The Obligatory
"Play safe. Ski only in clockwise direction. Let's all have fun together."
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Bear Canyon
In order to fully expunge the stench of Las Vegas from my soul, I trekked back to the Angeles National Forest today for a bit of boulder scrambling and hopping along the Arroyo Seco through Bear Canyon.
On this hike, Will volunteered to drive, and carted along his dog Dingo and his friend Glen, along with virgin hikers from work - Luis and Kevin.
We passed through the crowded trail near the Switzer's Campground, as dirty and graffitied as ever. But when we veered off into Bear Canyon, it felt like we had the entire canyon to ourselves. The river was still very low, which made it easy for us to get across the boulders ... but there was still enough to keep the cascades and pools full. And there were a lot of 'em.
We must have passed at least a half dozen of these secluded pools - usually, the stream would trickle down some smaller pools through the bedrock, and end up in a deep, clear pool cut into the stone through years of erosion. They all looked inviting. All's I'm sayin' is, if you're looking for a free place to swim in ice cold water, Bear Canyon is your place.
After a while, we stopped for some packed lunches and turned back toward Switzer Falls. We were planning on looping around to Oakwilde Camp, but it was much too hot to hike in that low an elevation above the canyon treeline. So instead we stopped at one of those nice swimmin' holes for a bit for some relaxing, some shoeless rock jumping, and the kind of wake-you-up feeling that only a splash of icy mountain stream water can deliver.
On the way out, we climbed past the now-crowded Switzer Falls on a hunch that we'd be able to hook back up with the trailhead further upstream. Turns out, we were wrong. But we did get to see even more secluded forest and river, and we ended up at a very peaceful water-filled canyon.
If the water weren't 40 degrees, it'd be easy to just float around in this pool all day. Still, it's now marked on my map for a quick return trip when solitude calls.
For me, hiking with a dog will always at least double my enjoyment of the hike. Will's dog was pretty much running vertically up and down the canyon walls, and clearly having the time of her life doing it.
Dogs are great.
And I think our new hikers were digging the trail life, too. It's good excercise, fresh air, a recharge from urban life and - in my opinion - the best and easiest way to open someone up to being aware of their environment. It's impossible not to care about the wilderness after you've seen how beautiful it is.
As always, more pics on Flickr.
On this hike, Will volunteered to drive, and carted along his dog Dingo and his friend Glen, along with virgin hikers from work - Luis and Kevin.
We passed through the crowded trail near the Switzer's Campground, as dirty and graffitied as ever. But when we veered off into Bear Canyon, it felt like we had the entire canyon to ourselves. The river was still very low, which made it easy for us to get across the boulders ... but there was still enough to keep the cascades and pools full. And there were a lot of 'em.
We must have passed at least a half dozen of these secluded pools - usually, the stream would trickle down some smaller pools through the bedrock, and end up in a deep, clear pool cut into the stone through years of erosion. They all looked inviting. All's I'm sayin' is, if you're looking for a free place to swim in ice cold water, Bear Canyon is your place.
After a while, we stopped for some packed lunches and turned back toward Switzer Falls. We were planning on looping around to Oakwilde Camp, but it was much too hot to hike in that low an elevation above the canyon treeline. So instead we stopped at one of those nice swimmin' holes for a bit for some relaxing, some shoeless rock jumping, and the kind of wake-you-up feeling that only a splash of icy mountain stream water can deliver.
On the way out, we climbed past the now-crowded Switzer Falls on a hunch that we'd be able to hook back up with the trailhead further upstream. Turns out, we were wrong. But we did get to see even more secluded forest and river, and we ended up at a very peaceful water-filled canyon.
If the water weren't 40 degrees, it'd be easy to just float around in this pool all day. Still, it's now marked on my map for a quick return trip when solitude calls.
For me, hiking with a dog will always at least double my enjoyment of the hike. Will's dog was pretty much running vertically up and down the canyon walls, and clearly having the time of her life doing it.
Dogs are great.
And I think our new hikers were digging the trail life, too. It's good excercise, fresh air, a recharge from urban life and - in my opinion - the best and easiest way to open someone up to being aware of their environment. It's impossible not to care about the wilderness after you've seen how beautiful it is.
As always, more pics on Flickr.
Labels: hiking
that one guy you know, 7:02 PM
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