Moments in Dirt and Ink

Lassen National Forest ( map link ) I had a hike planned with more miles than hours of daylight, which requires getting an early start. I know, some people just walk fast, but that's incompatible with taking way too many photographs, checking out all the flowers, trying to catch all the birds and lizards and everyone else out on the trail. So I got up in the dark and got moving before the sunrise. I had second thoughts about getting going quite so early, and ultimately started exactly 5 minutes late to get out to the edge of Hat Creek Rim for the best of the dawning light. Trailhead on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) a quarter mile north of the Hat Creek Overlook The area burned in the Hat Creek Complex in 2009 and there's hints that there was once a much larger forest here. There's a lot less burn and a bit more recovery to look at than on the last hike along the Bizz Johnson . It's still a bit, well, scrubby. Leaves the view clearer. Trail through the old ...

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest ( map link ) Lofty Lake Loop was just too alliterative to pass up. The trailhead requires a permit for the Mirror Lake Highway Recreation Corridor like much along UT-150. I decided on a counter-clockwise direction because that would get me most quickly to the "ice caves" someone marked on OpenStreetMap. There's a big kiosk of information at the parking lot, but the Lofty Lake Loop trailhead is only marked with a little sign. The exceedingly clear trail climbs steadily toward a pair of lakes and Camp Steiner, which absolutely everyone actually calls "the Boy Scout Camp", some with an acknowledgement that the designation is out of date. Trails and an old road come up from the camp and all of these are marked with little metal signs. The casual hiker should be able to make all the correct turns even without a map. Picturesque Lake and a pond at its south end and "East Lofty Peak" rising behind But first ...

Bridger-Teton National Forest ( map link ) I stopped by the Pinedale Ranger Station where I bought a Bridger-Teton National Forest visitor map, Beartooth's map covering all of the Wind River Range, and picked up a free rental Garcia bear can. My bear can's lid is just not fitting all the way on anymore, even when it's warm out, so I couldn't pass up a free rental. Then I headed out to see what something called "Skyline Road" has to offer and have a little hike at the end of it. I was told I wouldn't find parking at the top with Labor Day weekend getting started, but it was still Friday morning and I can read a map. As I went by, I craned my neck at the Pole Creek parking area and saw that it was quite full but the people who went in to park weren't coming back out. It still had spaces. I continued on through the campground to the parking for Pine Creek Canyon, which I incorrectly thought was the closer one for me anyway. I'd not quite figured...

Uncompahgre National Forest (map link) The Forest Service seems to be uncertain if it is Lake Hope or Hope Lake, but more certain that it is the Hope Lake Trail. It consistently marks the road up to the trailhead as a 4x4 road, so I parked in a turnout at the bottom and started up, getting increasingly grumpy about how it is a rather good road with a loose rock here or there. I chatted with some campers about how it was probably great all the way up, but they'd gotten to their rather brilliantly picturesque site and been sufficiently mesmerized by it not to continue on. Talking with them got me sufficiently emboldened to actually stick out my thumb at the truck that came by as I finished the chat. When you're going 5 MPH anyway, it's easy to stop, and he did. Greg was going for the hike too and actually wouldn't mind having a buddy. The road promptly turned to something it wouldn't be wise to try the Scion on. With good judgement, I probably could make it, but...

Uncompahgre National Forest San Juan National Forest (map link) I don't know why, but yes, it is really called that. It doesn't call itself that, so I'm not holding it against it. The sign at the trailhead suggests this is a popular loop with the Cross Mountain Trail and, if you can't get together a shuttle, about 2.3 miles of highway. Ugh. But that's what I set out on, with a plan to divert over to the pass above Bilk Creek to check out that distinct view that is rather close to the trail. The weather, so far as I knew, had a slight chance of thunder storm all day. There's trees up there, so I decided to risk it. I walked over from my dispersed camp at the corral across the highway (a large area set up for the purpose) to the trailhead to start the loop. The weather, so far as I knew, had a slight chance of thunder storm all day. Lizard Head Pass from the trailhead. The sign below marks the boundary between San Juan and Uncompahgre National Forest. Th...

