exploring talus slopes in Buchanan State Forest
May 25, 2015 21:31:37 GMT -5
Post by AegisIII on May 25, 2015 21:31:37 GMT -5
Photos
In early April, with the snow gone but the undergrowth and snakes not appearing yet, it was time to do a hike with bushwhacking. If you've seen a photo of the area of The Narrows of Ninemile Run, you've seen that the ridges on both sides contain a large west facing talus slope (the Standing Stone Trail heads side slope through the opening and avoids both). The northern talus slope is easy to get to; the Loop Trail in Buchanan State Forest ascends through it. The southern one has no trail, making it a good place to try to bushwhack to.
I started in Allens Valley at the base of the Loop Trail, using an old woods road to get to the lower reaches of the Todd Trail at its small stream crossing. I took Todd up Cove Mountain via the good switchbacks, and then down the other, rockier side, continuing onto the old Link Trail until a small clearing.
Here, I found a surprisingly nice log skid climbing up Little Scrub Ridge. It's sometimes steep, but otherwise fine. It leveled out about 50 feet below the ridgetop, continuing south. Since I wanted to go north, I left the skid to do a mostly easy bushwhack to the ridgeline. The beginning of the ridgeline hike was via a fairly well defined game path through otherwise dense growth. As the canopy slightly opened up, going became even easier, as I had not yet reached the rocky areas. Soon, however, that changed, as I wandered from side to side to take a good route. Soon hand use was required to get off of outcrops and onto other ones. A bit later it started to become a boulder mess below a rock spine. I could see the talus slope, whitened over time in the sun, still more than a few hundred feet forward. Since I was already past the point that I had thought would be the wise turn-around point, I figured I shouldn't continue as the ridge conditions worsened, so turned around. I'll have to try to get to the top some other way.
Next was descending from the ridge, down west to the Standing Stone Trail. I first headed back south on the ridge until I found a place which was not a mess of boulders or impenetrable laurel. Finding a spot which was not fully impenetrable, I slowly worked my way downhill. About 50 feet below, I notice what appeared to be a trail. Looking further, it was perhaps an old woods road. Steep at first, it soon cut its way through a wooded talus slope. I couldn't have asked for a better way down! So, while a bit rough, eroded, and with trees growing in the middle of the trail, I sailed down. Then, the woods road just ended. Rocky talus above, forward, and below. Loose moss and loose rocks. Well, it was nice while it lasted. I then carefully headed down the steep, loose rock/moss field, and made my way cross-country to the bottom of the talus slope I had wanted to reach the top of. (No, I didn't climb up it.) Then further downhill until I reached the Standing Stone Trail.
I headed north (trail south), taking a little detour by Ninemile Run, and thence to the Loop Trail. First through the woods, following the Forest boundary. And then, up the crushed rock path through a steep talus slope, with ever changing views. Always a good, slow trek to appreciate the area. Then down the grassy east side, and back on the Standing Stone Trail. I took the SST for a bit for a gentler slope, switching back to the Loop Trail where the SST got to be about five feet away. Then took Loop up to the summit of Cove Mountain.
The other times I have been here, it had appeared that the trail just stopped at the top of the mountain, with no continuation down the east slope. First time I was here, I bushwhacked south along the rough, rocky ridgetop to the Standing Stone Trail. That was a mistake. Second time, I bushwhacked downhill, following the rougher and rockier Forest boundary. That was much, much worse. However, after the horrible portion ended, it looked a trail merged from the south with the boundary, perhaps the lost stretch of the Loop Trail. I had noted both times, that there was a faint, "possible but very unlikely" trail veering right, still steeply downhill, but not directly, and not rocky. But I figured it was likely just an illusion due to a fallen tree giving the drop a trail-like look. Nonetheless, that would be my route this time.
As I started, I quickly figured this was not a real trail. It soon became often rocky, and so I flanked downhill at a gentle grade, heading south, taking what appeared to always be the least-unsafe route. In a short distance (which felt like plenty more) I spotted an apparent trail ahead. Yep; this must be the lost stretch of the Loop Trail. It looked reasonably fine back uphill, where it headed for a small gap on Cove Mountain. Downhill, which I was going, not so much. Rough, steep, and overgrown. Going thus was slow, using whatever I could find as stable handholds. It got excessively steep where it crossed a ravine below a talus slope, but then leveled out as I reached the edge of a logged area at the Forest Boundary. And from there, a straightforward downhill back to the road.
