CDT Shakedown

I did a shakedown hike this weekend. It wasn't a very good test for the CDT because some of the clothing and gear I would bring for the CDT isn't appropriate for our local backcountry and because it was over 100F degrees back there. Right now the weather report for Glacier has been highs in the 60s and lows in the 30s and 40s. I spent the first part of the night just laying without any covering until it cooled enough I could tolerate a 10 degree sleeping bag over my legs.

I hiked up the Franklin Trail and over the other side to Alder Creek. The last bit of the Franklin trail was pretty brushy, and going down the other side to Alder Camp was very brushy. There was water in the creek just beyond the camp. I continued beyond the camp to the sluice which is all busted. There was lots of water in the creek around the sluice and there was many fallen trees making the trail a little bit like the Buck Creek trail in some spots.

I decided I would not like to hike all the way back up and over to the Franklin trail so I pressed on to the Santa Ynez river and in the morning I hiked the Blue Canyon trail to Romero Trail. The Blue Canyon trail was nicely shaded, not too brushy and there was water in the upper part of the creek. I did not see any water at upper Blue Canyon camp, but it was nice there.