2011 Edition
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It started out as a warm-ish, sunny day. The hike to The Rock of Ages and on to
Devil's Backbone was very nice. We probably should have quit while we were ahead...
but....we didn't. So this little jaunt turned out to be quite the adventure.
Exit 35 off of I-84 and then go West on the Crown Point Highway for a couple of
miles. This hike starts at the Horsetail Falls parking lot and trailhead. No Day
Pass required here.
Horsetail Falls
Ponytail Falls
Julie... still fresh, dry and clean. That will change before the day is out..
To get to The Rock of Ages and The Devil's Backbone, you'll need to backtrack a bit
from Ponytail Falls. Look for a tree with roots arranged like a staircase and a goat
trail that goes pretty much straight up (for the next 5 miles).
The Rock of Ages is about a mile from this point. The Devil's Backbone is about 2 miles
from here.
About a mile up this steep goat trail, the trail forks off to the left. It's a very
short 0.2 miles to the Rock of Ages Arch from there.
The elevation isn't that high (compared to where we're going), but still... some
nice views and steep drops to an instant and certain death.
Devil's Backbone... a very tiring, 2.5 mile "on all fours" 1,900' elevation climb.
Julie loves taking pictures of weeds.... errrrr.. "wildflowers".
A great day and a very nice hike (so far).
It's another nearly 4 miles to the top of Yeon Mountain and a 3,200' total elevation gain.
I think this is Saint Peter's Dome
Not much in the way of photo opportunities the rest of the way though. A very strenuous
workout with few visual rewards. The goat trail abruptly ends at the Horsetail Creek
Trail. You want to go right here if your plan is to get back to the Horsetail Falls
parking lot.
The air gets let out of our balloon shortly after this picture was taken.
About a mile or so down the Horsetail Creek trail, we crossed this second, somewhat
deep and rapid moving "water feature". After we got across, we followed what looked
like the trail for a short ways but then completely lost the trail. Even with a GPS
and Military grid-style searching, it was a no-go. The least objectionable option was
the one we had hoped to avoid.... go back the way we came, down the impossibly steep
6 mile goat trail. To top it off, it started raining which made the trail especially
slippery. There are sections of this trail that are VERY unforgiving. One wipe-out
and it could be an express ride to the bottom.
Back at The Devil's Backbone... raining and pretty socked in now. Julie is wet and muddy
and I'm not exactly fresh as a daisy either. The good news is that Julie has earned her
"Patti Dilligaf, Wouldn't Complain Even If Her Hair Was On Fire" merit badge. Not many
males I know, let alone broads, could have made it through this trek in one piece.
Not to mention that she never uttered so much as a peep in complaint. Guess that's why
she and I are "an item", huh?...
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