In early April, with the snow gone but the undergrowth and snakes not appearing yet, it was time to do a hike with bushwhacking. If you've seen a photo of the area of The Narrows of Ninemile Run, you've seen that the ridges on both sides contain a large west facing talus slope (the Standing Stone Trail heads side slope through the opening and avoids both). The northern talus slope is easy to get to; the Loop Trail in Buchanan State Forest ascends through it. The southern one has no trail, making it a good place to try to bushwhack to.
I started in Allens Valley at the base of the Loop Trail, using an old woods road to get to the lower reaches of the Todd Trail at its small stream crossing. I took Todd up Cove Mountain via the good switchbacks, and then down the other, rockier side, continuing onto the old Link Trail until a small clearing.
Here, I found a surprisingly nice log skid climbing up Little Scrub Ridge. It's sometimes steep, but otherwise fine. It leveled out about 50 feet below the ridgetop, continuing south. Since I wanted to go north, I left the skid to do a mostly easy bushwhack to the ridgeline. The beginning of the ridgeline hike was via a fairly well defined game path through otherwise dense growth. As the canopy slightly opened up, going became even easier, as I had not yet reached the rocky areas. Soon, however, that changed, as I wandered from side to side to take a good route. Soon hand use was required to get off of outcrops and onto other ones. A bit later it started to become a boulder mess below a rock spine. I could see the talus slope, whitened over time in the sun, still more than a few hundred feet forward. Since I was already past the point that I had thought would be the wise turn-around point, I figured I shouldn't continue as the ridge conditions worsened, so turned around. I'll have to try to get to the top some other way.
Next was descending from the ridge, down west to the Standing Stone Trail. I first headed back south on the ridge until I found a place which was not a mess of boulders or impenetrable laurel. Finding a spot which was not fully impenetrable, I slowly worked my way downhill. About 50 feet below, I notice what appeared to be a trail. Looking further, it was perhaps an old woods road. Steep at first, it soon cut its way through a wooded talus slope. I couldn't have asked for a better way down! So, while a bit rough, eroded, and with trees growing in the middle of the trail, I sailed down. Then, the woods road just ended. Rocky talus above, forward, and below. Loose moss and loose rocks. Well, it was nice while it lasted. I then carefully headed down the steep, loose rock/moss field, and made my way cross-country to the bottom of the talus slope I had wanted to reach the top of. (No, I didn't climb up it.) Then further downhill until I reached the Standing Stone Trail.
I headed north (trail south), taking a little detour by Ninemile Run, and thence to the Loop Trail. First through the woods, following the Forest boundary. And then, up the crushed rock path through a steep talus slope, with ever changing views. Always a good, slow trek to appreciate the area. Then down the grassy east side, and back on the Standing Stone Trail. I took the SST for a bit for a gentler slope, switching back to the Loop Trail where the SST got to be about five feet away. Then took Loop up to the summit of Cove Mountain.
The other times I have been here, it had appeared that the trail just stopped at the top of the mountain, with no continuation down the east slope. First time I was here, I bushwhacked south along the rough, rocky ridgetop to the Standing Stone Trail. That was a mistake. Second time, I bushwhacked downhill, following the rougher and rockier Forest boundary. That was much, much worse. However, after the horrible portion ended, it looked a trail merged from the south with the boundary, perhaps the lost stretch of the Loop Trail. I had noted both times, that there was a faint, "possible but very unlikely" trail veering right, still steeply downhill, but not directly, and not rocky. But I figured it was likely just an illusion due to a fallen tree giving the drop a trail-like look. Nonetheless, that would be my route this time.
As I started, I quickly figured this was not a real trail. It soon became often rocky, and so I flanked downhill at a gentle grade, heading south, taking what appeared to always be the least-unsafe route. In a short distance (which felt like plenty more) I spotted an apparent trail ahead. Yep; this must be the lost stretch of the Loop Trail. It looked reasonably fine back uphill, where it headed for a small gap on Cove Mountain. Downhill, which I was going, not so much. Rough, steep, and overgrown. Going thus was slow, using whatever I could find as stable handholds. It got excessively steep where it crossed a ravine below a talus slope, but then leveled out as I reached the edge of a logged area at the Forest Boundary. And from there, a straightforward downhill back to the road.
