Well I finely made it back to Sycamore Canyon. One of my neighbors that I had told of my hunting lost mines had made some time to go when I invited him and three weeks after we planed to go we went. A solar upgrade, goats being born and fathers day held us up but when it when it was over we ran for it. weekends where not working so we went on a week day.
The road was not very recognizable and no other traffic sign and the rocks had been getting larger it seemed. We found a good place for camp looked off the side canyon rim that was close to Sycamore to let Tom see the canyon and the route we were to take. We then went for a walk to the old cabin and did some metal detecting. Found a few nails, some parts of an old stove, old rusted tin cans and an old lead bottle cap buried in the dirt and leaves.
The next day we set out early after cheesy eggs and coffee for breakfast. Heading west along the rim of the side canyon watching the other side for a place to get up to the top of that ridge. We had walked past the cabin long before we crossed. It being a cool morning we had sweaters we were taking off and stuffed them in to the back pack. In a forest like this you are stepping over dead rotting trees and to walk around or over rocks and go around or through bushes. We were getting close to the end so we worked our way down to where we saw 3 dear. Moving farther east we came up on a cliff so we had to climbed back up to the top. Walking to nearly the end we found a way down to the point. Working through the bushes and trees we were getting scratched up pretty bad.
We walk out on the point as far as we get across the point a cliff puts a stop at going any further but Tom is determined to go on so he starts down the side of the point in to pushes so thick he had to crawl through them. Only to end up atop a cliff and having to back back out up through the bushes. I was walking around the top looking for a spot to get down and taking pictures. No way down this is the store of most adventures always so close but just no way. We got out on the point around 11:00 AM and left it around 1:00 PM after lunch and searching around for a way down. It took over 5 hours to get there and will take that to get back to camp or more if we do some photography and looking off the edge for any sign which is what we did sense it was early enough for us to do. Working up to the top again we went toward the side of a cliff I wanted to look off of and that took nearly an hour alone.
Getting to the top of the cliff I took some pictures and looked all along the canyon side and not understanding how any thing could be down there. We head off for camp stopping for water and taking pictures. I found a way to cross the side canyon half a mile from where we crossed in the morning. We were getting pretty beat and were glad to find a short cut that cut about 1 mile off our hike.
More to come.
See pics on the sycamore photos page.
The next day we set out early after cheesy eggs and coffee for breakfast. Heading west along the rim of the side canyon watching the other side for a place to get up to the top of that ridge. We had walked past the cabin long before we crossed. It being a cool morning we had sweaters we were taking off and stuffed them in to the back pack. In a forest like this you are stepping over dead rotting trees and to walk around or over rocks and go around or through bushes. We were getting close to the end so we worked our way down to where we saw 3 dear. Moving farther east we came up on a cliff so we had to climbed back up to the top. Walking to nearly the end we found a way down to the point. Working through the bushes and trees we were getting scratched up pretty bad.
We walk out on the point as far as we get across the point a cliff puts a stop at going any further but Tom is determined to go on so he starts down the side of the point in to pushes so thick he had to crawl through them. Only to end up atop a cliff and having to back back out up through the bushes. I was walking around the top looking for a spot to get down and taking pictures. No way down this is the store of most adventures always so close but just no way. We got out on the point around 11:00 AM and left it around 1:00 PM after lunch and searching around for a way down. It took over 5 hours to get there and will take that to get back to camp or more if we do some photography and looking off the edge for any sign which is what we did sense it was early enough for us to do. Working up to the top again we went toward the side of a cliff I wanted to look off of and that took nearly an hour alone.
Getting to the top of the cliff I took some pictures and looked all along the canyon side and not understanding how any thing could be down there. We head off for camp stopping for water and taking pictures. I found a way to cross the side canyon half a mile from where we crossed in the morning. We were getting pretty beat and were glad to find a short cut that cut about 1 mile off our hike.
More to come.
See pics on the sycamore photos page.