Calico II Peak Loop - 4/22/21

View Northeast from Calico II Peak

Trail down the Steep Descent

Rooster Rock from Calico Tanks Trail

Mike leads out from Sandstone Quarry

It was time for a short scramble! So, the Fit Five started out of Sandstone Quarry on a beautiful morning. We started out the old familiar Calico Tanks Trail that a few of us could probably do blind folded! Nevertheless, this trail is always fascinating with all the colors and views and small scrambles. We got to the CCC steps quickly and soon came to the point of trail departure. There is a small rise in the tanks trail where a small secondary trail leads off to the right. The small trail takes hikers up to a rock boulder / wall where you can climb up onto the plateau above. This is a wide intermediary plateau where you can find the next way up the sandstone to the higher plateau. We found our way over to the rock that dips down to take you to the climb up.

Redbuds in Bloom

We all did our impressions of a fly as we scaled our way up the beehive sandstone. Memories of Bridge Mountain danced in our heads.

Enjoying the Calico Tanks Trail

At the initial level of the high plateau we crossed up to the Asterisk Tank. We did not choose to view all the tanks that can be found up there.

Departure from Calico Tanks Trail

Cheryl does her Fly Impression

The weather has been very dry for the last few months so none of the tanks or tinajas have a drop of water in them at this time. Up and over another level of sandstone, we saw the Exclamation Point Tank. Then we climbed up to view the Hidden Tank. Next, we dropped down into the Brushy Descent portion of the route. Today, the Brushy Descent was even brushier than before. I don't think anyone has been using this route lately. We all decided to bring clippers if we ever do this route again. Somehow, we got through the scrub oak and cacti then weaved our way down next to the wall on the left side. The rotting log that crosses a crack is still solid and covered with a blooming redbud tree. From there, we climbed on up to an overlook.

Up on the Plateau

Squeezing through another overgrown scrub oak, we came to the base of a very large sunken tinaja. But, you would never know that it is there until you climb up the side of a wall!

Taking a look at Hidden Tank

This is where we have changed our normal Tank Discovery route and scrambled over to the Calico II Overlook passing a very long tinaja that is very photogenic when it is filled with water.

Did someone bring clippers?

Crossing the Old Log

Today, however, we used the old route up the rockfall to climb Calico II Peak. It's all fun! On the peak, we took our photos and rested for a few minutes. The views from this peak are outstanding with sandstone at every angle. There are four largish tinajas surrounding the peak. And, also, one small round one that has been dubbed the Hot Tub Tank. After the rest, I suggested that we descend to the Main Tank via the Crack versus the "over the side of the cliff" descent. All were agreeable. So, we hiked past all the big tanks and the tilted beehive and dropped into the crack. A small up and around has to be done to get past the scrub oak bushes there. Then the downward scramble begins.

Approaching Sunken Tank

It is an interesting scramble going over a log and down a rock obstacle. The view of Turtlehead Peak is great! Then, the final slip 'n' slide at the end of the crack!

Climbing up from Rockfall

We each took on the slip 'n' slide in our own way. I have to say that Cheryl's method was the most daring! (See the photo collage a few photos below.)

Fit Five on Calico II Peak

Cottonwood Valley from Calico II Peak

The Crack Descent bottoms out high above the Main Tank on a wide level of dark sandstone. From there, we made our way down and crossed above the Main Tank to the other end. Now! The big descent from the Main Tank to Calico II turnout area! This is a route that the club used to do once or twice a year but we had not done the route for a while. So, the descent turned out to be a review for us. First, we started at the top of the hill at the end of the Main Tank. One trail leads down and one trail leads to the right. We took this one. A good rule of thumb here is to not go down too fast. Stay high but not too high. There is a red rock outcrop that comes into view soon in the near distance. The correct route goes just to the right of this outcrop.

Descending from Peak above Tank

If you don't stay high enough, you end up having to climb up and over this particular outcrop. There is a little scrambling to get there but when you get to the outcrop, there is a clear trail and the real descent can begin!

