6/15 Sunday. Mostly rained. Jess and I hiked from Horsetail Falls to Larch Mt, ~17-18 miles R/T, 9:30 - 6:30. Horsetail Falls is at the trailhead - by the road. Ponytail Falls is very nice, and you can walk behind it. Oneonta Falls is small. Triple Falls is quite pretty. However, there was a mudslide at one point, and the new short workaround is very muddy and slippery (I fell on the way down). From then on, it's woods and overgrown bushes, spreading water on my clothes. I was at least half wet before it started raining, and it continued until we were back to Triple Falls. At the next fork, with a sign to "Franklin Ridge, Larch Mt Trail 2 miles" on the right, take the LEFT (no sign). We took the wrong (right) one for awhile, until meeting a 72-year-old hiking alone, who complained about the brushy trail. After somewhat miserable hours: we were both cold and wet, we finally hit Larch Mt trail. It's 2 miles to the top: a giant parking lot! I walked on the 0.3 mile PAVED trail to Sherrard Point - a lookout named after Thomas Sherrard, forest supervisor 1907-34. White paint of 4056 EL, and names of distant mountains. Of course, I saw nothing other than people, and a bit of flowers. Jess waited for me, half shivering, in front of the toilet (the only place that has a roof). Sorry.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
2015.6.15. Larch Mt via Oneonta Trail
6/15 Sunday. Mostly rained. Jess and I hiked from Horsetail Falls to Larch Mt, ~17-18 miles R/T, 9:30 - 6:30. Horsetail Falls is at the trailhead - by the road. Ponytail Falls is very nice, and you can walk behind it. Oneonta Falls is small. Triple Falls is quite pretty. However, there was a mudslide at one point, and the new short workaround is very muddy and slippery (I fell on the way down). From then on, it's woods and overgrown bushes, spreading water on my clothes. I was at least half wet before it started raining, and it continued until we were back to Triple Falls. At the next fork, with a sign to "Franklin Ridge, Larch Mt Trail 2 miles" on the right, take the LEFT (no sign). We took the wrong (right) one for awhile, until meeting a 72-year-old hiking alone, who complained about the brushy trail. After somewhat miserable hours: we were both cold and wet, we finally hit Larch Mt trail. It's 2 miles to the top: a giant parking lot! I walked on the 0.3 mile PAVED trail to Sherrard Point - a lookout named after Thomas Sherrard, forest supervisor 1907-34. White paint of 4056 EL, and names of distant mountains. Of course, I saw nothing other than people, and a bit of flowers. Jess waited for me, half shivering, in front of the toilet (the only place that has a roof). Sorry.
