Xiled1's Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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May 22 2020

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Government Trail #119

Alpine, AZ

Government Trail #119

Alpine, AZ

Hiking		May 22 2020
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Hiking	8.00 Miles	2,100 AEG

Hiking	8.00 Miles
	2,100 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

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none

no linked trail guides

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no partners

This trail is still in bad shape. We didn't have the GPS tracks and lost the trail near the base of the mountain. We ascended along Milk Creek and came across the switchbacks of the trail on and off. Its thick with downed trees and young aspen. There is a well worn game trail that goes straight up the mountain and is probably the best route to follow. We hiked up to the lookout and then back down the Escudilla trail and then the road back to the car. Still lots of downed trees on Escudilla as well. I'd skip this one unless you are in the mood for a slog.

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Apr 12 2019

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

JF-Randolph-RedTanks&Bacon, AZ

Backpack		Apr 12 2019
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Backpack	28.00 Miles

Backpack	28.00 Miles	3 Days
			40 LBS Pack

no routes

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JF Trail #106

Fraser - Randolph Loop

Red Tanks Trail #107

Hoolie Bacon Trail #111

Partners

none

no partners

We headed out on Friday afternoon for two nights in the Supes. The plan was to loop from Tortilla Pass trailhead through Woodbury, and then back up Red Tanks/Hoolie Bacon. We parked at the road since we only brought the Suby. Next time we're bringing the Jeep and saving 6 miles. We can pack more booze that way. We were not sure of the water situation in the high country so we packed in extra. We hit first water at Clover Spring, pools in the drainage, but did not go to the actual spring. We camped up high for the night, right before you drop down to the Rogers Trough intersection. This section of the trail is mostly overgrown and full of ankle cactus. You can say that for pretty much the entire loop. Lots of loose rock to make it interesting.

The next morning we made our way down the JF to Randolph Canyon and it was flowing strong. It looked too inviting so we decided to take the canyon route instead of the Woodbury/Coffee Flat cow pattie. Typical canyon/water hike, loose rock, deep sand, wet feet and thorns. But it was beautiful and a highlight of the trip. My back and knees disagree though. We hit Red Tanks and started the slog up the hill. Red Tanks is beautiful but its always a test. We made it up, over, and down into the Labarge basin. The water was flowing nicely on the way down, but dried up to just random pools by the time we got to the camp spots. I recommend topping off earlier. We filled up and headed up Hoolie Bacon for about a mile to the summit before Horse Camp Basin and camped there for the night.

Up early the next morning and headed into Horse Camp Basin. Pools at many of the creek crossings there. Lots of camp sites as well. We headed the rest of the way out, up and down for a bit and then through the Tortilla Creek valley; a thankful rest on our knees and back. Plenty of water flow as well. We finished the road hike out and headed for some breakfast.

We'll try and add the pics later. Get out while the water is good.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Desert Chicory Desert Mariposa

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Common side-blotched lizard Sonoran Mud Turtle

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Desert Mariposa Lily, Poppies, Desert Chircory, Hedgehog Cactus, Blackfoot Daisy, Spreading Fleabane, Brittle Bush, and a few Evening Primrose.

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Oct 21 2017

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Damifino Trail

Sedona, AZ

Damifino Trail

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Oct 21 2017
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Hiking	11.40 Miles	720 AEG

Hiking	11.40 Miles
	720 ft AEG

no routes

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Casner Canyon Trail #11

Hangover Trail

Munds Wagon Trail #78

Huckaby Trail #161

Partners

none

no partners

We hiked from the Midgely Bridge and made a loop including the Damifino, Hangover, Munds Wagon, and Huckaby trails. Oak creek flow was passable with only wet feet. We proceeded clockwise and I don't really recommend that. Huckaby and Munds Wagon are relatively boring and open. Best to get those out of the way first. Typical traffic to get back through Sedona, took 30 minutes from the bridge.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

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Oct 20 2017

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Slim Shady Trail

Sedona, AZ

Slim Shady Trail

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Oct 20 2017
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Hiking	9.00 Miles	343 AEG

Hiking	9.00 Miles
	343 ft AEG

no routes

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Templeton Trail

Partners

none

no partners

We started at the Yavapai point trailhead. Not too crowded on a Friday. We looped across Templeton and then back around on the Highline. The Highline has some great views and only saw one other person. Makes for a nice loop.

Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated

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Sep 04 2017

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Blind Lake

Central, UT

Blind Lake

Central, UT

Hiking		Sep 04 2017
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Hiking	9.00 Miles	1,940 AEG

Hiking	9.00 Miles	7 Hrs	1.29 mph
	1,940 ft AEG

no routes

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no partners

This was the last of our Labor Day hikes. The heat drove us out of the park and into the mountains. We headed up Boulder Mountain from the town of Torrey. The guidebooks are little off on the FR#'s but the signs are accurate and get you right to the Blind Lake trail head. There are some steep rocky sections past the Fish Lake turnoff. But I think momentum will get you up in a passenger car. Subarus are easy unless you have a manual Crosstrek. First gear is too high and the dang traction control kicks in and stalls the engine with a little tire spin. Pull the fuse before you go.

From the trail head, hop on trail 122 and start a long steep climb that brings you into the forest. Pines and Aspen abound. The trail is easy to follow. You top out at Blind lake and the views are pristine. Its a natural lake in a caldera like setting. The walls of the mountain surround the lake and reflect off the water. We chose to start clockwise and hiked along the trail until we reached the intersection with the Wildcat trail. This trail section is littered with campsites. This must get a lot of use at different times of the year. But we did not come across anyone on the trail and only saw a few people fishing off in the distance.

We detoured down past Pear Lake to Fish Creek Lake. We checked out the damn and headed back for lunch at Blind Lake. Heading back we came across a deer on the shore of Pear Lake. After lunch we had a bit of a hard time picking the Wildcat trail back up. Once we found it, we continued on in a clockwise fashion around blind lake. We did come across cattle grazing in a meadow off the lake. The Wildcat branches off up the hill before it joins back with 122 so we decided to hike up a while and eventually stopped at Green Lake. Still not a soul to be seen, we stopped for break before turning back. We finished up the last section of Blind Lake and headed back to the car. The drive out offers incredible views of Thousand Lake Mtn. That ones on the list for the next trip.

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Sep 03 2017

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Oak Creek Capitol Reef NP, UT

Hiking		Sep 03 2017
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Hiking	8.00 Miles

Hiking	8.00 Miles	6 Hrs	1.33 mph

no routes

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none

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The road in from Notom-Bullfrog road is passenger car passable until you reach the national park boundary but it gets rough from that point. I made it in to the top of the last hill in the Subaru Crosstrek, but it took advanced driving skills. Travel at your own risk cause there’s no cell service and it’s a long hike to the local farms. For the second day we did not see a single soul the entire hike or drive.

We parked at the top of the last hill where there were some impromptu parking spots. We hiked down to the end of the road and picked up the trail there. Drop directly down in the wash. There are lots of trails trying to take you up, over and around the wash, but the wash is the best route. Some scrambling through the wash and it ends in a short downclimb, maybe 8 ft and easy. This drops you into Oak Creek. It was dry down here, this time of year. Hike upstream and you will come to a road on the right and Oak Creek turns into a slot canyon. You can’t get all the way through, but you can explore up a bit. We didn’t get very far till we came to a huge muddy puddle. Typical slot canyon stuff, but we weren’t in the mood for the mud and turned back. Perhaps on the way out. We turned around and headed up the road on the right. Typical forest road hiking until you top out on the sandstone and come to a gate. Squeeze around the gate, but don’t fall off, you are looking over the slot at this point. The road continues and turns into deep sand with large rocks. Its pretty crappy hiking this section, your best bet is to hop along the rocks. Works well if you have poles. Push through this section, the road descends down and you come to a drainage. Left looks like slot canyon access but its not. Cross the drainage and continue on. At this point the amount of cattle in this area becomes obvious with cow pies and hoof damage everywhere. Not sure if this is old or if the ranchers have a preexisting claim pre-dating the national park. Soon you will see the dam holding up the creek and the aqueduct diverting the water from the stream. Curious to consider whether this was a pour-off damned up or if the silt built up behind it over the years. The road ends at the damn and there is a coral and forest road coming in from the other side. It’s my opinion that this trail is heavily used for horseback riding tours starting on the park side. I think the coral and road are used by the outfitters to pick up or drop off. The entire route shows the effect of the horses and their large hoofprints. This was somewhat unexpected for a national park. There also seemed to be some cow prints as well.

