Shady Hollow Loop - 10/06/26

It's Amora! 🎵

A trail Fork

Starting down Telephone Canyon Road

"Mom! The sun is in my eyes! Hurry up!

To quote Mrs. Doubtfire, "Well, hello there!"

I know it has been a while. My husband's leg is still healing. After surgery (shout out to the wonderful Dr. Randa Basharon), lots of physical therapy, and a stem cell injection, the quad is slowly healing. Lots of pain to endure. Lots of limping still being done. I was there every step of the way. After all, he can't drive!! 😉😇

So, I finally escaped for a morning with Amora in tow. She loooved it! We drove up Kyle Canyon Road to the Stepladder TH and started out Shady Hollow Trail. She and I were both a little out of conditioning so we didn't try to do too much. The temps were good. We climbed around and up next to Stepladder Peak and finally came to Onyx Point (a place where, once upon a time, John and I waited for our lost goldendoodle to return.) Telephone Canyon Road kisses the trail here and Amora and I scooched over to the road to start back. A right turn on the road took us down to the large campsite where we sat to share a fig bar. From there we took the Orange/Green Trail, down to a Telephone Canyon Road junction and continued down. After passing the Tin Can Alley Trail junction and had the "Big Road Dip" in our sights, we found the connector trail doing a sharp turn to the right. This trail brought us back over to the Shady Hollow Trail and back to the car. It was so great to get back on the trail even though I have a lot of catching up to do. But, I am thankful that I am able to help my husband through this difficult time. Love to everyone! See you on the trail sometime!

Stats: 3.6 miles; 650' gain.

View down TC Rd to La Madre Mountain Range

View up road toward Robbers' Roost

Charleston Peak peeks on left of Photo
Amora is happy to be heading back!

Cabin / Camp 84 Exploratory - 9/7/26

View to desert foothills from Camp 84

Slue at Ada & Edith Mine

Hiking up through Elks Club Wash

Mummy Mountain & Lee Peak from Nutans Road

I know it has been a while since I last wrote. Due to a serious injury to my husband's leg, (torn right quadriceps - a real oucher and looong recovery), I am exercising in a different way taking care of him and the house. However, we have come to a point where I can sneak out for a small hike once in a while. 

My brother visited last week. He is a big hiker in a club back east. He brought his club hikers to an ambitious week in Bishop and was able to stay with us for a few days. 

So, being Labor Day, he and I did an exploratory hike in an area I have been working on for several years. (One day, I hope to have this area understood! ... Or, not.) We parked at the Cattle Grate Trailhead on Lee Canyon Road just up from the Deer Creek Road junction. Crossing the road, we dropped into the bottom of Elks Club Wash and climbed up to where a small mine road (Nutans Road) crossed the wash. Turning right onto the mine road, we climbed up to investigate the remains of part of the Ada & Edith Mine. I tried continuing along the hill to see if there was a good way to get to the cabin from there and I managed to drop down to Nutans Road that leads to the cabin. After showing Tim the cabin, we continued along the mine road and passed another adit of the mine and climbed up to the ridge above. Here, is where I tried ... again ... to find a decent way to get to Camp 84. Following all kinds of game trails, we eventually ended up on the Camp to Spring Trail and climbed on up to Camp 84.

Tim on road to Cabin (Settle down girls! He's taken!)

Inside Ada & Edith Cabin (Careful! Rotted planks!)

Terrain with many game trails at Ridge

Migrating Pelicans (I promise!)

After taking our break at the old camp, we returned down the Camp to Spring Trail and took a left fork up to the ridge. It wasn't a straight shot. Again, we ended up on various game trails and had to climb steeply up in the end. Finally, on familiar territory, we hiked on over to Horse Peak then took a dive down the long scree descent to Elks Club Wash. Down the wash, we found the connector to Nutans Road and finished our descent to the car. It was a great workout and I really enjoyed hiking with my brother, as usual.

