Malakoff Diggins (Nevada County, California)

 

For the past several weeks, I've been trying to get my buddy, Nick, out on the trails, but unfortunately, things just weren't lining up. Finally, we found a day where he could get away. He seemed to be looking forward to it, but suggested not only hiking on Sunday, but camping the night before. Knowing I was running a half-marathon this weekend, I was a little hesitant, but I really wanted him to get outdoors again and so we decided to go for it. The destination was his suggestion, a place called Malakoff Diggins State Historical Park near Nevada City. "Near" was a somewhat loose term as we would discover.

After getting home from my half and showering, I started to pack. there were some delays on Nick's side, but he eventually got to my place about 3:30 PM and we made a run for the border . . . the California border that is. He had researched a couple of local campgrounds, but as we checked them out one after another, they were either still closed for the season or not in favorable locations. As we weighed our options, we decided to go on into the park and just get a taste of it. Though, it was getting late in the day, we ended up finding the gate to the park campground open. We decided to pitch our tents and just stay here, and to our delight, we were the only campers in the entire place. As tired as I was from my run, I hit the sleeping bag nearly as soon as I got unpacked and slept fairly well through the night.

We rose at about 5:30 AM, cooked a quick breakfast, broke camp, and hit the trail. Originally, we were intending to hike the rim trail, which we thought was about three miles round trip, but as we soon learned, it was point-to-point. While it was a nice trail through the woods, with mazanita trees and a few small streams, it wasn't overly scenic.

When we finally approached the end of the trail, we decided to double back and do the loop trail through the main attraction of the diggins. From what I have read, gold was discovered in this area back in 1852 and basic panning and other mining techniques were used to extract the wealth. When the deposits were discovered to be far-reaching and more rich than originally known, the mining claims were consolidated under a single corporate owner. A short time later, the destruction of the land began. The corporate owners build and started utilizing hydraulic water cannons to eat through the surrounding mountainsides in search of the yellow metal. Downstream communities were feeling the effects of this forced erosion in their water supply and filed legal action against the company, eventually winning and forcing an end to the practice.

Following the road just a couple of hundred yards from where the Rim Trail dumped us out, we quickly find the entrance to the Diggins Loop Trail and begin to explore the devastation. Though mining operations have been in active here for approximately 135 years, the deep scars of this raping of the earth are still as clear as day.

All around this man-made canyon, the streams of high-pressure water have eaten through whatever vegetation was once there and the earth under neath it to reveal orange-red cliffs, which resemble the walls of the grand canyon, but show the obvious signs of being formed not by the slow hand of time, but by the greed of man. On the canyon floor near the walls, white quartz sand carpets and crunches underfoot. In the center of the canyon, what is essentially a muddy swamp has formed. With no tree roots on the canyon walls to slow the erosion or run-off, the water seems to have simply drained off make this mess, which will probably be a mosquito paradise in another month or so.

We weave our way through the out-skirts of the swamp, but it's impossible to not get wet and muddy at times. seeing the destruction up close and personal like this makes me want to weep. I so hope this land will heal someday and that until it does, we can learn from our mistakes.

Finally, hitting the uphill section that will return us to the beginning of the rim trail, we re-enter the woods. It's somewhat steep and while my legs are tired from yesterday's run, I'm feeling pretty good. Arriving back at the car, we find that we hiked about 6.8 miles - not bad for the day after a half-marathon. We did get to explore a very interesting, if horrific, place as well. The people of California have dedicated this area as a state historic park with the hopes that it will discourage such destructive practices from being used in the future. I hope it works.

Reno's Biggest Little Half-Marathon (Washoe County, Nevada)

*Photo courtesy of Desert Sky Adventures

Though I have run several half-marathons and other events since running my first full marathon back in March of last year, I haven't really trained very much since the weeks leading up that event. When I ran the annual Leprechaun Race 5k a few weeks ago, it showed. My finishing time was embarrassing considering what I have accomplished in past years. It really gave me a kick in the ass and got me started training once more. Since then, I have been running regularly at ever-increasing distances and paces. My first test came today in the form of Reno's Biggest Little Half-Marathon.

Known for having a strong community of runners, I expected a pretty big turn out and arriving at the starting line under the downtown Reno Arch, I wasn't disappointed. There were approximately a thousand people waiting to run. Though, some were running the associated 5k or 10k, it was still a pretty big turn out for the "biggest little city".

