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Post by High Sierra Fan on Sept 1, 2016 19:16:49 GMT -8
Inyo is rebuilding the trail repairing the washouts.
From their FB page.
"Dave Pahlas shares this photo taken last week of the trail crew working on trail re-building just below Shepherd Pass. Several severe rainstorms over the past few years have washed out stretches of trail and are exacerbated by the steep terrain. Our trail crew has been out there much of the summer."
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speacock
Trail Wise!
I'm here for the food...
Posts: 378 
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Post by speacock on Sept 2, 2016 19:04:26 GMT -8
Would be great if they went from the top of the first ridge directly over to where 'first' water crosses the trail - with the water fall behind it.
But then wouldn't have that perfect view of the roaring (at times) creek at the bottom...or the trudge back up 500' you lost.
Glad they are cleaning up the way there, though. It is just not a lot of fun slipping and sliding with a full pack on. I don't enjoy the trail up to the pass, but I do like being there. Beautiful in early spring up to Anvil as a day hike. Spectacular!!
After a day at near 11,000' with hard labor, they'd have to sleep well at night. Trail crews are the best people in the world!!
I'd like to buy the crew that 'fixed' the top of the west side of Kearsarge a brew - or two. Interesting that I'll do an unmarked route up a cross country pass without a lot of complaints.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Sept 2, 2016 22:55:44 GMT -8
Unmarked? I understand that, then you pick out YOUR line all the way, not get dumped somewhere dumb that made sense, maybe, for a trail tred for stock but notsomuch for a hiker when the marked trail has intermittently faded out.
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speacock
Trail Wise!
I'm here for the food...
Posts: 378
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Post by speacock on Sept 18, 2016 12:23:00 GMT -8
We came down from Mt Harvard (Colorado) cross country in very nice (but steep) grass and flowers. We were heading for a pond waaaayyyy down there. The closer we got to the pond the more troublesome it appeared it would be. A lot of Talus was between us and the pond. We spent some time looking for some help. Yep! A 'duck'. It was a monument about 8 feet tall half way through the talus. Whoever put that up was serious that this was the way to go.
You can find these at times in the Sierra and Rockies to remind the shepherd or prospector of a better (or only) way. It is still up to the observer to figure out what the person had in mind.
Once to the pond we sent scouts down both the right side and left side of a small intermittent stream to see if there was a use trace. Yep! The right side at times suggested where one might want to go. It almost lead down to the bottom of the valley and the trail back to camp.
A great first off trail experience for a few. At one point when the going got a bit rough it was suggested we take a vote on direction (including return back up Harvard). Don't let the little mutinys interfere with the frustration and uncertainty of route finding. It was fairly obvious the strategy from the beginning was to go down hill until it got flat. The idea was to do it with the least amount of brush thumping.
We had some great help from those who were there before us.
It saved a long slog back down the 'usual' ridge then a couple of trails that returned to our camp. We beat the group that took the 'expected route' by hours and they looked like death warmed over from the heat on an exposed trail.
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