Skunk Canyon - NCAR Loop
23 May 2024 Skunk Canyon On a warm, breezy Thursday afternoon, our fearless adventurers met at Vassar Street for a wander up the lush and blooming Skunk Canyon trail. The goal: reach the Mesa Trail, and see what happens after that.
The scent of spring flowers lace the air as poppy, geranium, flax, wallflower are blooming en masse.
All the better for huffing and puffing, these aromas, as our intrepid explorers made their way up the switchbacks and into the forest, whereupon the path became suddenly steeper. But not so steep that S and D could not persevere, as they arrived, relatively unscathed, at the Mesa Trail.
Now a choice to be made: go north along the Mesa Trail and intersect Kohler Mesa, returning via Kohler Spur; or head south, toward NCAR and loop back to the trailhead that way.
They chose the latter.
The Mesa Trail at this point is like a medieval road, paved with rough flagstone, all cut and hewn to the proper interlocking shapes. It must have been a big project.
And then suddenly the flagstones stop, and it’s back to the usual dirt, boulders and roots giving texture to the path. And a daunting downhill section through the valley, to the NCAR trail. This then ascends back up to the Great Green Water Tower, and down to the fire access road, to the NCAR road, to the trailhead. Easy peasy. Well, with a bit of respiration and a few more heartbeats than usual.
3.5 miles, 682 ft elevation gain. Overall a goodly adventure, and another successful BNO.