At 8:00 AM on the dot, the gun sounded and we were off through the streets of downtown Reno. It's a cold morning, but not bitterly cold. As I funnel through the starting arch, I feel pretty strong and after the first mile, I'm find my pace and get into my rhythm. 

I continue running solid through mile 8, but at that point, I'm starting to feel it. While I'm not overly winded, I can feel my legs starting to tighten up. It's not surprising as this is the furthest distance I've run in six months. My longest training run leading up to this, which was just three days ago, was 6.2 miles on the treadmill. From that point forward, I committed myself to running everything but the uphills, which I resolved to walk. Hills are always what kill me. 

My plan seemed to work pretty well. As I made the turn heading back along the river and into downtown, I was still able to find the strength to run. Finally turning up Virginia Street, I could see the blue arch that I had run under a little over two hours ago and inspired me to push the last quarter mile.

I crossed the finish line with an official time of 2:24:42. This is not my best time for a half-marathon, but given my recent return to training, I would have been happy with anything under 2:30 and so this is a great time. I accept my finisher's medal and then head over to get my complimentary beer from Brewer's Cabinet. That's way to finish!

Bonneville Salt Flats (Tooele County, Utah)

 

Many times over the years, I have driven from Reno to Salt Lake City or beyond. Just after crossing the Nevada/Utah border, Interstate 80 traverses a thirty-ish mile section of the straightest and flattest road possibly in the entire world. In the salt flats over which the highway passes, many of the land-speed records of the past have been set and broken. 

This vast expanse of salt covered earth and the Great Salt Lake to the east are what remain of the massive Lake Bonneville that covered this land many thousands of years ago. While this time of year, much of the land is covered by shallow rain waters the land will quickly dry and return to the barrier that scared many a settler from coming this way more than a century ago. I stand here looking over the vastness and can only think of the hell those that dared cross must have suffered through.

Buffalo Point - Antelope Island (Davis County, Utah)

 

Arriving in Salt Lake City a bit earlier than expected, I decided to check out Antelope Island, which is a large island just off the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake. The area is a state park and home to elk, buffalo, mule deer, and, of course, antelope. 

After driving around the island for a bit, I decide to hike up to Buffalo Point, which is the highest point on a peninsula jutting from the northwest corner of the island. It's a short hike, but fairly steep. As I climb up the hill, I can see for a probably a hundred miles in all directions. Looking out over the large shallow lake I can see mountains in all directions. To the east, Salt Lake City sits below the snow-covered rockies.

I was hoping to see some buffalo (bison actually) from up here, but there are none to be found. I decide to return to the jeep and explore a bit more. Driving to the eastern side of the island, I see several of the great lumbering beasts grazing on the steep grass-covered hillsides. They take little notice of me and knowing their reputation for being ill-tempered, I decide to not push my luck.

Having seen what I came for, I decide to head into the city and get checked in. This hike was only a little over a mile, but it's been a long weekend and it's time for some relaxation. 

Red Canyon Rim - Flaming Gorge (Daggett County, Utah)

My final trail for the day takes me over the Uinta Range and through a very mild snowstorm before dropping me down into the Flaming Gorge. The gorge is filled by a reservoir created by impounding the waters of the Green River. As I drive around the facility, it seems most of the services, including the visitor center and restrooms are still closed for the season. I'm at 7,400' here and it is a bit brisk, but I didn't expect everything to be closed. 

Refusing to surrender, I decide to go ahead and hike the trail I had intended to, the Red Canyon Rim Trail. Parking at the campground, I quickly find the trail as it winds around a side canyon to the mighty gorge below me. I've almost visited this national recreation area in the past, but never quite made it. After seeing the enormous red canyon below me, I'm sorry I waited until now.

The Flaming Gorge is a vast expanse very reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, though the walls seem steeper and the water at the canyon floor seems much wider and deeper, though calm and not flowing as the Colorado does through the Grand Canyon.

Several vantage points offer amazing views as the trail follows the canyon rim. There is no one here and it's a bit, which I actually kind of like. I bet this is a very popular area in warmer weather, but for now, I'm content to have it all to myself. Just as that thought crosses my mind, a herd of a dozen or more mule deer cross the trail just a couple of dozen yards ahead of me. They seem curious and cautious, but not scared. I don't approach them; I keep my distance and snap some pictures. They watch curiously, but mostly go on about their business.

