A Mild Misadventure

Tobias Trail

Well, it seems only appropriate that the first blog I post is about a not so great hike. My goal is to just review the trails I've been on, give an idea of what it was like, what I wished I had brought (or hadn't).

Just as a formality I feel like I should state, I am in no way a professional or experienced hiker. This blog is in no way supposed to be an instructional guide, merely my own personal insights/experiences. Please do your own research before striking out on you or own adventures.

Okay, so with that out of the way:

The Tobias Creek Loop (32E34)

I chose this trail because it was supposed to be a short 3.5 mile loop in a higher altitude on a weekend where it's going to be 90 degrees, and I was hoping to head over to the Trail of a Hundred Giants afterwards. Unfortunately, I miscalculated how long it would take me to get ready, and how long it would take me to get there.

The road from Johnsondale is basically a one lane road. And when I say one lane, what I mean is in most places it is only wide enough for one car, so while I tend to have a bit of a lead foot, the width and lack of view in parts of the road make for some slow driving. The upside is there were not many people on the road and in places there were some amazing views.

I did use a GPS mapping program to make sure I was on the correct road, but I probably didn't need it, it was fairly easy to find the trail and there is a post with the trail address(?) on it.

The First Sign

The first sign of how this particular trip was going to go was the massive amount of bugs that swarmed me the second I stepped out of the car. Gnats, Mosquitoes, and Flies, oh my. Don't get me wrong, I understand that being in nature means insects, but the number of flying insects bumping into my face and biting my arms, shoulders, and legs almost immediately was unreal. I wonder if the record amount of snow and rain this year had anything to do with it?

I sprayed myself head to toe with a deet spray, which seemingly did nothing to keep them away, though looking back seemed to prevent the mosquitoes from biting, but not the flies. The only thing that helped with the insects the entire trip was to keep moving.

The Trail

At first it was sandy, but there was a clearly marked trail, and there were lots of blooming flowers around it. The creek itself is not far from the road and was well flowing with crystal clear water.

Unfortunately, shortly after it led to the creek, the trail itself completely disappeared into the growth. I checked and rechecked my hiking app, wandered here and there, but there was no trail to be found.

After studying the map on my app for some time, I decided to cross the creek via some rather sturdy fallen logs and see if I could pick the trail up a little further up the way. I know it is dumb to wander off trail, and I do not recommend it, but I stayed within eyesight of the creek and did not stray too far.

I found a lovely meadow but no trail.

So I turned back, more than a little disappointed and mildly concerned about ticks. But just before I gave up, I came across bike tracks that lead to a trail that followed above the creek for a while before leading around the peak. I now believe this was Tobias Trail, a 7 mile trail hiking/BMX trail.

Not sure where it would lead or how long it would go, but not wanting to call it quits, I decided to hike it for a while. It was pretty well maintained, though a bit narrow at times. I was hoping it would lead to the peak, but as it curved around it did not rise much. That being said, it had some amazing views of the mountain ranges to the North and the East. From several places I could see what I believe is Mt. Whitney, the Needles, and some peak I am sure has a name, but I can't find it.

This was definitely the highlight of the trip. After a while, the trail began to leave the peak and head East in the direction of Greenhorn Mt (I think) and I felt like I was straying a little too far from my original route. Because I hike solo. I always let two people know where I am going and check in again when I return. If I stray too far, it defeats the purpose of having that safety net.

I headed back and consoled myself with the view.

I wasn't too far on my return when I realized I was on a different trail. At first, I went through a patch of green that I didn't remember as being so overgrown, but dismissed it as the different angle and me not looking around as much as I should. I tend to look down a lot to keep from tripping or stepping in... stuff.

But when the trail started heading back to the East and downward, I knew I was not on the trail I had been on.

I won't lie, the panic hit me a little harder than I expected. But I knew where I was in relation to where I had started, if I was really desperate, I could probably scramble up an over the peak (I wasn't too far from the top). But it was still a little unnerving, I couldn't see the trail I had been on from where I was, and being swarmed by insects every time I stopped to look around didn't help.

I backtracked a little hoping to catch sight of the crossing I had failed to notice before, but I wasn't seeing anything and the longer it took the more I was stressing. Until I realized I was using my hiking app to track my hike. (duh).

Apparently, I had switched trails a ways back, but in no time I was headed back on the right path.

Yikes.

All in all, it wasn't so bad. I saw my first mountain quail, the view was really nice, and there were a few Ponderosa pines and lots of wildflowers. The creek itself was lovely too. But I will definitely think twice before wandering on an unknown trail again. On the upside, with all my wandering I managed to put in 3 miles, so there's that.