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| Hiking | 3.00 Miles |
835 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.00 Miles | 2 Hrs | | 1.50 mph |
| 835 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | This was a new trail for us. It wasn't on our old maps, but thanks to HAZ we found a nice little trail.
We left the valley around 7am and arrived in the Columbine Corrals parking lot at 8:20. The air was cool and the sky was such a deep blue. It's great to get above the dusty cloud carpeting the valley. Four of us and the dog struck out for the Webb Peak summit and quickly found ourselves at the top. A group from the Green Valley Hiking Club were there, and we had a nice visit with a gentleman from that group while he waited for others in his group to explore the fire tower. After there decent, they headed down towards Ash Creek Trail. They have a real hike before them today. There are 82 deadfalls over that section of trail. We took a few moments for two of our group to take in the views from the top of the tower. (Sorry, heights are not my thing...I've been up in the tower once, so I guess I can say, "Been there, done that.")
Soon we were off down the service road to find the Chesley Flat Trail. It was not well marked, and we missed it because we were having a great time looking at the turkey, deer, bear, and cat tracks. The road has been recently graded, and the soft silt on the top was perfect for preserving tracks. We marveled at the detail in the bear track. We could really see the folds and wrinkles in the foot pad. Since the area has experienced light afternoon winds this week, these tracks had to be laid down in the last 24 hours. (Which is supported later in the day.)
We quickly realized we missed the trail and back tracked to find it where the grader had cut a drainage ditch near an open meadow. The trail was marked with blue plastic tape farther in. We left a white tape hanging on a small aspen at the edge of the road.
We passed through the edge of the fire zone and then back into the forest. This section has been subjected to several fires in the last century. In 1970, I remember exploring the area. Signs of a much earlier fire were visible Then in 1973, another fire passed through the area. The blackened remains of these earlier forest fires stand like sentinels in the meadow. It was making a great return when the Nuttal fire passed through in 2004.
The trail is a bit overgrown, and there are a number of deadfalls but nothing too difficult to negotiate over or around. The trail wasn't difficult to locate, but we left a few more white tapes along the way to help out. Most of the trail is under the firs and pines, so the hike was very pleasant. Time passed quickly, and we soon found ourselves at the Blair Canyon trailhead, and then a few yards later we were out at Chesley Flat.
The day was early, so we decided to do some more hiking. But first the guys headed down the road to retrieve our vehicle, and the ladies moved off toward the road into Grandview Peak. And wouldn't you know...as the guys drove back towards Chesley Flat, lumbering down the road was a Black Bear!
This was a great hike...a few miles under your feet and wildlife to see. (Even though I didn't get to see the bear, we later found a deer feeding in the forest and spent several minutes watching and photographing her before she decided to scamper off into the forest.) |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Last February, two friends and I spent the day exploring the quarry above the canyon. It was a great day, and I was eager to return and explore the canyon with my husband. Today was the day. We made our way up to the canyon and pulled off the road near the mouth of the canyon.