When the trail begins to leave the rim and head towards another campground, I decide to head back. I considered getting more miles in today, but it's getting late and I still need to find some sleeping arrangements for the night. This trail added about 2.4 miles to my daily total. Considering I've hiked five short trails today, the 12 or so total miles all add up to a pretty good day of hiking.

Red Fleet Dinosaur Trackway (Uintah County, Utah)

 

Red Fleet Reservoir provides a necessary water source for desert area around Vernal, UT. It was also the site of a very interesting find by paleontologists. Now it's time for me to replicate their find, with the help of directions and proper signage. What was found is the fossilized remnant of a muddy lake bottom, on which several small dinosaurs (believed to be dilophosarus) left their tracks for posterity.

The trail is marked by painted dinosaur prints on the desert rocks to show the way, but it still somewhat challenging to follow. The desert here is quite beautiful and offers some great views of the reservoir in the distance. 

When I finally reach the water, a number of signs provide details of the numerous tracks in the area. The area looks almost like a boat ramp. The thin sheets of shale that formed ancient lake bottom have been upturned at an angle similar to a ramp. I utilize the map to locate the tracks. It takes a minute, but eventually, begin seeing them.

There are so many tracks here. In several cases, the prints are believed to have been made by the successive steps of a single specimen, thus making it a trackway. It's really jaw-dropping to see such a rich find here. I spend several minutes locating the different tracks and trackways, comparing my own foot to the ones that created the prints, and snapping pictures. 

Returning to the jeep, I check my mileage and find that I covered about 1.9 miles. It was truly worth the visit though. Seeing such ancient footprints makes one think about what this landscape must have looked like those tens-of-millions of years ago.

Moonshine Arch (Uintah County, Utah)

I've read of an arch in the hills north of Vernal, UT and since I'm in the area, I might as well go out and find it. To reach Moonshine Arch, requires taking the jeep down some fairly rough dirt and sand roads. Finally arriving at the trailhead, there are already a number of cars here. Just as I depart down the trail, another group leaves as well. As there are a number of OHV trails going in different directions, I ask my fellow adventurers if they know the way. They respond by telling me to take two rights and I should arrive. 

As they seem to be a bit slower-paced than I am, I quickly break away from the friendly lot and make my way down the trail. The trail heads up the hill over boulders and through sand until finally dumping me out right at the base of the arch. 

It's a medium-sized arch in comparison to many others I have visited. It rises about 60 feet out of the desert floor and spans about 200 feet. Interestingly, it sits beside a sandstone cliff from which it was probably separated eons ago. In the cliff, a number of small caves offer shelter from this light drizzle to a harmonica player and his companions. I explore the area just a little bit before heading back the way I came. Definitely worth a visit.

Desert Voices Trail (Uintah County, Utah)

While not my final trail on this trip, the Desert Voices Trail will be my final trail inside Dinosaur National Monument on this trip. There are other destinations to the north and outside the park to visit. The trail starts at the boat launch of the Split Mountain Campground. Here the Green River slams into the blunt face of the mountain. It's quite a site. 

The trail departs just a few yards from the river and enters another red wash. Scattered along the trail, signs made by and for younger visitors describe the flora, fauna, and geology in terms easily understood by children. It's a cool idea that I've not seen before, and it adds some character to the trail.

The trail follows the wash for a ways before taking some switchbacks up and over the red hill. In a distant depression in the cliff face, I note a huge pile of guano. It must have taken a few years a number of bats living in that cove to leave such a deposit.

At the top of the hill, a sign talks about petroglyphs, but I scan the wall pretty carefully and only find modern graffiti. If there were the works of an ancient artist here, they have been all but destroyed. Such a shame.

Finally, the trail cuts back around the other side and returns to the trail head. Again, this was a pretty easy trail, but it added about 2.2 miles to my daily tally.

Sound of Silence Trail (Uintah County, Utah)

Rising early for my second day of exploring Dinosaur National Monument, I set myself to completing two short trails on the western side of the park this morning. The first is called the Sound of Silence Trail. The trailhead is little more than a pull-off along the paved park road, but the park service has provided adequate signage.

As I take my first steps down the trail, I know very little about what to expect, other than the general route. The trail crosses an open area before entering the a red wash flanked by sandstone hills on either side. The trail mostly follows this relatively large wash for the first half of the distance. I've said in the past that the desert holds a sort of unique and savage beauty, but it's so very true here.

Eventually, the trail leaves the main wash and heads into a side wash, with red clay slopes on either side. As it twists and turns, I get glimpses of the larger landscape around me, the mountains above me, and the open fields behind me.

