Forest Road Maze

  • SF2T 2026 Day 7, June 15, Monday
  • Start Trail 22, past Los Esteros pond, mile 73.1
  • End 95-5
  • Miles walked:  25.5

The word “trail” usually calls to mind single-track. In this area, trails are typically 2-track that has been allowed to reduce to single-track, though a 2-track road is typically laid out differently than a regular trail.

I continue to descend on Trail 22 to Agua Piedra Creek and Agua Piedra Campground, and then a trail along their day-use area, where a beaver pond thrives.

Following road towards the community of Tres Ritos, the route turns onto La Cueva Trail, reaching a meadow before climbing steep eroded trail.

The route follows Forest Read 442 to 439 to an unknown Connector to 438.

Rain starts around 6, and lasts an hour.

Finished audiobook Tales of the Jazz Age, by F Scott Fitzgerald.

Resume Hike

  • SF2T 2026 Day 6, June 14, Sunday
  • Start Santa Barbara Campground mile 66.1
  • End Trail 22, past Los Esteros pond, mile 73.1
  • Miles walked: 7

After a fine breakfast, all 3 NMVFO crews worked on Centennial Trail this morning, leap-frogging each other.

We return to Santa Barbara Campground by 12:30, and everyone departs, while I resume my hike just as rain begins, first showers, then steady with thunder accents.  I cross a creek wet-foot style on Indian Creek Trail, and climb in the rain from 8.3k to 11.7k elevation, where there is dense understory of one plant, that I had encountered before at high elevations, possibly kinnikinnick.

The route joins the Divide Trail, and views to the east are fogged over. I follow along a firebreak.

Soon I descend on Trail 22, thoroughly drenched and cold, and get to lower elevation and finally pitch a tent, climb in, dry off, and warm up.

Finished audiobook A Plague of Pythons, by Frederik Pohl.

Sawyer Zero

  • SF2T Day 5, Saturday, June 13
  • Start Santa Barbara Campground mile 66.1
  • End Santa Barbara Campground mile 66.1
  • Miles walked: zero

15 NMVFO volunteers spl?t into 3 crews, working on the Middle Fork, West Fork, and Centennial Trails. My crew cleared 45 trees on 0.6 miles of Centennial.

Afterwards we were treated to an amazing dinner, featuring jambalaya.