Eldorado NF
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Bloodsucker Lake Eldorado NF |
November 4, 2009
This will be my 50th hike of the year, which is easily a personal record. As the weather is cooperating nicely, I head up into the mountains once again, hopeful of accomplishing something a bit different today.
A mile or so north of the Lyons Creek crossing on Wrights Road, I turn right onto Forest Road 11N28, wondering whether it is reasonably negotiable by car. It is. Although a couple of spots would have been problematical without good clearance, some three-plus miles of relatively painless travel take me to the end of the road. It is approaching 60° as I arrive at 10 a.m.
According to my topo map, a short half-mile walk will connect me with an established pathway to my objective, with little elevation change. That proves to be the case. Spotting a dry pond to the right, I know from the map that I must veer north when the trail appears; surely enough, a signed junction is close at hand. The trail itself is vague and needs some maintenance, but it isn't too difficult to follow.
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The sign's ½-mile designation seems like an underestimate, but I quickly reach the lake anyway.
Bloodsucker Lake and Pyramid Peak, 9957*
This body is so named because it does indeed support a colony of leeches. No swimming here! And no fish, either. To my disappointment, none of the lake's infamous inhabitants are in evidence as I explore the southern shore.
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| Blue Mountain, 8772' | The leeches are hiding |
On the return I walk through the dry pond, then head for a big boulder that looks vaguely familiar. Continuing in what I believe to be the correct direction, I am somewhat distressed at not having spotted any of the markers that I had placed earlier, including sticks propped up unnaturally against flat rocks. Eventually realizing that I have drifted too far southward, I am content to continue a longish downhill trek toward a junction with the Lyons Creek Trail.
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| This pond is in blue on the map | This is where I got off-track |
In truth, I had an ulterior motive for visiting this particular spot; I'll share the details on a future outing. But for now, to make a long story short, I incur another mile or more of scrambling over brush and huge fallen trees, plus an additional mile on two different roads. Somewhere in the jungle I even lose my map, although it has been pretty much memorized by now.
Lyons Creek is barely flowing
§: Well, I wanted something unusual today, and I certainly got it.
While traipsing through the forest with no navigational aid excepting the
position of the sun, there was adequate opportunity for contemplation of the
breakdown in trip-preparedness. In the process, I managed to triple the
length of the return leg and quintuple the required elevation gain.
You can do better. Bring a compass or GPS, and don't leave it in the
car.
Bloodsucker Lake
Road 11N28B
Lyons Creek