Stats: 4.8 miles; 1725' gain; 5 hours

View from Camp 84 to Horse Canyon and Onyx Peak

Mummy Mountain from ridge above Cabin

Descending Nutans Road from Elks Club Wash Connection

Disregard the lighter blue Track

Pump House Ridge Loop - 7/25/26

Pump House from Approach

Lee Peak, Rocketship, and Charleston Peak from second saddle of Pump House Ridge

McFarland Peak from Bonanza near Pump House Ridge Junction

Rock-lined Old Mill Trail

Last summer, Susan, Sue and I debuted a new hike called Pump House Loop. We have only heard from three hikers that took the bait and tried the hike. Yes, it is a tough one! So, I decided to do it again ... feeling good ... and, needing some cool air ...  I was very pleased with the outcome. Last year, I tried to use horse trails in the area and I must say, those horses tend to wander. This year, I was not distracted by the lure of pre-made game trails and I decided to just climb Pump House Ridge straight up balancing on top of the ridge. This worked out great as I will describe below. I parked my car at the Lee Canyon traffic circle trailhead (aka the Pay Phone TH) and hiked up the Old Mill Picnic Area paved road. I veered right onto the Old Mill Trail to hike the rock-lined path. When the South Sister Trail took off to the right, instead of following either trail, I headed for the hill that ascends from the triangle that the two trails make straight ahead.

The Pump House

Photo showing steep scree slope of Pump House Ridge

Second saddle of Pump House Ridge

Continuing up from second Saddle

This is the base of Pump House Ridge. There is somewhat of a trail that leads straight up and soon runs beside a small old building. This is the pump house that was used for the old mill in the area and, no doubt, the small foreman's house whose foundation lies nearby off of the South Sister Trail below. Since I had photographed the pump house thoroughly last year, I took a couple of photos and continued up the ridge behind it. The steepness arrives quickly ... which is why, last year, I drifted off to the right to follow a horse trail on a traverse. This time, I just kept straight. The views of Lee Peak, Rocketship and Charleston Peak were there to the left. Between the peaks and the ridge, you could see the Bonanza Trail ridge (Spring Mountain Divide). The hike's work was there to see.

"Halfway House" on third Saddle

Overlook at "Halfway House"

Decor at fourth Saddle

Junction with Bonanza Trail

There are four well-earned saddles on this steep scree-filled ridge. The first saddle appeared soon with a dead rotting tree lying lengthwise in the dip. This saddle was missed last year by following a lengthy horse trail zigzag. Next, I found myself climbing steeply up to a rock outcrop. Now that I have tried circling this peak on both sides, I can confidently say that the best way to go around is on the right. The left side is quite convoluted and I could tell that the horses think the same thing! After the small rocky peak, the ridge curves to the left and another saddle appears with a majestic dead tree rising tall in front of the peaks on the left side. The next climb is probably the steepest. Last year, I found a horse trail that goes around the third saddle and on to the fourth. Mistake! That third saddle is the most beautiful! There is an old wrecked lean-to that was built there and, nearby, an overlook reached out on an outcrop with a 270 degree view. A wonderful place to build a house! And, since this is about halfway up the ridge to the Bonanza Trail, I named it the Halfway House. Onward and upward, the fourth saddle arrived with a gorgeous dead tree lying across it with Charleston Peak there in the background.

Nearing area of South Sister Saddle Ridge Junction with Bonanza Trail

Beautiful area of South Sister Saddle Ridge Junction with Bonanza Trail

Initial descent from Bonanza Trail

Macks Peak from descent of South Sister Ridge

The last hill before the Bonanza Trail ridge, was long and arduous. Surprises appeared no longer and an actual trail began leading the way. The junction happened just before one of my favorite places on the Bonanza Trail ... the bare spot with old bristlecone snags. Turning right, the South Sister Saddle Ridge junction was not far. Many of us know this junction and the trail turns off to the right quite clearly. I descended the trail without mishap and dropped down to the break spot that many of us use. As I sat for a rest with views in surround sound, I heard a chain saw in the distance. My supposition was that "they" were working on Macks Canyon Road down below where it has been closed for about 3-4 years. Idk. It needs to be done. Anyway, before I reached the South Sister Saddle, the noise was quieted along with a motorcycle trailing away. Here, the real descent begins. The trail is steep and slippery and has been for many years. I descended just about as slow as I had ascended on the Pump House Ridge!

Mummy Mountain from South Sister Ridge Descent

Beautiful descent to South Sister Saddle

Descending the South Sister Trail from Saddle

Shaded Descent

Regardless, at least this part of the descent only lasted for around a third of a mile. The remaining South Sister Trail is extremely pleasant with shade and a bit more flatness. Always on the lookout for wild horses in this area, I saw none. (However, I did see a deer up near the Bonanza Trail.) As I reached the lower portion of the descent, I peeked up to the right. I could not see the Pump House but knowing it was there changed how I thought while hiking here. More history! More thoughts of people working. More thoughts of workers milling about. (Pun intended!)

Stats: 5.5 miles; 1600' gain; 4.25 hours

Shady pleasant Section

Descent next to Wash

Emerging from the forest and into the glade at Old Mill Trail

This track was taken last year with the "distractions" of the horse trails.