Sycamore Reservoir and Bear Canyon, Racing with Friends – 5/23/2015

1505 Richard on the way down to Sycamore Reservoir
RA running down the Sycamore Reservoir Trail. May 2015.

The gate at the entrance to the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site is closed, the sun is hot and Sycamore Canyon is dry – summer! And a simple day out with friends enjoying the trails!!

1505 Butterfly Weed
Butterfly Weed along the Sycamore Reservoir Trail. May 2015.
1505 Bear Canyon and the Bear Canyon Trail
Looking at the Bear Canyon Trail disappearing down towards Seven Falls. May 2015.
1505 The Blue Line
The ‘Blue Line’ – a well known landmark along the Bear Canyon Trail. May 2015.

Down the Oracle Ridge and Cody Trails – 4/13/2015

After a leisurely start I setup at the Oracle Ridge Trailhead to wait for a friend who is coming up the mountain from the American Flag Trailhead – intermittent clouds and a nice breeze keep things cool on my first miles of the day, walking the top of the trail, waiting…

Soon enough RA appears and after a few minutes of talking, organizing gear and confirming plans I start down the Oracle Ridge Trail.

1504 Oracle Ridge
Oracle Ridge stretching out into the distance – not far from the start of the Oracle Ridge Trail. April 2015.

The trail leaves Dan Saddle and climbs (and climbs!) past good views and thru tunnels made of trees, some alive and full of leaves, some just silvery skeletons.

After the trail re-joins the top of the ridge I am stopped several times by views off both sides – the CDO on one the left and the San Pedro Valley to my right.

1504 Looking Down from the Oracle Ridge Trail
From Oracle Ridge – after the climb out of Dan Saddle where the trail rejoins the top of the ridge – the CDO and Samaniego Ridge below with the Biosphere in the distance. April 2015.
1504 Looking down on the San Pedro
The San Pedro Valley from Oracle Ridge – south of Rice Peak. April 2015.

I chat with a friendly backpacker and share some water to ease his concerns about the dry dusty miles ahead – he is the 2nd and last person I will see today – after Rice Peak the descent towards Oracle begins in earnest. Signs guide me sometimes onto single track and often back to the dirt road – not a purist’s dream perhaps, but out here – alone – it really doesn’t matter.

1504 Late in the day on the Cody Trail
Casting a long shadow on the Cody Trail. April 2015.

The shadows get longer on the Cody Trail – power lines, buildings, roads and houses all come and go but my mind stays on the lovely winding trail – I stretch out and run for a while but I am too tired to run even the slight incline of the final hill and manage only a slow walk to end the day. 15.75 miles, +1,650/-4,800 feet of elevation gain/loss.