Never the less, it’s still beautiful and worth the effort. Again this end of the trail starts in high rocks and the walls extend high above you. The walls here are white sandstone and rolling peaks. Keep an eye out on the right for Oak Creek Point off in the distance. As you hike further, the walls are lower and turn to red sandstone. Greenery starts to sneak in and you come across a large alcove on the right. Continuing on, the canyon opens up and large sand benches offer more typical hiking terrain if desired. The canyon continues to open further with large swaths of bench on both sides. We made it 3-4 miles in before turning around. We never found the way to the arch mentioned in guidebooks but I think we just didn’t make it in far enough.

Side Hike. About ¼ mile or so upstream from the damn, a sandstone drainage comes down on creek right. You can follow this steeply up hill for quite a while and its pretty darn cool in there (IMO). There is bushwacking and scrambling. The mid day heat kept me from going as far as I wanted.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Red Spotted Toad

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2 archives

Sep 02 2017

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Pleasant Creek - Capitol Reef NP

Central, UT

Pleasant Creek - Capitol Reef NP

Central, UT

Hiking		Sep 02 2017
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Hiking	8.00 Miles

Hiking	8.00 Miles	6 Hrs	1.33 mph

no routes

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no linked trail guides

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Catching up a bit.

We went to Capitol Reef NP over Labor Day. The temps were still in the low 100's so we stuck to hikes with water. Day one we hiked Pleasant Creek. This can be done as a through hike with two cars, but its a long drive between start/stop points. We were camped near the trail head just outside the park, so we hiked in and out. I'm breaking from convention for left and right, it will be referenced looking upstream since that is how my explanation will go.

Hike the road in until you hit Pleasant Creek, it was dry at this time of year, but has water running through the wash in the spring months. Cross the wash and follow the road up the other side of the creek. You'll see signs marking the NP boundary. You'll hear water running, follow that up the opposite bank and find the Aqueduct. This time of year, the entire flow of the creek is diverted into the Aqueduct. Follow the aqueduct into the park and you will come to the point that the water is being diverted. Cross the creek (left) and hike along the bank upstream till you come to a cow fence with a gate. Close the gate after passing through.

For a side trip, you can climb the wall on creek right and follow the drainage up onto the bench. There are some good views and you can cross over to the next northern canyon and hike down. It drops back into Pleasant a couple hundred yards downstream from the fence. Its all off trail with lots of scrambling. This route should give you access to a number of other options as well.

Once you cross through the gate you can choose to hike in the water or on either bank. You'll end up hopping in the water on and off throughout the hike so don't be afraid to get wet. The water was still chilly in the morning and made for a great way to wet down your clothes. You'll hike in another 1/4 mile or so and come to a hard left where the creek wanders left, then right. There is a shortcut up and over the bench. I prefer to stay in the water, but there are some petroglyphs on the wall, albeit partially vandalized. This hike is really beautiful and you get great views of the tall sandstone walls on this end. Hike along and be sure to keep looking up.

Another side trip - Somewhere about the 1-2 mile distance you'll come to a large, sandy, open area on creek left. There is a use trail toward the upstream end right by the sandstone wall. If you follow this in, you'll come to a wash. Follow that towards the right and it turns into a slot canyon. We followed it in until we hit a large muddy puddle and turned around. But it could go further and may actually meet back up with Pleasant Creek. This area is marked as a drainage on the trails illustrated map, right by the 5750 mark.

