Submitted by Bruce Jensen (not verified) on Wed, 2008-01-30 21:17.
Hi, Tom, thanks for the response - Yes, right after that turn around the rock with the manzanita bush, there is a fairly safe rocky section (that likely carries water during storms) atop a cliff (the cliff being maybe 10 to 20 feet high down to the next rocky area where one could stand) with a rough but easy trail across it.
Now, going from memory - the rough trail crosses this rocky area in the open, then begins to enter woods with some very minor scrambling up a short angled rock. After that, we saw two possible trail routes, one about 15 feet up / 25 feet across up to the next cliff and one more or less horizontally westward. Neither one seemed "major" but both were obvious. Noting that the higher trail seemed to peter out at the cliff, we chose the latter. Then, finding more than one route that diverged from the trail about 100 feet father west, we tried both. Both delivered us to the same loose soft soil slope in the trees. Above and below this slope, only near vertical cliffs - no obvious way around it. No obvious trail on the other side either, although we thought about bushwhacking a little before we surmised that the loose soil could become worse. So, we turned back. And yes - we value our lives, and did not venture far onto that slope!
Could the soil have buried the trail *since* you last traversed this area? It looked pretty fresh and uncompacted, very loose, with few plants in it.
The rattlesnake at this slope scared the heck out of my son, too, although she was pretty slow and chilly there in her hole... :-)
In any case, many thanks for your help - we might not have even tried otherwise...
Hi, Tom, thanks for the
Hi, Tom, thanks for the response - Yes, right after that turn around the rock with the manzanita bush, there is a fairly safe rocky section (that likely carries water during storms) atop a cliff (the cliff being maybe 10 to 20 feet high down to the next rocky area where one could stand) with a rough but easy trail across it.
Now, going from memory - the rough trail crosses this rocky area in the open, then begins to enter woods with some very minor scrambling up a short angled rock. After that, we saw two possible trail routes, one about 15 feet up / 25 feet across up to the next cliff and one more or less horizontally westward. Neither one seemed "major" but both were obvious. Noting that the higher trail seemed to peter out at the cliff, we chose the latter. Then, finding more than one route that diverged from the trail about 100 feet father west, we tried both. Both delivered us to the same loose soft soil slope in the trees. Above and below this slope, only near vertical cliffs - no obvious way around it. No obvious trail on the other side either, although we thought about bushwhacking a little before we surmised that the loose soil could become worse. So, we turned back. And yes - we value our lives, and did not venture far onto that slope!
Could the soil have buried the trail *since* you last traversed this area? It looked pretty fresh and uncompacted, very loose, with few plants in it.
The rattlesnake at this slope scared the heck out of my son, too, although she was pretty slow and chilly there in her hole... :-)
In any case, many thanks for your help - we might not have even tried otherwise...
Bruce