Hoover Wilderness
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Lundy Canyon Hoover Wilderness |
September 10, 2025
Friends Cindy, Mary and Eileen are back for more walking after surviving yesterday's adventure up on Lembert Dome. I have selected a canyon walk in hopes of mitigating the horrendous air quality caused by smoke from the Garnet Fire down near Fresno.
No other vehicle is in sight this early in the morning
When I last visited here four years ago, my group actually lost track of the trail; and cutting our trek short caused us to miss many of the best features of the canyon. Having not planned to hike here on this trip, there is no map and no way of printing one at the motel. Resolved not to let history repeat itself, however, I have loaded a few dozen trail waypoints into my GPS, which should prove helpful if necessary.
In past times, this canyon has been a water wonderland; but today we are here pretty late in the season and water levels are down considerably, so I am pleased to see a nice cascade plunging down from the north canyon wall.
Falling from the elusive Burro Lake, which I'd like very much to see
That marsh shows as a lake on maps
The first set of falls appears
I call them Lower Lundy Falls
A mild scramble is necessary here
Just above the falls is a garden spot.
Grass of Parnassus
Chocolate Lily
Western White Clematis
Pacific Onion
Another cascade emanates from Black Butte
Sweetfern
Spreading Dogbane
Approaching another crossing
This is trickier than the first one
Mellow going among the aspens
Greene's Mountain Ash
Hairy Arnica
Another cascade on the south slope
Whoa! We have reached the spot where the trail seems to disappear into a dry wash. After clambering over some fallen logs, we do find a path heading in the right direction; but it peters out after a hundred yards.
So the missing trail is either to our left or to our right, but which way? It is time to consult my Garmin Foretrex, which eventually does indeed pinpoint a couple waypoints about 400 feet to our left; so we head that way through some willows and grasses in the direction of the compass's arrow, hoping not to encounter any particular obstacles.
The going proves a lot easier than it might have been, and within five minutes we are back on the main trail. This stuff is easy!
Only a tiny amount of bushwhacking was required
Fendler's Meadow-rue
Common Juniper
Beyond the head of the canyon is Yosemite
We would like to continue indefinitely, but the skies are threatening; I would like to make it up a bit farther, however.
Sublime
Yarrow
Giant Red Indian Paintbrush
Middle Lundy Falls
More berries at the brink
There is more good stuff just upstream
This is why I go hiking
Not wanting to risk being rained on, we opt to turn back here.
Starting down
Will they, or won't they?
Quaking Aspen
There are a few raindrops here
Large Mountain Fleabane
Ranger Buttons
Western Aster
Another aspen grove
Elkweed
What's this ahead?
The remains of an old cabin, which we missed earlier after losing the trail
Nearby is the clue that we all ignored:
How could we have missed this sizable cairn?
Oh, well; now we know what happened, and I'll find the right path next time.
More beautiful aspens
No wilderness experience here
The Hoover Wilderness is living up to my claim of being the most colorful
of them all
The sky is brightening a bit
Back at the log crossing, which proves easier this time
Arizona Thistle
The original creek crossing proves not as easy as before.
Eileen's pole slips on a rock and she rolls over slowly into the water
No damage seems to have been incurred, however; Eileen is tough.
Crimson Columbine
???
My phone app says that it's a Coral Lily, but I don't buy it.
Dwarf Fireweed
Shrubby Cinquefoil
More color
Well back behind us are the Upper Lundy Falls, spilling out of my beloved
Twenty Lakes Basin
Lots of scree in the canyon
Always a pleasure to visit
The last real climb on the return route
The doggie and its owner are from Sonoma County
One of several beaver dams on this creek
'Rainbow rocks'
Rabbit Tobacco
We beat the rain
The end
On the road out, we must pay our respects to Chief Blockhead, who was unnoticed by the others on the way in.
If the graffiti is accurate, the chief has been here at least 55 years
§: Well, I enjoyed this outing more than was anticipated. The air
quality was not particularly bothersome, and numerous flower varieties were hanging
on. Water levels were pretty low, but the falls and cascades still were
quite lovely. Readers would be well advised, however, that this walk is rather
more challenging than the modest specs would suggest.
If my companions would like to revisit this place some July, I would be amenable.
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