Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Elephants and porcupines

June 3 
The trail takes the road out of town, past vacation houses and RV parks along the river. Pretty soon I was up on  utility roads along the right side of the road, past the sewage treatment plant. Then an old officially-signed dirt-bike track started to take me up the side of a ridge through dry, open ponderosa forest.
There hadn't been any dirt bikes on that trail in a while -- lots of downed trees barred the way. I was pretty suprised; in California, there is such an appetite for motorcycle trails that someone would have cleaned it up. Maybe they've got better places to ride out here, I thought.
That first part of the day would certainly have been easier on a dirt bike. The trail climbed relentlessly over loose rocks and soil, up over 2000 feet. At the top was Elephant Rock, a series of 15' tall jutting blades of yellow rock.
 
I got just enough time to think "nifty" to myself before the trail drops precipitously off the other side of the ridge, just as far down as I had climbed up.
The trail hit valley bottom and bounced up onto another ridge, this one much greener. Several SUVs with Texas plates passed me, and in an hour I saw why: A largish man-made alpine lake with good camping. Good fishing, too, from the lurking shadows of trout I could make out. 
I pried myself away and continued up a stream valley. It was some of the first really nice single-track trail I'd seen on the Loop -- most other places that should have had great trail had been under snow. There were even other hikers here! Green, shady forests with meadows letting in the light. I spotted some movement off to my left and was surprised to see a porcupine.
 
I hiked through twilight and into ful dark before setting up my tarp right by the stream on a bed of pine needles.

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