Lutz Canyon Trail

I am really unmotivated lately to take on long, challenging hikes. I hope I can overcome my malaise and start bagging the peaks again! What turned out to be a plan to hike up Miller Peak instead turned into a short hike up Lutz Canyon, and I didn't get very far due to the heavy trail erosion along the creek. I didn't even see any of the old foundations.

I parked at the old trailhead sign for Lutz Canyon but went down the creekbed to hike up, hoping for some water for the dogs. There was none. The creek had been leveled off in flat sections and any water remaining is now underground. Now that the trees are budding around us, the deadness of this part of the mountain range is more obvious. Lutz Canyon is no longer a shaded hike. The heavy boulders and loose rocks everywhere are tiring on the feet. The deep crevices in the trail also are a danger to those hiking at night (the illegals and the drug runners). I never saw any of the mines or old foundations.

There's also plenty of ash still around.

Today both Sieger and Sadie were with me. I'm trying to get Sieger's endurance built up. He seems eager to hike--maybe too eager--because he annoys Sadie who ends up lashing back at him. The dogs preferred the many side trails while I wanted to stay on the official trail, but the trail's been totally wiped out by flash floods. I couldn't recognize the area, nor could I find the old trail. It was very frustrating to get very far as the hike turned into a search mission I was in no mood to finish. So I went back the way we came but taking the trail back rather than the creekbed. I'll have to come back up this way with a GPS next time.