Scouting the 'Outer Trail'

I though we could take this road in from the gas station.

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November 20-21, 2002
Well, I went scouting today around the outer trail (for an NTL run) and it's not too bad. I'm still exhilarated. To summarize, I did some ice-breaking, wheel spinning, slipping, sliding and splashing. I got an earful of mud going through a puddle and managed to go calf-deep into icy water while pulling a big branch out that was embedded in the icy layer on top and left an expensive fender flare out there some time on the way back, so I'm heading back tomorrow to find it. I went through all the water areas and while they're deep, they're not too deep and most of them give some choice of staying to one side or another. I found that the trail where you turn right to go up that ledge hill also goes straight for awhile and then splits and each seem to go for a long ways. I never noticed it before, maybe it had been overgrown. I walked partly down both then stupidly drove partly down one and realized it was 4:15, I had to pick up my daughter soon, and I was going downhill. By the time I turned around on the narrow incline(5 mins!) and graded my way up a 30' long relatively steep hill(30 mins!) it was already well dark and I barely made it out and to pick her up. I was thankful to have gotten out that easily. If it had been earlier I could have gone down a steep hill, crossed a stream and then went up a less steep hill and found the other end. I'm going to try to figure out where it ends up on the map and see if I can find time to try to get to the end. I wouldn't try to go back up that longer hill this time of year but if I can be sure it ends up somewhere it should be a fun trail in the direction I went in. Also there's the other one that looks like it might ride the ridge more and so is less steep.

Regardless, I expect a grand time will be had by all. It's not too hard for motivated beginners and it's challenging enough to be interesting. Plus, it's gawjus out there. We can decide when we get there how far we want to go. There are other trails nearby, also, ranging from cake to I-wouldn't-even-try-it-in-snow.

I went back the next day in the fog to find my fender flare and also found my front license plate in a puddle. I tried to get up the ledge hill side but couldn't so I went up the mud hill side, up a ways to the top of the ridge where there's a loop to turn around and back down via the ledge hill. The trails were much more clear of snow and much of the water had drained a bit.