Every once in a while, one will say to themselves, I should have stayed in bed! On this weekend, this would become too true! Since our group hiked for years together, we always looked forward to spending the weekend together. You know to tell our stories over and over again! Our destination started at the Seven Pines Trail Head and we were headed to Siberia Creek Campsite. Mario our leader had laid out our hike as about four miles, and the time would be a little over two hours. (See Mario’s trail map) On his trail description, he hinted the trail may get to be bushy, this would become the understatement of the weekend. In addition, and because we do not hunt, we did not realize it was the opening day of the Hunting Season.
Well, as we hiked, we were laughing and joking, and then we ran into the biggest joke of all. After about ten or fifteen minutes the trail went from near perfect, (it was really a fire road) to suddenly a huge overgrowth of chaparral, you know that bushy stuff Mario mentioned earlier. The chaparral was over six feet tall and reached all the way across the trail, that is the trail disappeared! Looking to the side of the trail were axes, pickaxes, and a number of chainsaws, and other trail clearing paraphernalia. We laughed and thought it was funny, but not for long. Now why would a trail clearing crew leave their equipment behind? With a laugh and a smile, we plunged into this “bushy” un-cleared trail. Now the chaparral, pulled and tugged at our clothing and our backpacks, which was OK. But the worst was yet to come, the trail crew apparently decided to make this trail impassable. In retrospect, that is exactly what they had in mind. For they felled all the saplings apparently planted a number of years before, across the trail from both sides. That is, with backpacks on we had to either climb over or under all of these trees with extensive branches reaching out in every direction. We wondered to ourselves why were we even doing this! But we were committed by this time. It was too late to turn back. When we reached Bluff Lake the trail opened up and we hiked over to the Siberia Campsite. Trouble was, we had to repeat the whole process again tomorrow. By the way, Mario our leader, drew the trail map, and created the trail description, and took all the photographs. In this beautiful campsite we thought our troubles were behind us. …show more content…
When gathering fire wood, Tim and Gale hiked up a steep hill raising high behind the campsite. While pitching the wood down to the campsite, Tim forgot to let go of the wood, and followed it down to the camp. Boy, did we tease him at dinner! John Renna and Jim Andreae were also on the hike. The following morning a hunter around six in the morning marched through our camp with a loaded gun. After breakfast Tim, Steve and I headed out, and I slipped in the Siberia Creek, Steve quickly reached out grabbed my arm before I completely fell into the creek, backpack and all. A little later we all three got down on our knees and attempted to determine if this heavy chaparral was in fact the trail. It was. Once we cleared
Well, as we hiked, we were laughing and joking, and then we ran into the biggest joke of all. After about ten or fifteen minutes the trail went from near perfect, (it was really a fire road) to suddenly a huge overgrowth of chaparral, you know that bushy stuff Mario mentioned earlier. The chaparral was over six feet tall and reached all the way across the trail, that is the trail disappeared! Looking to the side of the trail were axes, pickaxes, and a number of chainsaws, and other trail clearing paraphernalia. We laughed and thought it was funny, but not for long. Now why would a trail clearing crew leave their equipment behind? With a laugh and a smile, we plunged into this “bushy” un-cleared trail. Now the chaparral, pulled and tugged at our clothing and our backpacks, which was OK. But the worst was yet to come, the trail crew apparently decided to make this trail impassable. In retrospect, that is exactly what they had in mind. For they felled all the saplings apparently planted a number of years before, across the trail from both sides. That is, with backpacks on we had to either climb over or under all of these trees with extensive branches reaching out in every direction. We wondered to ourselves why were we even doing this! But we were committed by this time. It was too late to turn back. When we reached Bluff Lake the trail opened up and we hiked over to the Siberia Campsite. Trouble was, we had to repeat the whole process again tomorrow. By the way, Mario our leader, drew the trail map, and created the trail description, and took all the photographs. In this beautiful campsite we thought our troubles were behind us. …show more content…
When gathering fire wood, Tim and Gale hiked up a steep hill raising high behind the campsite. While pitching the wood down to the campsite, Tim forgot to let go of the wood, and followed it down to the camp. Boy, did we tease him at dinner! John Renna and Jim Andreae were also on the hike. The following morning a hunter around six in the morning marched through our camp with a loaded gun. After breakfast Tim, Steve and I headed out, and I slipped in the Siberia Creek, Steve quickly reached out grabbed my arm before I completely fell into the creek, backpack and all. A little later we all three got down on our knees and attempted to determine if this heavy chaparral was in fact the trail. It was. Once we cleared