The name of this trail reminds me of something from a movie I saw long ago. One of the characters speaks about music he once heard in the desert. Not the kind of music heard with one's ears, but the kind that can be heard in the silence with one's soul. In this place, I can almost hear that music.

Finally, the trail reaches the plateau above the wash and I can see the entire landscape in all directions. It is truly magnificent. From this vantage point, I can see miles in all directions. Split Mountain sits to the northeast with the Green River flowing below it. To the south, a vast plain opens up to grazing land. 

The return to the trailhead requires a bit of easy rock scrambling as it returns me down to the beginning elevation. I covered about 3.2 miles along this trail. They were easy miles with great views.

Fossil Discovery Trail (Uintah County, Utah)

Before calling it a day, I decided to hike the Fossil Discovery Trail, which winds around the cliff through several former dig-sites between the Dinosaur National Monument Visitors Center and Quarry Wall building on the hill above.

The scenery is quite beautiful in this canyon, but most interesting are the three dig-sites scattered along the trail. Each rich with different species of the past epochs. The first, the Mowry Formation, provided numerous fossils from ancient sea-life. Informational placards explain that some of the dark splotches on the rock face are fossilized fish scales. As I explore the area, I look for indications, but I'm unable to find any.

Moving further up the trail, take a side route into the Morrison Formation, which was the source of a number of dinosaur bones. As I scan the cliff wall, I find a number of specimen still in the wall. While the Quarry Wall with it's sheer number of fossilized bones was a site to behold, seeing these fossils exposed to the sun and elements somehow inspires a sense of discovery in me, as if I had found them for the first time myself.

The third site is a bit further up the hill. The stump formation provide paleontologists with numerous examples of ancient clams and other shell fish. Again though, I'm unable to identify any specific specimen myself. I obviously don't have a trained eye.

As I make my way to the end of the trail, the Quarry Wall building comes into site and while closed for the day, would offer quite the crowning end to this trail if it were open and if I had not already visited. I suppose I did that in the incorrect order, but no worries, there is still a lot to explore tomorrow.

Dinosaur National Monument (Uintah County, Utah)

 

The prime destination of this week's trip was Dinosaur National Monument, which resides in both eastern Utah and western Colorado. The drive from my last stop was relatively short and entering the valley where sits the westernmost visitor center, Quarry Visitor Center, I begin to see the appeal of this place. 

The landscape tells the tale of ancient seabeds turned up during cataclysmic geologic events of the past. Red and white layers cover those angular rock faces that shroud the valley before me. I can't wait to explore.

After checking into the visitor's center and having a short chat with one of the park rangers, I form a plan for the day. As always, the rangers are incredibly friendly and helpful. I return to the jeep and take the road behind and above the visitor's center to the quarry wall facility. It is essentially, a building constructed around what I will soon find to be the most dense concentration of fossilized dinosaur bones I've ever imagined.

Inside the quarry wall has thousands of fossils partially exposed. It's approximately 150 yards long and from top to bottom probably 20 yards tall sitting at fairly consistent sixty degree incline. I've seen fossilized dinosaur bones before, but never in this condition or with this concentration. It seems the paleontologists decided to leave their work half complete to allow the general populace a chance to see these artifacts as they were originally found. Rangers and educational displays offer insight to the many visitors, including a number of children, on the awe-inspiring site in front of us.

After leaving quarry wall, I decide to visit a couple of petroglyphs sites I noted on the park map. I knew there were examples of rock art here, but I had no idea how much. The first site is just a half-mile or so down the road. It's house in a small cave carved from the red sandstone, which probably served as a dwelling for the ancient Fremont People that inhabited this area between 1800 and 800 years ago. The walls of this small cave are decorated with a number of humanoid anthropomorphs, some of which appear to have a red stain applied. Very cool site.

Driving further into the valley and eventually onto some muddy clay roads, I reach the next site. The ranger mentioned that this one would require a bit of hiking and scrambling and he wasn't kidding. A short trail leads up to the hillside where I see the first panel carved onto the red cliff. The variety of forms here is quite amazing. From humanoids to lizards to spirals and other figures, the artist(s) possessed a great talent.

Making my way along the faint trail in the clay below the red cliff, I work my way around the the small mountain. Art decorates many of the flat surfaces. A few panels are truly mesmerizing and include very precise and distinct lizard forms. However, the forms that catch my attention the most are humanoid faces in a style I have never seen in person, but only in books. These faces scattered all along the cliff appear in styles I would associate with the Aztecs and Mayans - extremely stylized. I'm not specifically aware of any incursions of these more southern cultures into this area, but perhaps there is some ancient connection.

