Peak from Deer Springs Trail ?'s

[Florian]

Interested to hear how this event went. The post on geocaching.com looks like maybe only one person actually was at the peak at midnight.

-Florian

[Rumpled]

Well, I didn't make it up to the Deer Springs; but did have a good time.
Thought some would like an update.
Just a short version from my crackberry.
I found a likely trail and followed it a mile or so. Along the way I saw what looked to me to be something like the heel of a boot. It seemed to be black and waffled like a heel, about 5" in diameter or so. I leaned over to pick up the trash on the trail and finally when I was two feet away I noticed it was a snake, rattler it was. I stepped back and around it. My heart was racing and I was a bit spooked.
I went a bit further and the trail seemed to turn and got less obvious. I turned up to try the ridge. Scrambled up and found some grinding rocks.
My gps let me know that there was a benchmark nearby so I scrambled around the rocks a bit and foiund it and some great views.
It was about time I head back to camp, so I did.
On the way back the snake was in the same spot. It was just ciurled up in a bit of a depression right on the trail in the late afternoon shade.
Except for being spooked, it was a good outing.
I'll have to go back and explore more. I'm betting there is a way.

[Lcpl Hughes]

Well, at least you got a benchmark out of it and a nice hike and an adrenaline rush..what more can you ask for?

[Rumpled]

Here are a few cell phone pics of my exploring

TH out of 1000 Trails CG - It's at the stables



Are these Snowflowers?



Can you see my new friend?



Is this better? It's NOT trash!



Grinding stone on the ridge



View up the ridge from area of the grinding stone. I decided this was a nogo.



A reference mark for the NEWT benchmark



The actual NEWT benchmark and view to the south from Marion Ridge



Topo map of my exploring




The yellow arrow is the TH leaving the 1000 Trails CG (Called Wilderness Pines on the topo) into the state park. Everything south and west of this is the CG and everything north and east is State Park. On my return, I saw a State Park Ranger who had driven to this point in the state park.


From the yellow arrow, my northmost track is on fire road that goes to the Stone Creek CG as confirmed by the ranger. My eastern leaading track was following a faint track up the ridge. The ranger said therre was no trail there - what does he know! At a few points on the trail, buried pipe was at the surface. About 2" diameter or so, I was guessing it was an old water source from a spring or the creek up ahead. The pipe was busted up and so no longer functioning. I'm assuming my trail went to this water source. On this track, my northern arm followed the track until it turned around the ridge and I decided I was nearly out of time and wanted to try and follow the ridge. The blue track is where I hope this trail eventually leads.

My southern arm here was cross country up to Marion Ridge where I found the grinding rock and the NEWT benchmark at point 7034. This is also where I decided that going up the ridge was a NOGO.

The rattlesnake was pretty much where I hit the 6800 foot contour.

I hope to return and explore further, and maybe even do the Deer Springs Trail to find a connection. I'd also like to hike to the old Sawmill.

[Hikin_Jim]

Interesting. Always cool to see people explore less travelled corners of the wilderness.

Those red "plants" are commonly called Snow Plants, but I've heard them called "snow flowers" once in a while.

Strange friends you keep there, Rumpled.

HJ