craig333
Riley's Human
Spent the first day off of the Silver Lake road. Saw an FWC with a trailer parked along the road. Smoke was worse than I'd hoped, better than I feared. No landscape pics till that clears up. Sunday I made it up 88 and as soon as I cleared Carson pass no more smoke. The valley just had a very light haze. I camped in the free stuff, not sure it even has a name.
I've seen it so full theres nary a spot open but after most left Sunday there was only a half dozen left in the campground.
The goal was to explore the roads around Burnside Lake. I had this hope of finding one of those places that just screams "camp here". Didn't happen. I quickly found out any road with a letter after the number was likely something I wouldn't want to take the truck down unless there was a prize at the end. Taking the Jeep for this exploration turned out to be a really good idea. One road I wanted to travel showed it going a ways up the mountain past an old mine. Found the mining cabin but the road petered out shortly after.
By now it was near lunch time so I decided to try the road my 2006 forest map shows ending up back by Sorensons. I had to try one more spur. I don't get some of this stuff. Shortly after heading up the hill I had to stop and lock in the hubs then a hundred yards after that the road stopped. Okay, just going to stick to the main road. Near the summit a bunch of unmarked roads took off but the main road had not one but two signs. Unfortunately those would be last signs I would see. After getting over to Deep Canyon and trying numerous roads heading down the drainage only to have them all peter out I tried the last Y and after fifi just barely made it up the hill, I came to a 4 way. Left stopped after half a mile. Right seemed to head back West while going to straight looked interesting. Straight went down hill towards the South. Not too far from Hawkins Peak.
Using google earth I'm beginning to see where I was. Looks like my right turn may eventually end up back at burnside lake road. Shows the downhill road ending shortly. Didn't help that my map doesn't even show Hawkins Peak.
I can see the road I wanted to take, 019A on google earth does go all the way back, to a solar array just down from Hawkins Peak. The road doesn't go to the peak itself, I guess they must have helicoptered the microwave gear in. I did start up that road but it seemed to end. How I missed the main path I don't know. I'll have to go back.
Its time to head back, I'm starving and already went through a tank of fuel. Still on the way back I have to try one more spur. You guessed it. Back by 88 I dumped five gallons into the Jeep. I head down by Sorenson's, I want to see if theres a road heading uphill near there. Just past the resort Fifi sputters and thankfully its downhill and I roll into the next resort. I'm wondering if I put in bad fuel? Open the hood. Maybe that coil wire hanging off the distributor cap has something to do with it. The rubber cap is partly melted. Worse the cap has a chunk missing and the metal piece thats supposed to be there is gone. Nothing left but some plastic gunk where it supposed to be. Clean it out and zip tie the coil wire to whats left of the cap. Fires up like a champ. I actually did find the road that goes up. Right by Sorenson's with a gate and sign saying something like Fire access only. I wonder how many years its been since you could do that loop. Yay but I'm not going to risk any more exploring like this. Spent the rest of the day exploring on foot. Riley approves.
Was good to finally get out and somewhat surprising as I headed home to see the smoke had mostly left.
I've seen it so full theres nary a spot open but after most left Sunday there was only a half dozen left in the campground.
The goal was to explore the roads around Burnside Lake. I had this hope of finding one of those places that just screams "camp here". Didn't happen. I quickly found out any road with a letter after the number was likely something I wouldn't want to take the truck down unless there was a prize at the end. Taking the Jeep for this exploration turned out to be a really good idea. One road I wanted to travel showed it going a ways up the mountain past an old mine. Found the mining cabin but the road petered out shortly after.
By now it was near lunch time so I decided to try the road my 2006 forest map shows ending up back by Sorensons. I had to try one more spur. I don't get some of this stuff. Shortly after heading up the hill I had to stop and lock in the hubs then a hundred yards after that the road stopped. Okay, just going to stick to the main road. Near the summit a bunch of unmarked roads took off but the main road had not one but two signs. Unfortunately those would be last signs I would see. After getting over to Deep Canyon and trying numerous roads heading down the drainage only to have them all peter out I tried the last Y and after fifi just barely made it up the hill, I came to a 4 way. Left stopped after half a mile. Right seemed to head back West while going to straight looked interesting. Straight went down hill towards the South. Not too far from Hawkins Peak.
Using google earth I'm beginning to see where I was. Looks like my right turn may eventually end up back at burnside lake road. Shows the downhill road ending shortly. Didn't help that my map doesn't even show Hawkins Peak.
I can see the road I wanted to take, 019A on google earth does go all the way back, to a solar array just down from Hawkins Peak. The road doesn't go to the peak itself, I guess they must have helicoptered the microwave gear in. I did start up that road but it seemed to end. How I missed the main path I don't know. I'll have to go back.
Its time to head back, I'm starving and already went through a tank of fuel. Still on the way back I have to try one more spur. You guessed it. Back by 88 I dumped five gallons into the Jeep. I head down by Sorenson's, I want to see if theres a road heading uphill near there. Just past the resort Fifi sputters and thankfully its downhill and I roll into the next resort. I'm wondering if I put in bad fuel? Open the hood. Maybe that coil wire hanging off the distributor cap has something to do with it. The rubber cap is partly melted. Worse the cap has a chunk missing and the metal piece thats supposed to be there is gone. Nothing left but some plastic gunk where it supposed to be. Clean it out and zip tie the coil wire to whats left of the cap. Fires up like a champ. I actually did find the road that goes up. Right by Sorenson's with a gate and sign saying something like Fire access only. I wonder how many years its been since you could do that loop. Yay but I'm not going to risk any more exploring like this. Spent the rest of the day exploring on foot. Riley approves.
Was good to finally get out and somewhat surprising as I headed home to see the smoke had mostly left.
