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| Hiking | 15.40 Miles |
4,800 AEG |
| | Hiking | 15.40 Miles | 9 Hrs | | 2.01 mph |
| 4,800 ft AEG | 1 Hour 20 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Heavy rains forced a change in plans... the planned training trail would be way too muddy; even the approach drive would have been a mess, so with the cooler temps (69 degree high yesterday!) in tow we headed over to the never muddy, Dog Canyon trail. Yubao had never hiked that world class canyon trail; a double benefit.
Great start to the day with the clouds drifting around low in the canyon... camera out of commission right now, but the old pics of this hike would show the same kind of great day. We kept to a slower pace in keeping with my heart rate monitored hiking/training and enjoyed the great vistas. exiting the canyon and climbing above the cliffs and on to Joplin Ridge, I thought this might be a good day to check out a bushwhacking drop across and over into San Andreas Canyon. Yubao is a strong hiker, and though I usually only do exploratories solo, I figured he might enjoy the attempt... if nothing else it would give him an idea of what it is like to scrounge around in these southern cliff canyons.
He got a good idea... a bit too good. The route I picked worked down through some minor cliffs, then angled a bit too steeply down through scrub... and terminated at a 200-300' cliff. He had had enough (too much) before he got to the real cliff... he already felt as if we were dangling over the edges when we were 50-70 feet from the real drop over. I could not find any clefs to descend; I had not brought along any rope. We climbed back out. I did not realize the full extent of his bad moments until we were back on top of the ridge and I mentioned checking out another potential 1/2 mile further up canyon... then realized from the look on his face just what a bad idea that was. My idea of fun exploration was not the same as his. I do think I could take him back up there with a rope and find a safe route down... 300-400 feet of rope!
Instead of exploring more of San Andreas canyon, we hit the ridge and climbed to Dog Point, the highest lookout in that area... caught the old forest road from there around to the upper Dog Canyon trailhead, then did a slow and easy descent down the entire length of that trail.
8:30am departure... back to the truck at 5:30pm to a flat tire! I pumped it up...home before 6:30pm... days are getting shorter!
Now, got to hike up San Andreas canyon to spot a "real" access point through the cliffs for the cut over to Dog Canyon... if one even exists. It is stupid to attempt blind descents; I know that... not sure why I continue to do it. Usually, I am alone with no one to point out just how stupid it is to be doing. I think it is finally time for a SPOT device. When it was just me, no big deal... with these other hikers tagging along I need some way to get their bodies out.
Great day on the trail. First week of cutting: 221.6 pounds down to 216 today. Made the day a fasting day hike... no breakfast, no lunch, no dinner, no snacks... mixed 350 calories of OJ into my gallon of water bottles and drank it over the 9 hour hike. I had planned a protein shake recovery drink but do not feel as if I need it, so I'll let the fast stretch till tomorrow noon, after the morning hike. Did drink four no calorie Monster Drinks! |
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| Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is... |
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