toejam
Trail Wise!
Hiking to raise awareness
Posts: 1,795
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Post by toejam on Dec 3, 2017 16:30:48 GMT -8
Been hiking and working trails in the Monterey Ranger District since September. Warm days, cool nights, brilliant clear skies, well trodden paths, no bugs, not so much wind, fog, or poison oak. I did a long hike in the Silver Peak Wilderness yesterday scouting for upcoming trail projects. photos.app.goo.gl/EcKlZrTluNpuQvyo2
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toejam
Trail Wise!
Hiking to raise awareness
Posts: 1,795
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Post by toejam on Dec 4, 2017 5:23:33 GMT -8
I should qualify my enthusiasm - most Ventana and Silver Peak Wilderness trails are overgrown, slow, sometimes hard to follow, and some have really sketchy wash-outs. There is a lot of poison oak that you can't always avoid and currently doesn't have leaves but still puts oil on your skin/clothes/dogs. People are getting lost and rescued weekly. Sykes Hot Springs is off limits due to being really dangerous to get to and the rangers aren't motivated to open it back up to college kids leaving trash, poo & tp all over the ground.
But it sure is beautiful this time of year.
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davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
Posts: 1,710
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Post by davesenesac on Dec 4, 2017 8:20:10 GMT -8
Thanks toejam. The problem I've had on some of the trails is one will hike a few miles and then find a trail overgrown with poison oak that people obviously have all turned around at. Well except for deer, pigs, and the few not allergic. Signs at a trailhead if so would be useful and or something online with such status.
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toejam
Trail Wise!
Hiking to raise awareness
Posts: 1,795
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Post by toejam on Dec 4, 2017 20:19:13 GMT -8
Signs at a trailhead if so would be useful and or something online with such status. I was recently working with Ventana Wilderness Alliance and one of our group gave maps to some guys who started a long loop about lunch time, finished in the dark, and wrote nasty emails to the rangers saying the trails were dangerous and should be closed or signed. The official response was something to the effect of wilderness is wild, we don't want it closed, and you need to be careful what you are getting yourself into. The trails are bad and we can always use more volunteers to work on them. Online status is here - www.ventanawild.org/forumsand here - www.hikelospadres.com/
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