Hike – 5-24-25

I had a leisurely breakfast of pizza and then spent some time reading in my chair before getting ready to go for a hike. I wasn’t sure how far I’d get, but my goal was Sturgill Lookout. The distance wasn’t very far at all as the crow flies, and not too far by way of a lot of switchbacked roads and trails, according to the GPS.

I did my dynamic warm-up, started both MapMyRun and the GPS tracking, and then set off up the road where I’d been turned back by snow the evening before. It looked like the snow had melted somewhat. I might have been able to make it up with the car today. But I’m not interested in changing campsites. I didn’t see anything that looked like a campground, dispersed or not, but there were a few places where it looked like people camped. Less than a mile up the road, I came to a signed junction and felt that I must be going the wrong direction. I checked the GPS, and it showed a road that I had either missed or was no longer there. I suspect no longer there, because missing a whole road while walking is pretty hard to do out here (it was a trail that I missed, much easier to do).

I took a left up towards the Tool Cache and got onto 268. There were a lot of snow piles on this road, but none that I couldn’t easily hike up and over, or around. I came to a T junction, consulted the GPS, and took the left. About that time my body informed me it was time to dig a hole. I’d been half hoping to find an outhouse at this mysterious Hitt Mountain Dispersed Campground, but that wasn’t happening, so I walked a ways off the road and dug myself a hole.

There was another junction that the GPS professed to know nothing about, and I kept straight. Soon after that, I saw evidence of people trying to drive through a deep snowbank. They failed. I could see where they had gotten stuck, and I could even smell some car chemical that must have gotten spilled into the snow. Not far past that, the road became non-motorized, at yet another junction that the GPS didn’t have.

I was seriously beginning to doubt that this GPS knew anything worth knowing out here. I need to get one of the OHV maps for the area to get up-to-date information on the roads. As I continued straight, I hit two miles and decided to take a break and have a snack.

I sat on the side of the road/trail and ate a walking tamale. I also drank about half a liter of water. Then I kept going, but this trail went from “used to be a road” to “barely a trail” in about twenty feet. I gamely carried on, because I could see where the trail was supposed to be. I scrambled through some tricky deadfall, where it was clear others had made a path going around on the downhill side. I chose to go over and under instead.

After a bit, I came to a stream crossing and said hells to the no. On the other side of the stream was nothing but snow, for starters. I couldn’t see where the trail was supposed to be and it was all sloping, with runouts going directly into the water. And then there was the stream itself, furious with runoff snowmelt. I turned back and decided to try the other trail I saw at the last junction.

It was in much better shape, and had no real issues until it brought me over to that same stream higher up. The crossing looked doable, though not the safest, but the other side was the same snow-covered mystery as before. My hike was over for the day, and I was satisfied with that.

On the way down to the road, I slid down a snowbank, soaking my pants, but it was totally worth it. I didn’t slide very well, but pushing off with my trekking poles, I did get a little fun slide.

On the way back down, I explored a few side roads, and had peanut butter and a fruit leather for snack. When I was almost back to my camp, I saw an ATV road that looked like it would lead right back to my camp, where I had seen an ATV road going up. I checked the GPS, and it looked right, so I hiked down that instead of taking the road’s switchbacks. It worked!

Before heading back to camp, I stopped by the other site near mine. It has a whole concrete foundation; I’m glad I didn’t try to camp there. Not only closer to the road, but a whole big rectangle of concrete, no thanks.

Now I’m back at camp relaxing. I can hear motors going up and down the road. I’m glad I’m somewhat hidden.

Time to drink the (non-alcoholic) beer I stashed in a bag of snow and enjoy the day.