Warm Springs Mountain
I decided to hike to the top of Warm Springs Mountain again, but this time I would actually get there by using the fire roads. They appear the be well maintained in the satellite photos and turn out to be so while walking on them, too. The mountain bike trail I took for part of the trip up wasn't so well maintained, but it was distinct and only had one major treefall and the bushes still had some channel to them, instead of tunnel.
At the top, I wasn't sure what might be left of the fire lookout. My hiking book said there was a fire in 1986 that leveled everything on the mountain. Of the trees that were there, few of the pines looked over 25 years. A few oaks seemed to have some more years on them, but were down in the canyons. The old lookout still stands as a tower. The wooden boards in it generally remain and are fairly solid where they do remain. A few important bits, like the landing where the stairway turns, are missing. Someone wrote in the register that they'd "removed the lookout", which is a funny thing to say when sitting in the shadow of the tower. I guess the boards aren't burned up but the cab is gone, makes it look like the lookout might not have burned. Or someone replaced the boards when they decided to lash instruments to it. The wind gauge was spinning crazily.
For my route down, I did have a look at the trail I knew wouldn't be a help to get me down. Someone had brushed it for at least a half mile, following the old tread very well. It looked like they were hacking with a knife instead of the usual loppers. A hunter had made his way along it too, as well as someone enthusiastic about not carrying their plastic bottles back. Around a corner, and the bushes were suddenly untouched above the old tread. That was more like what I was expecting. I turned back, not really wanting to make my way through two more miles of that. It was hard enough to stick to the tread without battling bushes.
I went back through Necktie Basin instead of taking the trail, really a path along the old fuel break, back up to the top of the mountain. It was a pleasant stroll, although a bit of a large loop. That section of road seems totally neglected up to an old gate. After that, it isn't much better. Getting back to the road I came in on was like hitting a highway in comparison.
I wasn't going to stop for drawing, but everything conspired to encourage me to right around sunset. I went along a bit of old road I suspected was there by the way a hairpin turn was to find a nice spot for a snack as the sun set. I found a good sitting rock and good view with good hills (and the sun setting behind them) so stopped for a few minutes extra.
I left the little half covered spur of road and followed the fire road all the way down again. The light was failing, but the bright moon was already high in the sky, so no extra light was needed.
At the top, I wasn't sure what might be left of the fire lookout. My hiking book said there was a fire in 1986 that leveled everything on the mountain. Of the trees that were there, few of the pines looked over 25 years. A few oaks seemed to have some more years on them, but were down in the canyons. The old lookout still stands as a tower. The wooden boards in it generally remain and are fairly solid where they do remain. A few important bits, like the landing where the stairway turns, are missing. Someone wrote in the register that they'd "removed the lookout", which is a funny thing to say when sitting in the shadow of the tower. I guess the boards aren't burned up but the cab is gone, makes it look like the lookout might not have burned. Or someone replaced the boards when they decided to lash instruments to it. The wind gauge was spinning crazily.
For my route down, I did have a look at the trail I knew wouldn't be a help to get me down. Someone had brushed it for at least a half mile, following the old tread very well. It looked like they were hacking with a knife instead of the usual loppers. A hunter had made his way along it too, as well as someone enthusiastic about not carrying their plastic bottles back. Around a corner, and the bushes were suddenly untouched above the old tread. That was more like what I was expecting. I turned back, not really wanting to make my way through two more miles of that. It was hard enough to stick to the tread without battling bushes.
I went back through Necktie Basin instead of taking the trail, really a path along the old fuel break, back up to the top of the mountain. It was a pleasant stroll, although a bit of a large loop. That section of road seems totally neglected up to an old gate. After that, it isn't much better. Getting back to the road I came in on was like hitting a highway in comparison.
I wasn't going to stop for drawing, but everything conspired to encourage me to right around sunset. I went along a bit of old road I suspected was there by the way a hairpin turn was to find a nice spot for a snack as the sun set. I found a good sitting rock and good view with good hills (and the sun setting behind them) so stopped for a few minutes extra.
I left the little half covered spur of road and followed the fire road all the way down again. The light was failing, but the bright moon was already high in the sky, so no extra light was needed.