Back in the creek, you'll head into a narrower section of the canyon. Had quite a bit of shade on this trip. Another mile and we came to another bench on creek left. There was a herd of Big Horns in the area and we got some great pics. They did not seem too bothered by our presence. After this point the canyon starts to open up a bit. We kept hiking and enjoying the water. There are large benches with trails to hike on land if you desire. We got within about a half mile from the end and could see the Rangers quarters up on top of a hill in the distance and saw some tourist-looking 'hikers' up on the right ridge. I believe there are some ruins or petroglyphs to check out there. We decided this was the perfect time to turn around since we had not seen a single soul all day. The return trip was pleasant with lots of stops in the shade to fight off the growing heat. We followed the aqueduct past the start point on the way back, but its not really worth it. Just head back to the car and call it a day. In our opinion, the downstream end is the most scenic.

The forest road in from the Bullfrog-Notom Rd is rutted but I think you can get a passenger car in there with strategic straddling. Take it in and stay straight at the branches until you come to a downhill. This hill is rocky, you'll need to decide if you should park here or push on. We did everything in a Subaru. Once down the hill, turn left and find a spot to park before the road turns right and sharply downhill.

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1 archive

Mar 24 2012

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Spencer Trail - Dominguez Pass Dry Loop

Northwest, AZ

Spencer Trail - Dominguez Pass Dry Loop

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Mar 24 2012
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Hiking	10.00 Miles	2,064 AEG

Hiking	10.00 Miles	7 Hrs	1.43 mph
	2,064 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

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My wife and I attemped this loop last saturday. I had Roberts tracks downloaded as well as the NG map for Glen Canyon. We hiked up Spencer and across the ridge. Its extremely beautiful up there and worth checking out, even if you don't complete the loop. Once we dropped down the Dominguez route, we came to the first sand fall/dune. From this point forward, we could not find any trace of a trail. We spent about an hour up and down the dune, expecting to find a somewhat defined trail. I learned later that this is reall just a route, no real trail to follow. We ended up turning around since it was late in the day. Just a heads up that you need to your own route finding, even with the GPS tracks. The tracks looked like they would take me down a somewhat harry sand fall, but other ways down would have been easier/safer. Next time, I'll do a little more homework and get an earlier start.

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Feb 18 2012

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Telephone Trail #192 - Pinal

Globe, AZ

Telephone Trail #192 - Pinal

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Feb 18 2012
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Hiking	10.00 Miles	3,170 AEG

Hiking	10.00 Miles	4 Hrs	2.50 mph
	3,170 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

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Sixshooter Trail #197

Partners

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We went out to Globe on Saturday and hiked in the Pinal Mtns. We went up the Telephone Trail and returned on the Six Shooter. Weather was nice and no one really around except the camp host. Still quite a bit of snow at the top 1+ feet in some places on the trail. Wish I would have had water proof shoes and a pair of gloves. Lots of water in the springs/washes as you would expect. Only saw one other set of tracks on Six Shooter and none on Telephone.

Be prepared for the RenFest traffic if you head out that direction.

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Mar 21 2011

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Barnhardt - Sandy Saddle Loop

Payson, AZ

Barnhardt - Sandy Saddle Loop

Payson, AZ

Backpack		Mar 21 2011
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Backpack	15.00 Miles	4,735 AEG

Backpack	15.00 Miles	2 Days
	4,735 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

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no linked trail guides

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First time on this trail, beautiful loop with some tough hiking. Water Water everywhere, so there was plenty to drink. Got to check out a number of different falls. Deadman falls was the destination and they were both running pretty well, impressive canyon and shear dropoff.

My wife let the camerabag slide off her pack looking over the edge and down it went. It fell to the first ledge on the closer fall, about 20 feet down. I thought it was a lost cause but fashioned a hook out of a knife and rope. Snagged it on about the 10th try! Lucky - credit card and ID were in there. Saved the trip.

We headed over to Chilson camp for the night. Camping with a supermoon is overrated - its just REALLY bright and makes it hard to sleep. Thats a nice place to throw a tent in that rugged country. Spring had a slow but steady flow. Finished up the loop the next day. Plenty of water and cool temps - great time to check this area out.

