Dry Day!

Being the last one before a much welcomed break, we set about with a fun goal in mind - the mudslide!! The day arrived and it was nice with blue skies and cool weather. We started the trail around 9:00am and were suprised to see how dry it was.

The trailhead is usually a good indication of the mud factor ahead. However, due to the recent dry weather the trail proved to be fairly decent. No need for contending with the slippery, squishy, stinky mess of dirt, water, bugs, fruit, leaves, rocks, and animal doots.

We figured on a short journey and stuck to the main trail. Along the way we came upon recent foliage clearing, the site of a recent cut. If you peered over the edge you could see the large trunk and branches. A pile of sawdust and roots were the only remnants left on the trail.

Anyway, we left the area and headed for the main junction. Our time was good and we got there fairly quick. Unlike in previous weeks, the water had sufficient time to either evaporate or be absorbed into the mesh.

Though dry in appearance the lack of water created a false sense of stability in the path. Without any visible signs of water the ground appeared solid. But on one of my usual hop, skip, and jumps across the web of tangled roots I hit a deep one! It must have been around 5" thick and felt like grainy pudding as my foot sank into it.

Surprisingly, when I pulled my foot out of the sludge it was dry. My pant leg, sox, and shoe were covered with a brown coating of something strange. I knew it was mud but it felt weird.

The whole incident actually only happened on the way out. It was a cruise on the way in which is probably what made me careless during our exit. On top of that I wasn't paying much attention to the trail so it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Anyway, getting back on track we reached the lookout rather quickly. Following a very short break we headed up the slippery path in search of the mudslide. Though only a week had passed I had already forgotten many of the details such as the number of climbs required to reach the fork.

Turned out to be a little more than anticipated but still manageable. The rain started creeping down the mountain in our direction. At that point I hoped it would rain sufficiently to cause some serious mudding. In retrospect, I'm glad it didn't otherwise it'd have been a bad outting.

I originally planned to do a "coffin" slide by selecting the most direct path, putting my camera on video record, and sliding down feet first, non-stop. The footage would have been great but as I examined the path it became clear the lack of rain meant more friction as well. It would have been difficult to obtain enough speed to create a smooth, consistent slide. In addition, there were several groups of piggy doots across the slide which made it less appealing to do uncontrolled.

Instead, I took the most direct path down along the weeds and brush. There were a few slips but nothing major for me. It was much more exciting for my hiking partner who had some nice spills. Sadly, I have no pix or video to capture those special moments. Let's just say it was fun to watch!!