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| Hiking | 8.91 Miles |
652 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.91 Miles | 3 Hrs 59 Mns | | 2.24 mph |
| 652 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | The head of Yeager Canyon resembles a nerve cell. I started down the mild eastern “dendrite” at 9:45 a.m. It was uncluttered, with a mild grade. No flowers. Only mylar balloon of the day. I found two capped segments of 1″ PVC sticking out of the ground. No indication as to their purpose. At the second one, I made a 90° left turn, hiked 50 yds., then made a 90° right, to get back on the low line.
I reached the bottom of the canyon at ¾ mile mark, without having to negotiate any final cliff or pour. In the next 2½ miles, I may have ducked one log. I never had to low crawl. No real ankle breaker rocks. No large boulders to scramble. Plenty of bracken fern and corn lily, but no grab & stabs or tripper vines. I wouldn’t say it was smooth sailing, but it was relatively mild.
I was unsure exactly where — if at all — Cabin Loop crossed the canyon. I had heard it was indistinct, overgrown. All I knew is that it should be around 3¼ miles into my hike. Accordingly, at the three mile mark, I began scanning for bail points. I saw two animal tracks and several numbered metal tags — 70, 83, 84 — nailed into trees. (No idea …)
I needn’t have worried: Cabin Loop was obvious, signed, foot trail.
I was hoping Buck Springs Cabin(s) would be open, but no such luck. Maybe being locked is why they are in such good condition? The larger cabin had gas grill on its porch. No idea if it worked.  
The check dam had a large pool above, and good flow below.
The Lower Buck Spring aspens were surrounded by a critter-proof unbarbed mesh fence. Unfortunately, the v-gate was also wired shut. Oh well.
From the v-gate, I spun 180° to pick up FR 9714Z, which is blocked for vehicle use by boulders. I walked right through. I could have easily enough hiked along the edge of the Buck Springs Canyon prairie, but I was enjoying the shade 50 yds. inside the treeline.
The prairie is protected by two fenced enclosures. The "road" skipped the first and entered the second. The gate was unlocked, so in I went. I was nonplussed to find the gate at the south end was wired shut. I worked my way along the fenceline to a collapsed section, stepped across, then rejoined the decommissioned road.
The Upper Buck Spring pipe was dripping fast. I lost the faint road after that. No problem, it was a mild bushwhack up to FR 137. It was mid-afternoon, so I skipped a planned diversion to the Holder Cabin site.
Rumble Video: https://rumble.com/v54ojgl-hiking-yeage ... anyon.html
Vimeo Video: https://vimeo.com/972227965 |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
Pygmy bluet most common, in both canyons. In Yeager, most deeply orange wallflower I've ever seen. Some unknown purple thing [ photo ] . Lupine, Virginia strawberry, Richardson's geranium, timberland blue-eyed grass, New Mexico locust, Aspen pea, goldenbanner, wooly cinquefoil, alpine false springparsley, and yarrow. |
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Upper Buck Spring |
Quart per minute |
Quart per minute |
| | | Multiple rapid, audible, drips for 18" out of bottom of pipe. |
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Yeager Canyon |
Pools to trickle |
Pools to trickle |
| | | Small pools and trickle starting 1 mile north of Rim Rd. | | _____________________
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