Sat. 9/14: A Blazing Afternoon on South Ridge Trail
Having perfect weather but a start time of 1100 from the state park or West Ridge trailhead, I hiked steadily up to Rimrock before 1400, and after lunch blazed northerly towards South Peak. All the old blazes got fresh paint, plus another 10-12 trees that have grown big enough to take a blaze on their trunks. They'll help guide hikers in winter.
Remarkable among passing hikers was one who mentioned that his sister, among others, has taken to demolishing cairns as they hike trails; she claims cairns diminish habitat for wild
creatures. I explained how cairns guide travelers in winter or across open areas with no trace of a trail, around the world, for thousands of years. They actually create new habitat for
wild creatures. He said he would pass this viewpoint on to his sister and her internet friends.
Blazing is slow work, and I used every reasonably opportune tree trunk for a new blaze. I reached the Ranger Cabin Trail junction after 1600, had a snack, and decided I'd rather descend in daylight than stagger on wearing my headlight. I got down to my truck at dark, 1900. Still to blaze is from that junction to the ranger cabin and up Clark Trail to the summit, where Kim stopped blazing from the north on Friday 8/16.
There's that, Skyland Trail, and building new steps and revetment on West Ridge Trail on weekdays. As we are working downhill, the hike to the site is shorter each time. Please email me at [email protected] if you want to turn out for weekdays.
Next weekend 9/21, Winslow Trail.
All the Best, Craig
Update to this report:
Mowglis – Clark – South Ridge – Skyland Trails are tended by CHVTC and blazed in WHITE, per the blazing scheme adopted in 1987. Trails easterly from there are tended by AMC and are blazed in YELLOW. Trails westerly from there are tended by CHVTC and blazed in ORANGE.
On Tuesday 9/17 I repeated last Saturday’s timing, to reach the south face of this granite dome mountain when the sun had warmed the rock as much as it would,
temp was 80sF. I carried on from the junction with Ranger Cabin Trail easterly to the ranger cabin, painting old blazes on the ledge and about eight new ones on trees.
Climbing Clark Trail to the summit is all open ledge at a steep pitch to the summit, only blazes show where the trail is.
Mt Cardigan is 3155′ high, and the entire ridge with its 3+ miles of trail is often in clouds whose ceiling is at about 2400′ altitude. Blazes on the ledge are close together, about 5 yards. Fog is very disorienting to people, but our practice of blazing that close on ledge has no doubt kept many hikers on trail and not lost.
This day ended with my slow descent down West Ridge Trail to my truck, two hours for the 1.5 miles, the last 0.5 miles by flashlight. Now it’s back to an early
start, and finish with daylight to spare. CHVTC has now blazed this ridgetop trail, all in WHITE from the north end at Orange Cove southerly to Rimrock.
Rimrock to Alexandria Four Corners is all that is left to blaze, about four miles. 8 hr.
– Craig Sanborn