Favorite Local Hikes

“Hi Mountain is my favorite local hike. Although my kids are grown, family commitments still limit my backpacking trips to those planned in advance, and adventurous day hikes have to be done quickly. After Easter sunrise service and breakfast with my wife and a friend, I had a small window of hiking opportunity before another family gathering in the late afternoon.

The trailhead is about 40 minutes up a canyon from town. The pavement ends several miles before you get there and you follow a creek, fording several times, and then climb to the top of a ridge to the national forest boundary. It’s a fun drive in a high-clearance vehicle and one of the most scenic in the area. From here another 30 minutes of rough road will take you near the top of Hi Mountain, or you can hike 3.5 miles through the wilderness, climbing 1300’ to the top.

I grabbed my day pack and headed up the trail, and noticed darker-than-expected clouds on the mountain. I don’t check weather forecasts often here - the temperature is always about the same and it almost never rains. If there was rain in the forecast, I wasn’t prepared. I had a t-shirt, a fleece sweater, and a vehicle that can’t handle mud. So I hoped for the best.

There had been an incredible display of wildflowers in the inland valley I visited last weekend. On the drive I saw some impressive stands of bluebonnets, but no yellow mountainsides. On the trail there were lots of different kinds of flowers, but not enough to be seen from a distance. I don’t know anything about wildflowers and don’t get really excited about them, but here they were a symbol of the season. They go with the green color of the meadows that will be golden in the summer, and with the tender light green of the baby oak leaves.

I don’t think much when I run, but my mind wanders when I hike. I thought about politics, religion, family, work, past hikes and hiking partners, the on-line hiking community. I thought about writing this report, but figured I wouldn’t. Who has time to write? I powered to the top of the mountain without a break - took about an hour and fifteen minutes.

The old fire lookout at the top has been re-designated a condor observatory. I haven’t seen any condors, but I’ve heard stories of them in the area. A guy I work with had some try to run him out of his house. A pretty funny story. I had hoped for some sun at the top, but I was happy just to get out of the wind on the back side of the lookout. The mountain was very quiet. No four-by-fours, dirt bikes, or target shooters on this chilly, cloudy day. But it was beautiful in its own way. The sky was hazy and cloudy, but I could easily see the beach 16 miles away and 3200 feet below. My gaze was drawn to a neighboring mountain with pine trees on top that I think I’ve seen a trail to. I’ll have to visit it soon. Then again, there was a lot of poison oak in the canyon leading that way, so maybe fall would be best.

After a snack, my plan was to head down in a more leisurely fashion than I’d come up. But the first part was exposed to the wind, and after that it looked like rain might be on the way, so my pace was quick. I wished I would see a bear in the valley again, like I did last summer. I hoped I didn’t see a rattlesnake again. There was a little drizzle about a mile from the car, but it fizzled. The hike was over before my supply of time, water, or energy was challenged. I would be home with time to spare.”

“Where do you go backpacking on a holiday weekend and avoid the crowds? Our local mountains, of course. I’d been wanting to explore the Sespe Wilderness high country for a while, and I figured I could stay high enough that it wouldn’t be too hot and there would still be some flowing water.

I got a late start Saturday and got to Grade Valley and Thorn Meadow around 3:00 p.m. munching pistachios from a stop in Ventucopa. My original plan was to hike back down the road to Piru Creek, but since it was late I decided to take the shorter path over the ridge to Fishbowls camp. It was warm, but I was in long pants as usual on these brushy trails. As I hiked up the Cedar Creek trail I was thinking that it needed more attention from trail workers. Just then I ran into Matt & Sonya carrying a crosscut saw & axe.

At Cedar Creek camp I saw two young women setting up camp. They said they had come from Fishbowls and that there wasn’t enough water to swim in there, and they’d only seen one other guy with two kids. The trail to Fishbowls was in pretty good shape with only a few downed trees to get over.

I met the guy with the kids at Fishbowls and found a great spot to camp beneath huge pines up the creek near the fishbowls. Obviously the young women had not left the main trail to find the rocky pools. The big bowl is around 10 feet in diameter and filled to over my head with deliciously cool water. Felt great after a sweaty hike. I had dinner with the guy & his kids. Two more guys showed up as we finished eating. Not solitude, but not a national park crowd either. The evening was warm, but the night and morning were cool.

In the morning I took off in shorts towards Haddock Mountain, about 10 miles away. The hike was beautiful with lots of big pines and some huge vistas. The trail was somewhat grueling with lots of ups & downs. Between Pine Mountain Lodge and Haddock camp sites the Gene Marshall-Piedra Blanca National Recreation Trail is surprisingly overgrown - more than the Cedar Creek and Fishbowls trails. I sat on the ammo box in the shade at Haddock camp and decided I’d spend the night there, but first wanted to climb the peak.

An idiot on a mountain bike showed up bleeding and asking which way to Lockwood Valley. He said the trail up the mountain was badly overgrown. I hiked on in shorts because of the heat, figuring the overgrown sections would be short. The 1300’ climb in the heat was tough enough, but there was about a quarter mile of the nasty blue-green stuff with small oval leaves and big thorns that I can’t remember the name of covering the trail.