As I make my way down the cliff, the rain, which has been threatening for a while begins to fall a bit more steadily. The red clay builds up on my hiking shoes with every step. I pop out onto the clay road a few dozen yards from where I left the jeep. Time to head for my next destination within the park before closing out the day. I've only experienced a taste of this park, but I'm already in love with it.

Fantasy Canyon (Uintah County, Utah)

 

While I've explored a fair amount of southern Utah over the years, I've not spent much time in the eastern part of the state. Sometime back, a friend spoke of Dinosaur National Monument, which straddles the Utah/Colorado border, as a place that I really needed to consider visiting. And so, I took to putting a trip together. As always, when going on such a long road trip, I try to pack a lot into it. The first stop on the list was a place I read about that sits about an hour south of the park, Fantasy Canyon. The small canyon is known for it's bizarre rock formations.

Making my way down the rural highways and dirt roads in this part of Utah, I'm amazed at the number of wild mustangs I see grazing on the desert grasses. I'm used to seeing these noble beasts around the outskirts of Reno and Nevada is thought to have highest population of these wild horses, but in the fifteen or so miles of gravel roads along this trip, I saw no less than eighty mustangs. 

Upon arriving at the canyon's entrance, I note a number of other vehicles in the fashioned parking area. It seems this is a pretty popular destination for families. As I start to walk the trail through the canyon, I can see why. The geologic history of this place must be quite interesting to have formed such delicate formations in the stone. The canyon extends only few hundred yards, before coming to an end. I see a worn path up the side of the non-delicate hill and make my way into the side canyon and back to the jeep. The hike only covered about a third of a mile, but it is well worth a visit if in the area.

Potem Falls (Shasta County, California)

A few miles down the highway and nine-ish miles along the long winding Fender Ferry Road, another waterfall carries the spring snow-melt to Potem Creek. The road to it though is not for the feint of heart. The narrow gravel road bends around the contours of the valley as it travels the distance to the falls. In most places, the edge leads to a one to two hundred foot plummet to the river below. It's not terrible, but when the washboards steal my traction for me, I admit I feel a little uneasy.

Finally making it to a pull off, I see a couple of other cars parked here. From there a single track trail leads down this side canyon. Much like the road that brought me here, the trail is perched precariously along the side of the valley. A fall would lead to my tumbling down the steep canyon wall to the creek far below.

I manage to make my way to the base of the falls without incident. At the edge of the pool, a few admirers test the water temperature and apparently find it a bit to frigid to dive in. This would make a great swimming hole, but this early in the season, the water is likely only a few degrees warmer than the snow from which it came.

A few pictures, and I make my way back up the three switchbacks to the top of the trail. It's not much of a hike, but the waterfall was well worth the trip.

Hatchet Creek Falls (Shasta County, California)

Northern California is home to so many waterfalls. From Yosemite Valley to Redwood Forests, an amazing array of falls paint the mountainous landscape. I doubt one could visit them all within a single lifetime, but that doesn't keep me from trying.

My current target is one a few miles west of Burney, known as Hatchet Creek Falls. Finding a parking area a the 'big bend' of Big Bend Road, I note two trails leading into the nearby woods. Below, I can hear the rushing waters of Hatchet Creek. I opt to take the trail closest to the water first. I know the falls is less than a quarter of a mile from the road, but in this rugged terrain, it's impossible to know.

The trail zig zags through the trees and rocks along the sloped hillside before ending at the creek itself and while I can hear a larger waterfall in the distance, I see no path to it over the rocks and ramble now blocking my path. I return to the lot and decided to explore the other trail.

This one starts out with a trickle of water flowing down making the single track quite muddy. After a few yards, it dries out but then begins to dip and dove along the hillside. Fallen trees block the path, but can easily be climbed over. A short distance further and the falls comes into site. A log leaning from the pool below to the top of the falls and with notches carved into it acting as steps leaves no doubt of the waterfall's identity. I have seen pictures of this man-made adaption. Presumably, it provides an easy path to the top of the "diving board" for visitors during the summer in search of a adventurous way to escape the heat.

I do my best to maneuver around for the best shot, but the terrain is pretty precarious and not willing to risk falling the twenty or so feet to the rocks below, I decide to turn back. Besides, I still have another waterfall to visit today.