Bogley

[gonzo]

I woke up yesterday to 7" of snow, and blue skies. And though "what a perfect day to go for a hike." So, I gathered up my hiking gear (including new show shoes!) and The Steve and hit Neff's Canyon.

We got up to the mouth of the canyon around 8:45 AM, and found only one other car in the parking lot. We started up the access road, and found the snow to be already well packed from yesterday's hikers, but as we got higher into the canyon the footprints slowly dwindled until The Steve and I were following just one set of prints. About a hundred yards down from the bridge we ran into the other hiker and his dog who were making their descent. We chatted for a few minutes before resuming our upward trek.

I've hiked Neff's a few times, and I'm always surprised at how steep the trail gets towards the meadow. But, this was my first winter ascent (and my first major hike since my daughter was born 11 weeks ago!) and I couldn't believe how out of shape I had gotten. (Earlier that morning I found out that I've nearly fatted out of my snow pants). The Steve would run ahead of me and come down to meet up every hundred yards or so as I stopped to catch my breath. Fortunately, the scenery was beautiful, and the views out towards the valley were incredible.

Soon enough we hit the meadow, and found that no one had ventured beyond. We briefly considered forging ahead and making a summit of Mt. Raymond, but I decided that I didn't bring enough food or water to go on. So, after a brief rest and snack (note: dogs don't like Nature Valley Granola Bars) we started down the canyon.

For the first half of our descent we were alone on the trail, but we gradually started running into other hikers. Everyone had their dogs with them - it was a regular dog show! (And, of course, The Steve was the winner).






The snow isn't deep enough to justify snow shoes, so if you're planning on going, save the weight, and leave them at home. A few times I wished that I had crampons or some other traction on my boots, but the trail can easily be done in regular snow boots. Just watch your footing on the steeper sections, and be sure you have a good footing before shifting your weight. As of this posting there's no avalanche danger to note (at least through the meadow), but keep an eye on the UAC site for any changes.

[Summit42]

very nice.
How do you like the new camera?

[gonzo]

Love it! I've been shooting in manual mode a lot, and trying to get the hang of actually taking pictures (instead of just pointing the camera and hoping). Yesterday I noticed that my lens fogged up a few times when I would take it out my case. I need to find a solution to that problem, because it messed up some of my shots.

[accadacca]

Good lookin' dawg. :five:

[tanya]

Nice trail report and photos! Looks cold! :2thumbs:

[Alex]

My favorite place to hike, I live about 5 minutes from it so I venture there a lot with my kids. We like to take the right trail from the parking lot.

[Rented mule]

Way cool! Great doggie picture, too! Truly a winter wonderland.
Nice pictures!