Chilson Spring

Quart per minute

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Jan 30 2011

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Reavis Ranch via 109 North

Globe, AZ

Reavis Ranch via 109 North

Globe, AZ

Hiking		Jan 30 2011
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Hiking	18.60 Miles	2,824 AEG

Hiking	18.60 Miles	3 Days
	2,824 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

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no linked trail guides

Partners

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no partners

We headed into Reavis Ranch this weekend to launch a hike up to Circlestone. WOW! Reavis was cold!! We got to the trailhead at 7 PM with a couple of cars there. Strapped on the headlights and headed out. Saw a fire further up on the trail, thought someone had a campfire going. We got there and the fire was out, it used to be a century plant that was right in the trail. Someone had just set the thing on fire and left. It was still burning hot coals. We put it out the best we could and moved on. Very spooky, could see headlights further up the trail. Got to bottom of the pass where the fence goes across the trail and another fire. They had put parts of a century plant at the bottom of the fence post and lit the entire post on fire! Again, put it out the best we could and moved on. I could see a headlight only about a 1/4 mile ahead. We came through the pass and looked down, nothing. Didn't see anything the rest of the night, probably better that way. So it was a spooky hike in. I go hiking to get AWAY from Jackholes!

As for the cold, we rounded the last bend down into the valley and the temps seemed to drop 20 degrees in about 100 feet. We were in pants and a shirt up to then, but we scrambled for beanies, gloves, and down jackets for the last 10 minutes. We hit the North camp and had to build a fire to get our hands working again. Don't have a thermometer so can't give the exact temp, but there was frost on the ground when we got there at about 11:30PM. For reference I was sleeping in long underwear,2 shirts, fleece pants, down jacket, beanie, and gloves inside my 30 degree bag(MonteBelle) - got zero sleep. Wife was same in a Western Mountaineering 30 deg, buddy was in my BA 20 deg/0 deg bag pad combo with less layers - no sleep. We had foam pads on top of air mattresses. I'm not sure if it was much under 30 deg, water on the ground froze, hanging water, not as much. I'm thinking it must have something to do with the humid air cause it cut to the bone.

We checked out Circlestone the next day, very cool. Then packed up our stuff and hiked back to the plow saddle trail to camp for the night. Cold, but still warmer. Still a fun weekend.

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Sep 10 2010

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Buckskin Gulch - Wire Pass to Paria River

Southwest, AZ

Buckskin Gulch - Wire Pass to Paria River

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Sep 10 2010
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Hiking	12.00 Miles

Hiking	12.00 Miles	6 Hrs	2.00 mph

no routes

no photosets

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Paria Canyon

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We spent a couple days in Buckskin Gulch and Paria River over the Labor Day weekend. Our group started out at Wire Pass on Saturday and hiked into the Paria/Buckskin Confluence. If you ever wanted to hike Buckskin, now is the time. The recent and record monsoons have scoured the canyon clean. It was mostly dry or damp sand with only spotty mud, most of which could be avoided. The Cesspool is nothing more than a knee deep puddle with about 3 inches of mud on the bottom, didn't even smell. The rangers had us thinking it was a muddy hell, but we made such good time that we passed up the middle route without even noticing. Temps were great and there were plenty of good camp spots in the gulch. There was even a nice water fall coming down the canyon wall, shortly before the cesspool. Mutiple puddles clean enough to filter in the upper section. You can now go underneath the last big rock fall/climb so its easily negotiable in both directions.

We camped for two nights at the confluence, which is quite muddy and smells pretty bad. Around the confluence is really the worst conditions of the entire area. We filtered water there the first day and it was clogging filters after only two liters. Bring a container and let it settle over night, or bring a lot of Alum. That way you'll get 4-5 liters per cleaning. But, you'll never get the nasty smell out. Day 2 we hiked down to wall spring and filled up there. Big Spring has much better flow though. Wall is just a drip. We used a ziplock to catch multiple drips and that sped things up. Still took about 40 minutes to catch 8 liters.