San Juan National Forest (map link) DAY 1  |  DAY 2 I woke up to a sky that I was certain contained a whole lot of smoke. I could, yes, definitely smell it too. It arose so quickly and I could feel panic following along. But around me, it was so evenly dispersed, and, if I'm honest, it was doing some downright lovely things marking out the air currents high over the local 14ers grouping. The world is a wind tunnel with smoke indicators when wildfires burn. Dolores and company to the left, Mount Wilson and company to the right. (Click to embiggen.) So, by my best guess, the wildfire could not be near, no matter how fresh that smoke was smelling. I had good signal when I could see Rico and mediocre signal on that side of the ridge otherwise and something that wouldn't let me connect on the other side, so I found a tree to hide behind from the wind and tried to be sure. Caltopo's active fire and satellite detection layers indicated no big fires until I got all th...

San Juan National Forest (map link) DAY 1  |  DAY 2 Okay, new backpacking plan. Since I had already done the section of Calico National Recreation Trail from the Calico Trailhead to the far side of Elliot Mountain, I decided to approach it via the West Fall Creek Trail instead. First day would be climb and follow the loop of trail over Sockrider Peak and Calico NRT back. There should be a rivulet of water just before the climb back up to the ridge. If that didn't work out, I would know how far down West Fall Creek I needed to go to get the all important stuff. Next day, lots of named peaks to be bagged, then back down. Some variations were possible in the second day, but in general, sorted. There's a bit of a turnout for parking and that's all at the trailhead. A sign marks the start of West Fall Creek Trail No. 640. The trail is well established and easy to follow. Numerous spring flowers can be found among the trees. ( Pretty Jacob's ladder .) The ...

San Juan National Forest (map link) I was collecting things together to backpack a small loop on the Calico National Recreation Trail from the Priest Gulch Trailhead when a pair of backpackers just finished with through hiking the 19 miles popped up. The usual hiker greetings are important, for they give the opportunity to then gain information. In this case, this spring on the map, is it any good? If it is good, there is an excellent opportunity to grab a few peaks. As it turns out, they had searched out that spring and creative water gathering was required because they did not find it. Almost all of the water to be found on the ridge was snow. I am not a fan of this particular water source, personally. Third worst water ever. Anyway, if I'm looking for views and possible peak bagging, I should be at the other end. This loop will be entirely in forest. Yes, even the ridgeline that Calico follows. I could follow them there, if I liked. So I took this advice, although I'm ...

Six Rivers National Forest (Map link.) I must admit, there was something slightly harrowing about going down 2N17 to Becker Racetrack the day before. The Forest Service topo says it's an improved (but unpaved) road and the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) even claims I can do the unimproved portions of the road with any street legal vehicle. I had no reason to push it because my planned loop starts shortly after the end of the improved section. It still seemed steep and full of big, sharp rocks when going down. Somehow it didn't look so bad in my mirrors. This road is seasonal. The MVUM doesn't say what the season is but the gate was open and did not have the Port Orford Cedar closure information of the seasonal gates that were still closed. Someone had recently cut out the fallen trees, but there's a mass of standing dead waiting to come down along most of it. It was a worry as I chose a place to camp among the green trees at the edge of the meadow. It wasn't a ...

Angeles National Forest San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Click for map. My second little hike of Hundred Peaks Section listed peaks for the day is actually the high point of a ridge. The usual approach for this is from Vista Picnic Area or the old ski resort east of the high point. Not for me, though. I once went exploring up a mystery road just slightly east of the Buckhorn Campground to find use trails climbing both ways on the ridges once at the saddle above. I liked the spot enough to paint it later . I later explored the road further to find myself at the top of Waterman Mountain for the sunset . Today I will explore those ridge routes with a little more idea of where I will end up. First off to the east to grab the ridge high point then off to the west maybe as far as the Waterman benchmark. (This is not quite as far as Waterman where the benchmark reads "Twin".) Something about this gate makes me think this road has been very thoroughly abandoned...

Los Padres National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4  |  DAY 5  |  DAY 6 Click for map. It is already nearly 10 AM as I arrive at Cachuma Saddle to start on 6 days of peak bagging and seeing new bits of the San Rafael Wilderness. I checked the Santa Ynez weather and it says it probably will not be too hot out here for those days. Assuming all goes well, I will finally finish off all the Hundred Peaks Section listed peaks for Santa Barbara County and get in an extra along the way. Some of the days are a bit long, but all the camps have good, reliable water. This bit is not new, which does not help when facing a lot of miles on a road. Still, there is good view, and it can be easy enough to think about that and ignore the rather stunningly wide nature of the trail. Sunny, but breezy and chilly, it is not quite time to try out my new sun sleeves and see how they are against the midday sun. The old sign at Cach...