Date: 2008-07-15 01:41 Subject: Deer along trail Security: Public Location: home Mood: accomplished Music: sounds of "A&E's Intervention" TV show Tags: auburn, california, cool, deer, hike, trail, western states trail

Deer along trail
Originally uploaded by don33c

NOTES FROM THE TRAIL
by Don Chaddock

When I first ventured onto the Western States Trail (marked along the way as WST) from Auburn’s Overlook Park about a year ago, I was amazed that people would hike all the way to Cool. Athletes training for endurance runs are one thing, but an average beginner hiker like me making that seven-mile journey seemed out of reach at the time.
With one 6-mile hike under my belt, as well as a few 4- and 5-mile jaunts, I figured it was time to take the leap and hike the distance between Cool and Auburn. Harvey Roper recommended beginning in Cool, which I was reluctant to do since that was an area of trail with which I was unfamiliar.
I checked maps, scouted part of the trail the day before my planned outing, and decided to trust Harvey’s judgment.
At 7:30 on Sunday morning, Rachel dropped me off at the parking lot near the fire station in Cool, just off of Highway 49. I had packed four liters of water and two electrolyte sports drinks, the trail guidebook and the map. My heavy pack also held a small cooler containing a peanut butter and honey sandwich, an apple, a hunk of sharp cheddar cheese, trail mix and a granola bar.
There were no markers at the trailhead, but judging from my map, I had a general idea which of the four trails was the correct one.
The trailhead is across the street, on what is now a charred ranch preserve, the result of recent fires. I took the more obviously well traveled path, which meandered up a small hill. Less than a quarter-mile in, I saw the first marker, indicating that Auburn was 7.1 miles by one route (over No Hands Bridge) or 8.5 miles via the coffer dam.
The plan all along was for me to go over No Hands Bridge, so I followed the path that eventually intersected with another, which was well marked. It indicated I should follow the trail behind the sign, which I did, and ended up at another intersection, this time with no marker or sign to lead the way. I chose the trail heading north and it turned out to be the correct choice. Ahead of me was the 6.5-Mile Marker on a post sporting a WST sticker. Another intersection and more signs directed me to the Wendell Robie Trail to reach No Hands Bridge. The trail, thankfully, leaves behind the burned ground and opens into meadows of oak trees. Eventually, the trail crosses what remains of an old barbed wire fence, mostly removed for trail users.
The plant life changes at this stage and so does the trail. It drops into a wooded area and then eventually comes to another fork. A sign marked the Wendell Robie Trail Short Cut, but I chose to stay on the main path.
It winds through trees, brush and over dry creek beds (I’m sure they are running during the spring). After an hour or so, traffic sounds from Highway 49 break the silence. The roar of motorcycles, trucks and other noisy vehicles were my only companions until I reached the bridge.
Other trails connect with this one, including the Pig Farm Trail and Training Hill. The main trail finally reaches a switchback and led me to No Hands Bridge.
This point is about three miles into the hike and I felt pretty good. I had gone through 1.5 liters of water and I knew what was coming, the 4-mile uphill climb to Overlook Park.
On the Auburn side of the bridge, there is a plaque proclaiming it part of the National Register of Historic Places as well as an informational display about the bridge’s history.
The air was still and hot in many parts of the canyon that day, even at 9:30 in the morning. When a breeze kicked up, it was a godsend.
As I rounded a bend in the trail, sounds of a waterfall greeted me. Ahead, at the bottom of a fairly steep stretch of trail, is a waterfall and pond. I spotted a frog and nearby, a lizard.
Parts of the trail in this area are steep. Just beyond the pond, which crossable by a stone path, the trail climbs to an old foundation, probably once supporting a bridge. The numbers “1921” are written in the concrete.
Beyond that, the trail reaches the area my daughter and I hiked down a while back, trying to find the 3-mile marker (there isn’t one, by the way). The return trip can be tough in spots, and fairly steep, with switchbacks to help lessen the grade of the incline.
When I reached the intersection of the access road (with about 1.2 miles remaining on the hike), I stopped to eat my lunch, washing it down with an electrolyte drink.
I made my way to the Hambone Memorial Bench and came to the large fig tree. There, deer were grazing, using the tree as cover and shade. I waited for a while, snapped a photo, and apologized to the deer as I interrupted their mealtime.
When I reached the half-mile marker, that’s when a serious case of the tired legs hit me. About a quarter-mile later, I had cell reception, so phoned Rachel to let her know I’d be at the top very soon so she could meet with the car.
A woman riding a horse came by and asked how far I’d hiked. “From Cool,” I responded. “What? That’s a good pace. You must’ve started early,” she said. I started back on the trail, but quickly had to make way for another horse, this one being walked by a woman.
“I just wanted to tell you that I love reading about your exploits on the trail,” she said. “You mean the ‘Notes from the Trail?’” I asked. “Even before ‘Notes from the Trail’ became its own thing,” she said.
I thanked her and she told me she walked from the trailhead at Overlook to the bench just to see how far it was. “That’s a decent hike, especially for kids,” she said.
When I told her I started the morning in Cool, she said she was really proud of how well I’m doing and much I’ve progressed.
As I plopped down at the picnic bench at the Overlook Staging Area, my legs covered in deep brown dirt, I felt like I had really accomplished something. And for a reader to mention my steady progress with only a quarter-mile left on my milestone hike, made it that much more special.