Today, I soloed up Ladera and down Elk Ridge Trail at Los Griegos area (see Sam Beard's book pp 44-49, and the attached image) I got started ~11AM in the empty, unplowed parking area at the trailhead and "enjoyed" first tracks from the trailhead in 4-6" of new snow. Last week, Sam reported his suspicion that the thinning crews had been working near Ladera, and, indeed, that was so. There are 4 attached photos; 1) Untracked Ladera near the trailhead, 2) a "trainwreck" of trees and logs in the middle of Ladera just above the intersection with Elk Ridge, 3) the newly broadened trail, now road-sized, on the way up to the power lines, and 4) one of the machines used for thinning. 

Above the power line, the track became less distinct, and for the rest of the ascent, I used overconfidence, failing memory, and occasional sights of blue diamonds to find my way up. A snowshoe track was occasionally slightly visible, and, when I could stay in it, the breaking was less taxing. Occasional excursions off-track are perhaps visible in the GPS image, but I was alway able to find my way. If you go, and follow my track, be alert for shortcuts away from my meanderings.

As I got higher, the snow deepened, and the beauty of "first tracks" was beginning to lose its lustre. It took me 2 hours to get up to the Ladera/Elk Ridge/Lower Road intersection, and by then I was ready to head down. The track through the many downed trees at the top of Elk Ridge was very indistinct, and, perhaps appropriately, I followed one of many new elk tracks down until I found Sam's and Michael's track from last Saturday.

Sam's report painted a pretty bleak picture for Elk Ridge Trail. The monster thinning machines had left deep tracks on both sides of the road, and he and Michael found good snow in the middle.  Well, as I'd hoped Thursday's heavy snow had buried the sins of the thinners. I was able to very smoothly cruise down the trail, controlling my speed, and my adrenaline level, with the medium heavy powder and the contours of the tire tracks. Steep Lower Elk Ridge was also untracked powder and a joy to negotiate.

There were no rocks, and the snow was deep enough to bury many logs and obstacles.  I applied Maxiglide at the top of Elk Ridge Trail, where the bright sun had started to soften the snow. I don't know about NM4 west, but there were areas of heavily drifted snow back east to the LA County line. None of the parking areas at trailheads east of Los Griegos had been plowed.

Happy Trails,

Mike Meier

 

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