It is always a treat to start the Pontatoc Trail and see water flowing in the first wash – as you might expect farther up the Pontatoc Canyon Trail there was water at each crossing of Pontatoc Canyon. New-to-me on this hike was watching the moonrise over Pontatoc Ridge – I wonder if, or how many times, it has risen behind me on other hikes, but tired and staring down at the rocky trail in front of me I missed it…
With water flowing all over the range we hiked to Maiden Pools to see the water – rushing, as expected – but the sunset and night in the canyon were the highlights of the hike…
I often avoid Windy Point – sometimes because it is too crowded, and sometimes because the changes to the area over the last decade not my favorite – but I have to admit that when I have stopped here to photograph the sunset it has been absolutely spectacular!
The Bug Spring Trail from the Lower Green Mountain Trailhead provides an easy way to access ridge south of Bear Canyon – there are hints of a path on, or near, the top of the ridge, but only hints – if you follow the ridge for any distance you are bound to be pushing thru the brush and working around obstacles – you can continue past Point 6512, but it may be worth sitting, enjoying the ridge and waiting for the sunset…