View from Crack Descent

Now, the trail comes in handy but some of your own creativity might work. For example, there is a trail down through rocks and dirt but a parallel route down next to the wall on the left works, too.

Jerry & Cheryl on the Slip 'n' Slide at Bottom of Crack

Overlook at Bottom of Crack

The trail is good but sometimes it is replaced by scrambling down boulders, etc. There are only a couple of places where a clear choice faces you. Either one works ... or, if it doesn't ... go back! Anyway, it is a long tedious descent but fun and beautiful! In the second part of the descent route, you begin passing by and through some popular rock climbing routes. Today's hike was the first time I've gone through here without seeing rock climbers! Maybe we were too early. Rock climbers are sometimes later risers. Anyway, we dropped down below the chalked up walls and, finally, stepped into a basin of bushes webbed with paths. We made it! We were at the bottom of the Angel Carving Canyon and not far from Calico II turnout.

Crossing above Main Tank seen Top Right

Turning right, we hiked into a Thru Way from here to the Calico Hills Wash. There is a use trail here that is interpreted two different ways!

Fun on the Steep Descent toward Calico II Turnout

At the wash, we turned to the right and hiked up until we found a nice trail leading out of the wash on the left side. This hopped us over onto the Grand Circle Trail where we continued in the same direction.

Mike's Impression of a Fly - Superfly!

One well-used Climbing Wall

At this point, we were almost a mile from the cars using the Grand Circle Trail (or Loop). This is another point in today's hike that all of us know very well. I started up the trail and decided that "laying it all out there" was a good option! I chose a steady rapid pace and tried to stick to it. Ugh. Well, I tried. Anyway, we sailed into the Sandstone Quarry parking lot 3 hours after our start time with a great workout under our belts. What a wonderful way to start the day!

Stats: 3.5 miles; 1000' gain; 3 hours

Thru Way to Wash

Calico Hills Wash

Return on Grand Circle Trail

Harris Canyon Ridge - 4/20/21

Ridge Trail(R) and Harris Canyon(L) - (Charleston Peak in Background)

Harris Peak (R) and Harris Canyon Narrows

Ercie Road climbing above Kyle Canyon

Ercie Road Hill

Rita and I went out for an easy moderate walk in a new area. Now that restrictions have been lifted on the burned area between Kyle Canyon and Harris Canyon in the lower elevations, we parked without worry of a ticket in the Lower Showgirl Trailhead parking lot. (Note: There is a very deep lip from the asphalt to the dirt road at the turnoff around 14 miles from SR 95 to the south.) We started up Ercie Road (Forest Road 531) on a long gradual slope passing a scattered bale of hay laid out for the equine in the neighborhood. I had mapped out a route because the roads on the plateau above were somewhat willy nilly as they led up and around several arroyos that drained into the canyon. First, we visited an overlook point that peered down to the lower canyon.

Overlook Point at Lower Harris Canyon

Next, after circling around the deep ditches and passing an interesting apparatus made of two telephone poles and a wire between, we found the trail that runs along the edge of the canyon. 

Burned Swath across Ridge (Carpenter One Fire 2013)

The trail is very clear and runs the length of the canyon below. As we hiked, we watched a small herd of ten mule deer run through the trees in a single file line.

Lower Harris Canyon

Artifacts from Miners' Camp

A lot of the terrain on the ridge is burnt but there is one wide swath of junipers and pinions that was not touched. This is where the deer came from. The trail led us up to the maintenance equipment field and dump before it continued around the gully. We stopped here for our break then hopped over to Ercie Road to begin our return. This was an excellent morning out for both of us and I will use this route in the future for leading easy moderate hikes.