The top of the mountain made it worth the climb. I sat on the grass in a shady spot, leaned back on a rock, and enjoyed the breath-taking view and the powerful breeze blowing up the steep south face. People had camped up there recently. It would be a great place to camp, and carrying water from the road near Reyes Peak wouldn’t be too tough. I zipped the legs on my pants and headed back down to my camp.

I collected a large pile of toilet paper from four separate locations at Haddock camp for proper disposal. Who were these people who could pack all the way in to this place but didn’t know how to crap in the woods? After leaving Fishbowls, the only person I saw all day was the illegal bike rider. I enjoyed a beautiful evening of solitude. It got so cold that night I had to pull my head inside the mummy bag.

The hike out was long, beautiful, hot, and uneventful. I soaked myself with water from the creek at Cedar Creek camp and rested in peace and quiet before the last few easy miles to the car. After reaching the car I checked out Thorn Point campsite. Someone has shot up the outhouse badly. Inexplicable. There is an old ranger cabin there with several bullet holes and a sign saying that they built them a days horse ride from each other. I can’t imagine what was a days ride from there because it’s about as close to nowhere as there is in these parts.

Pictures:

https://picasaweb.google.com/toejamhikes/Sespe2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCNTQsMyK5-ehNw”

“I have to get out to the Sespe again, soon. Almost didn't make it on a day hike that turned into a three day hike there in 1984. That wasn't good. But I need to stop holding a grudge, so to speak (or mental block more like).

HJ”

“That was my first trip in the Sespe although I've been eying several hikes there for a long time. I spend more time in the San Rafael Wld, but it doesn't have the pine forests of the Sespe high country.”

“I live on Blue mountain just outside Front Royal and the AT crosses about 1200ft further up. I can walk to several trail heads in abt an hour and all of it on dirt roads or Old Jeep trails in the woods. There are over 100 miles of unpaved road here and of course just shooting a compass heading and taking off through the hills. The Shenandoah is down below and one can hike its banks in a lot of places. With the rich history dating back to the 18th Century there is always something to see and explore.”

“I look forward to meeting you on one of my slack packing SNP with Suds trips...

'32oz”

“dang Toejam, that sounds like an incredible trip. I meant to get into Sespe this spring, but didn't make it. Now I'm really regretting it”

“You'll have to get out there in the fall, Fepsis. I'm going on an easy overnighter Oct 15, but maybe something more challenging the week before. I'll let you know.


Shieldwolf - it's great to have great trails close. Enjoy!”

“This is what I did last weekend. It's great to have big backcountry so close, and to be able to volunteer to clear and patrol the trails.

https://picasaweb.google.com/toejamhikes/HurricaneDeckLoop?authuser=0&authkey;=Gv1sRgCPzMm-T4rKukWA&feat;=directlink”

“Hey Toejam - you 'work' for the Forest Service? Wow! Nice Badge.”

“Nice pics Toejam!

For local hikes, I've developed a sort of rite of Spring (and maybe early summer). I do a series of 3 hikes:

Wapack Trail - which goes from Massachusetts into New Hampshire. The hike I have planned for April will be my fifth time hiking it and my fourth year in a row.

Presidential Traverse - Hiking over the Presidential Range in New Hampshire.

Pemi Loop - a great loop in the Pemigewasset wilderness of New Hampshire.”

“Toejam is the man?? ...that explains the watch, lol.”

“ped - you'll know when you get old when you have to scale back. ha ha!

I get no respect in the backcountry. People usually say, "I've never seen a ranger back here before." I have a good time though. Only done 2 patrols on my own so far.”

“From the TV set to the toilet!”

“nice pics...yep you are lucky to have that area close by”

“No doubt, so jealous.. the Presidentials?

Better kayaking than hiking here on the east coast.”

“Have you climbed Mt. Dora, FL?

Or hiked the Wekiva Trail?

The Florida Trail through Ocala National Forest is great.

And Apalachicola National Forest is larger than GSMNP.

Don't miss Osceola National Forest, Florida Hikes!”

“There's some great hiking in New England. Not saying I don't envy Mr. Ranger. Still, here's a photo from near the end of a Pemi Loop day hike last summer:

”

“And another from the same hike:

”

“Pretty dang cool.. I need to go hiking.”

“Last week we had our annual spring week-long trailwork trip. We call it a "Working Vacation." This year involved driving 21 miles up a fire road to an old ranger cabin built in the '30s called Bluff Station. Bluff Station has running water, a decent outhouse, and lots of tent sites & parking space. It's a good place to cook for large groups of volunteers and stage gear. We worked on 3 bad trails in the area (there are plenty more we didn't get to). I worked 5 days on 2 bad trails that have been problems for backpackers recently.

It was a lot of fun & fellowship, but this kind of hard work takes a toll on old dudes. My hands are still sore from blowing up bushes with a trailsmith tool, and I have more bruises & scrapes than I can count. Pictures:

https://picasaweb.google.com/toejamhikes/LPFAWorkingVacationApril2013?authuser=0&authkey;=Gv1sRgCOf20YTKl_3AyAE&feat;=directlink”

“thanks for all you do. Nice pics for sure. One day I would like to get back out that way”

“Nice work, TJ... good to see you're still out there!”