Two more FTFs after another Horsethief Canyon hike
It was a beautiful day for another hike in Horsethief Canyon. I got my start after talking to some people in the staging area who were from the Natural History Museum. They were going on a "Pre-hike" for a hike coming up in May.
There was a wonderful breeze as I walked along the trail, and the sky had some interesting, wispy clouds.
I stopped to take another picture of that oak tree that has so much character, and which is going to recover.
I found the first cache under a very-obvious artificial pile of sticks. It is off the main trail, however, after I signed the logbook, I found some rocks and managed to hide the container a little better. From there, I made my way back up towards the pool of water where I found the cache yesterday. I crossed over on the rocks and then negotiated the trail, trying to avoid the emerging poison oak.
Yesterday when I saw the caches go "live," I noticed that Lance had posted a "spoiler pic." When I got to the cache location, I spotted the objects in the picture, but still followed my GPSr to see where it would take me. And, it took me down next to the water, 31 feet away from where I found the cache, thanks to both the "spoiler pic" and the hint.
After signing the log, I continued further up the trail where I found even more wonderful rocks to play around on.
In the canyon, the breeze was really wonderful, as was the descending trill of a canyon wren.
I turned around and when I got back to the first pool, I saw the "Frog King."
Actually, one of the people from the Natural History Museum spotted him as the group crossed the creek. The little frog let people take turns taking its picture.
On my way back through the canyon, I saw a group of about a dozen people on the other trail. I hurried to make sure I got ahead of them at the intersection. When I stopped to talk to two botanists, the group caught up, but quickly stopped and got back out of sight. It was a group of illegal aliens being guided through the canyon.
The two botanists are working on a project to find new species emerging after the fire. The conversation was intersting and stimulating, and I enjoyed talking to them, but they needed to get back to their work, so I continued on, walking up Horsethief Canyon to the location of Night Hunter's "That Man Stole My Horse." I thought about the group of illegals as I walked up, and back out that lonely, narrow, little-used trail.
It was good to catch up to the group from the Natural History Museum and walk back up the trail with a couple who live nearby.
At the end of the hike I spoke with Dave, the ranger for this area of the National Forest. He gave me some pointers about staying safe when I am hiking alone, something he thought was necessary because groups like we saw today frequent the canyon. He was very concerned I had gone off on my own up Horsethief Canyon . . .
He said groups like that could be dangerous to someone like me, hiking alone, and he wanted to make sure I knew what to do. I appreciated his insignt, and his advice.
Here are the tracks of my hike and the profile:
It was a beautiful day, and it sure turned into a social event with all the different people I talked to. My thanks again to bradybunchboys for placing two more caches in the area.
There was a wonderful breeze as I walked along the trail, and the sky had some interesting, wispy clouds.
I stopped to take another picture of that oak tree that has so much character, and which is going to recover.
I found the first cache under a very-obvious artificial pile of sticks. It is off the main trail, however, after I signed the logbook, I found some rocks and managed to hide the container a little better. From there, I made my way back up towards the pool of water where I found the cache yesterday. I crossed over on the rocks and then negotiated the trail, trying to avoid the emerging poison oak.
Yesterday when I saw the caches go "live," I noticed that Lance had posted a "spoiler pic." When I got to the cache location, I spotted the objects in the picture, but still followed my GPSr to see where it would take me. And, it took me down next to the water, 31 feet away from where I found the cache, thanks to both the "spoiler pic" and the hint.
After signing the log, I continued further up the trail where I found even more wonderful rocks to play around on.
In the canyon, the breeze was really wonderful, as was the descending trill of a canyon wren.
I turned around and when I got back to the first pool, I saw the "Frog King."
Actually, one of the people from the Natural History Museum spotted him as the group crossed the creek. The little frog let people take turns taking its picture.
On my way back through the canyon, I saw a group of about a dozen people on the other trail. I hurried to make sure I got ahead of them at the intersection. When I stopped to talk to two botanists, the group caught up, but quickly stopped and got back out of sight. It was a group of illegal aliens being guided through the canyon.
The two botanists are working on a project to find new species emerging after the fire. The conversation was intersting and stimulating, and I enjoyed talking to them, but they needed to get back to their work, so I continued on, walking up Horsethief Canyon to the location of Night Hunter's "That Man Stole My Horse." I thought about the group of illegals as I walked up, and back out that lonely, narrow, little-used trail.
It was good to catch up to the group from the Natural History Museum and walk back up the trail with a couple who live nearby.
At the end of the hike I spoke with Dave, the ranger for this area of the National Forest. He gave me some pointers about staying safe when I am hiking alone, something he thought was necessary because groups like we saw today frequent the canyon. He was very concerned I had gone off on my own up Horsethief Canyon . . .
He said groups like that could be dangerous to someone like me, hiking alone, and he wanted to make sure I knew what to do. I appreciated his insignt, and his advice.
Here are the tracks of my hike and the profile:
It was a beautiful day, and it sure turned into a social event with all the different people I talked to. My thanks again to bradybunchboys for placing two more caches in the area.
posted by Miragee at
5:25:00 PM
10-Day Forecast
2 Comments:
Just to keep Ranger Dave from being sexist, what are his tips for hiking alone and what is one supposed to do if one meets up with illegals :)
M2
By
Unknown, at 7:19 PM
He recommended going around the loop in a clockwise direction, instead of my preferred counter-clockwise direction. Going in that direction means you will see a group coming, instead of having a group come up behind you.
He also said to go uphill, instead of down, if you want to avoid contact with other people traveling through the canyon.
By
Miragee, at 12:07 PM
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