The Pariah below the confluence has a decent flow with some muddy spots, but its all pretty good. Just upstream of the confluence in the Paria, is the new Cesspool. About 100 yards of muddy soup to wade through. The water is not running upstream and has a lot of muddy sections to get across. The hike out to Whitehouse was pretty uneventful, some exposure. We had a nice breeze to keep us cool. Great trip, but we didn't read about the camera settings prior to the trip so most of our pics are out of focus - big downer.

Also, in case you are considering a day hike, the middle route road is washed out about two miles before the middle route trailhead. So you would need to add that on if you are considering a shuttle. I drove our car into Whitehouse. Wire Pass had a couple of sandy washouts that would be tough without high clearance or AWD.

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Oct 03 2009

Xiled1

Photos 105
Triplogs 13

51 male

Joined Feb 26 2009
Mesa, AZ

Steeple Trail #73 - Blue Range

Alpine, AZ

Steeple Trail #73 - Blue Range

Alpine, AZ

Backpack		Oct 03 2009
		Xiled1 • Triplogs 13

Backpack	15.00 Miles	2,000 AEG

Backpack	15.00 Miles	2 Days
	2,000 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

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Paradise Trail #74 - Blue Range

Long Cienega Trail #305

Upper Grant Creek Trail #65 - Blue Range

Partners

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no partners

This past weekend my wife and I took an overnight backpacking trip in the Blue Range primitive area. We were hoping to see some wolves but only ended up hearing them on Friday night. We hiked a loop consisting of the #73 (Steeple Trail) to #74 (Paradise Trail) to #65 (Upper Grant Creek Trail) to #305 (Long Cienega Trail). We started out Saturday morning and headed down the Steeple Trail. At its intersection with the #65 trail, there were a couple of backpacking tents setup in a nice meadow. I think this would be a good place to camp on a Friday night if you were arriving late.

After 65 we started to climb though meadows and forest that is recovering from a fire. The area is thick with young 4-6 foot aspens, almost as though they were a weed. Most of the leaves had changed to yellow/orange but were only just starting to fall. At 2.8 miles we came to the intersection with the #305 trail and #73 turned right up the hill to the KP rim. At the rim you get some great views. After hiking along the rim for short while we began the long downhill along Steeple Creek. So far the trail was relatively clear and looked like it was recently maintained. As we descended the trail slowly degraded from firm ground to loose rock combined with lots of fire debris. Whoever maintained the trail saw fit to cut the young trees off 4-6 inches above the ground and they make for great trip hazards. A little farther down you add in the thorn bushes, wear pants. We came to a downed tree that looked like it was blocking the trail, but there were actually some switchbacks going down to the creeks edge, water was flowing near the bottom. That's where the trail all but disappeared. We had to bushwack for about a mile, finding and losing the trail numerous times. Route finding was easy, just follow the creek. The trail cleared up shortly before reaching #74. Along the way we did find a spooky pile of old backpacking equipment including pack, tent, bag, and a pile of empty food cans; strange.

#74 is a well maintained trail which gently climbs away from Steeple creek and over to Moonshine Park, a small meadow in a depression. We camped there for the night. In the morning, it was back on #74 following along Grant creek which was flowing nicely. This turned into #65 and kept following the creek. We reached the canyon where I THOUGHT #305 was supposed to be, a small amount of water flowing in the stream. Due to my poor map reading skills, I thought we were supposed to hike directly up the drainage, but #305 was actually a little ways past the canyon exit. So we bushwacked up a short ways and then climbed out of the canyon and stumbled onto the trail - Hallelujah! We had considered turning back. This trail is a little less maintained, but not hard to follow. It takes you up the stream drainage, thru some thick forest so its well shaded. Water flow was intermittent throughout the trail. This trail had been recently cleared as well. Its about 3.5 miles from #65 back to #73 and you get to gain all the elevation you lost. The last ¼ mile of the hike opens up into a long meadow where the trail disappears. We just hiked to the other end and the trail resumed, dropping us at the 73/305 intersection. It seemed like a short hike back to the car from here compared to the slog up #305. We got back to the car enjoyed a cold bottle of Gatorade and some football on the radio.

This was a pretty difficult hike for us since we don't get many chances to go out. But well worth the effort. We got to enjoy some fall colors, cooler weather, and great views.

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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