EISPIRATEN

Hiked up and down the Other Devil's Backbone trail today. Went to Pine and Dawson and returned to where I parked on Blue Ridge Road (3N06.2), then walked up to Wright (yay!). The morning started off with a cool breeze, high clouds and a tad bit of humidity. It was quite nice until the clouds went away later in the morning. Then it was too hot and humid.

Trail is in good/normal condition. Saw no one until I returned to my car. Two guys pulled up in a BMW with a day adventure pass at about 10:30 - Is this the right spot for the trail to Baldy? Yup. Is it easy to follow? Yup, stay on or near the ridge the entire way. I'd hate to start that late on such a warm day.

Blue Ridge Road is in great shape except for a few potholes in the "paved" stretch near the ACH end of the road.

Pics.

Ooh! Flowers!...

Nice pics, B.

Super pic.

Is the sign still there that points to Lower Fish Fork?

HJ

Hikin_Jim wrote:Is the sign still there that points to Lower Fish Fork?

Saw this sign at the saddle between Dawson and Pine...

That's the one. It makes for an interesting loop, but that trail is a challenge to follow. Doesn't get much use these days. Nice area though.

HJ

That reminds me, HJ. Found this entry from 2 days ago in the register on Pine (saw a similar one on Dawson)...

Pretty cool. I'm going to have to try that loop some time. He's got a pretty good map on his blog: http://need2hike.blogspot.com/2010/07/o ... -8w32.html

HJ

pretty, one of these days someone will go down the fish fork again and solve this place one and for all.

AW wrote:pretty, one of these days someone will go down the fish fork again and solve this place one and for all.

There's a mystery?

I think going down from Upper Fish Fork to the E Fork of the SG River would be a heck of an interesting trip. Kinda epic.

HJ

Hikin_Jim wrote:

AW wrote:pretty, one of these days someone will go down the fish fork again and solve this place one and for all.

There's a mystery?

I think going down from Upper Fish Fork to the E Fork of the SG River would be a heck of an interesting trip. Kinda epic.

HJ

The book lists a grotto at elevation 6400 so I would look at a dropin from Dawson....I had heard that someone had done the Fish Fork without needing a rope and that it wasnt worth it.....I suppose the mystery is whether there is a rappel in there. Theres a falls listed on the topo, but I dont know if its height is listed. I have heard many times of people going to Fish Fork Falls from Heaton, but I doubt they were referrring to the falls on the topo at elevation 4200...also looks like an obstacle at elevation 5200.

I believe there are at least three falls between the E Fork of the SG and Upper Fish Fork Camp.

Take a look at this map of the Upper Fish Fork Camp area. Point "A" is the approx. location of Upper Fish Fork Camp. From there, I've been down to the point where the canyon really necks down, approx. at point "B". There is definitely a waterfall here. I crawled out on my belly as far as I dared. I could see water shooting out into space, but I could not see the bottom. There was a cool breeze coming up the falls. I got the impression, and it's just that, an impression, that the falls were of a pretty good height. I saw no way, with out technical equipment, to go down those falls. The canyon was very bare there; it was essentially water scoured rock.

I know there's another falls marked on the map, as you have pointed out.

There's yet another falls down closer to the E. Fork.

That's at least three falls. I imagine there could be another one in there some where. Whether or not it's great for canyoneering, I cannot say, but the fact that there are falls at both the upper and lower "entrances" to Fish Fork means that the area is some wild, seldom visited country.

HJ

Thanks for the report. The north side of Baldy is one of my favorites, doesn't get much use and you can feel pretty isolated out there.

Last summer I hiked up from Lupine to Dawson. The section from Fish Fork up to Dawson/Pine saddle was a mess. Sometimes you could follow an old truck trail, other times walls of brush and bear scat everywhere. Beautiful though.

Hikin_Jim wrote:I think going down from Upper Fish Fork to the E Fork of the SG River would be a heck of an interesting trip. Kinda epic.
HJ

did you say... Epic? oh, this house arrest is driving me nuts!

Nice hike! Beautiful photos HikeUp. Loved the cloudy skies.

norma r wrote:

Hikin_Jim wrote:I think going down from Upper Fish Fork to the E Fork of the SG River would be a heck of an interesting trip. Kinda epic.
HJ

did you say... Epic? oh, this house arrest is driving me nuts!

I hear you Norma. I busted my leg in a ski accident in 2001. That pretty much sucked for me as a hiker/skier/backpacker. Swimming was my salvation (kept me from going nuts) during that time.

I'll post some more baby pictures or something to take your mind off of it.

HJ