After lunch began the really rugged part of the semi-strenuous outing. We dropped 1700' down a treacherous scree slope the wears out the shock absorbers in the knees, along with knocking the starch and vinegar out of one. We camped at Birch Springs, the tail end of the descenders arriving at dark. The campsite is not very good, and the fire danger great. But the springs are something else, being fantastically beautiful and worth every painful step! The water birch were in full fall foliage and the springs flow in a setting that only a poet could fully describe. We all signed the spring register, and also had a companionable safe evening campfire.
Sun AM the hike out followed the mostly intact pipeline, on a fair trail remnant kept alive by neighborhood game, the trail being 60 yrs. Old. According to the register, we were the first ones into the spring since 1947, and Sierra vistas were magnificent as we hiked out. We stopped frequently for rest stops, for pictures, and snacks, and had lunch at the bottom of Tuber Canyon. The final leg out of Tuber is steep, but once out it is all downhill back to the cars, which we reached a 3:15 PM, tired but happey. It was a fine workout for the nineteen hikers and a maximum number-the campsite just doesn't lend itself to heavier traffic. No camping was permitted in the springs area, so it was left intact for the next group to enjoy "as-is". It is hoped this will establish a precedent for camping in this area, the spring is too beautiful to destroy! Paul Nelson summed up the feelings of the group with "I like this!" and "it certainly beats climbing a peak that someone climbs every Sunday. Almost makes you feel like a pioneer again!".
Coming Events - see your schedule. Rumer has it there may be a Memorial Day Bus trip to Thunder River in Grand Canyon. No details known.
