Today I went on my first hike of the year on my favorite trail, Euchre Bar Trail. I brought no gold panning equipment, just a camera. I wanted to give my leg muscles a good workout. I plan on a lot of hikes this year. I commenced the hike at Iron Point. The distance to the North Fork American River is about 1.25 miles, with a descent of about 1,800 feet. I wasn't the only person on the trail. Some people had carried their kayaks and inflatable rafts to the river.
While I was by the footbridge, I looked around at the terraces carved into the hillsides where the early miners set up their camps. I imagined what this place looked like in the early 1850s. The miners built their camps and worked the gravels, bringing out gold that had been collecting for thousands and thousands of years. I pictured all the trees on the steep canyon slopes being cut down for firewood and building materials. When the gold ran out and the miners left, this place was probably very barren. But the forest has renewed itself and it's now a scenic area.
From my several hikes in January, my legs were in good shape for today's return climb to the truck. Normally I have to take a few rest stops on my first hike up Euchre Bar Trail, but I made no stops today. If I could make a hike such as this two or three times a week, I'd be in exceptional shape. The early miners hiked trails like this all the time, but the benefits of exercise were offset by gunshot wounds, mining accidents, exposure, drowning, mule kicks, grizzly bear attacks, and the like. My biggest worry today was brushing against a poison oak plant.
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| Only about 1,000 feet (elevation drop) to the river! |
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| People preparing to run the river |
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| View upstream from the footbridge |
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