Stats: 5 miles; 600' gain; 3 hours

Double Trouble above Harris Canyon Narrows

Starting back on Ercie Road

Kyle Canyon Road from Ercie Road

Mountain Springs Peak Ridges - 4/19/21

Mojave Kingcup Cactus and Dead Tree near Peak

Mt. Potosi from Main Trail

Rock Outcropping on First Ridge

Climbing First Ridge

The Fearsome Foursome drove up to the Mountain Springs Trailhead for some exploring. We wanted to find alternatives for the climb and descent of Mountain Springs Peak. What we found was a departure from the Heartbreak Hill climb that we had done over and over again. Not more efficient but more interesting to our legs and eyes. Previously, Mike and I had found a cairned trail down the Second Ridge to what I'll call The Gully. We were hoping to find our way up the same trail, however, this was not to be. We did find another cairned route up the First Ridge that I believe we have been on once before. After a good climb, we connected with the main trail that leads to Mountain Springs Peak and turned to the left.

Mojave Kingcup Blooms

Mojave Kingcup Cacti were beginning to bud and bloom and we noticed them along the trails throughout the morning. The one in the photo above was found in the lower elevation of First Ridge.

Mike inspects a Survey Marker

After turning left on the main trail, we passed Second Ridge then came to the fork where Windy Peak turned off to the right. We took the left fork to continue toward Mountain Springs Peak.

Main Trail on the Escarpment Ridge

Windy Peak from Main Trail

In the photo above, the Fourth Ridge can be seen trailing off to the left and Mountain Springs Peak is rising in the background to the right. We made our way to the peak for our break and took in the view of haziness. (With all the wind, why won't the haziness go away?) Anyway, we started back down and came to where the Fourth Ridge gently pours down toward Mountain Springs, NV. We turned to the right here and followed the ridge on a vague trail down to the first outcropping. There is a nice slope to the left just before this that dropped us down to the wash below. By dropping this soon, we were able to explore the wash scramble here. There were a few rock drops in the small wash to add to the vague trail of hikers that came before us.

Escarpment & Calico Hills from Peak

The distance we had to travel in the wash was offset by the fun scrambles and new territory. There were no non-navigable obstacles that we ran across.

Black Velvet Peak from Mountain Springs Peak

We did, however, run across a recently deceased and eaten small deer. Mountain lion?

Fearsome Foursome on Mountain Springs Peak

Starting down Fourth Ridge

We enjoyed the wash while watching the ridge to the right of us. At the end of this ridge, there would be an old dirt road with which we needed to connect. As we neared paralleling the end of the ridge, we saw a trail that traversed out of the wash along the hill. This small short trail led us over to the road and we turned to the left to immediately climb a hill to the ridge above. The road followed the ridge on a steady incline until we reached the top where there was a very large cairn and numbers laid out in the dirt with rocks. Hmm. Next, the road started down a sometimes steep hill. I was glad we were going down! The road winded down to the Mountain Springs Trail terminus and the trailhead located just above the springs. We turned left onto a continuation of the trail.

Outcrop on Fourth Ridge at Drop to Left

Our next route coincided with the Mountain Springs Loop hike route in reverse passing a really nice agave roasting pit and following abandoned dirt roads over to where we had crossed The Gully three hours earlier.

Oh, deer!

Our partial loop was completed here. Then we turned to the right onto the trail that runs along The Gully eventually finding a good place to cross The Gully to get to the abandoned dirt road on the other side. Here, we turned to the right.

Some Scrambling in Wash

Scrambling down in Wash

We followed this road as it curved up to the left passing a farmhouse on the right. After the farmhouse, we found the shortcut trail to the right and took it to the very first rise of Heartbreak Hill. A right turn led us back down to the cars. From The Gully to the cars is the way we had reached The Gully from the cars in the beginning of the hike. Back at the trailhead, we saw some fellow AtBFers that had just returned from a hike to Hidden Peak. It's nice that the club is slowly getting back normal. But, no, we aren't really rushing it! Great exploration today!

Stats: 5.7 miles; 1525' gain; 3.75 hours

Typical Wash Below Scrambles

Connecting with Old Road

Old Road down to Mountain Springs, NV