen Trail but wasn't on it long before cutting over on Boulder Hop Trail to Gen Crook and the Hole-in-Ground area. Really beautiful area and probably my favorite part of the day. Beautiful weather for a break in the meadow and then off to Woods Canyon.
Woods Canyon is wider and easier than getting down Bear Canyon. Less snow, and there's a use trail the whole way down. Really scenic stretch of canyon from the road to the west of the lake. Planning on coming back and exploring east of the lake where there's a lot more to see. The trail around Woods Canyon Lake is in great shape with chevrons every so often. Really nice walk a couple hours before sunset. People were filing into the lake area, and I realized the road was opened. Rest of the trip was busy with car traffic.
Was going to continue through Woods past the dam and head to Sinkhole that way, but my feet were killing me. It's no shorter to use Meadow and Rim Vista, but those are less trails and more sidewalks, and I figured my feet would thank me. It's a really pretty section of open pine forest, but it was busy with car traffic.
Sinkhole was a nice way to end. Made for bikers, the tread is smooth and it's all downhill. It descends through the shade of pine trees. Got back down to the trailhead only having seen people in cars on the rimtop. |
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Nappa Spring |
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See Spring |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
Unfortunately my GPS was malfunctioning & couldn't rely on the phone in the rain nor it's batt life. Had to abort this mission. 
loop. Some route finding involved. Obstacles along the path are another factor.
