Going up

When Ginger and I hiked this trail in 2011, we had to walk along the road from Brazil Creek Campground to where the eastern loop hits the road. Not this time. Either we missed the trail I used to get here, or it’s a new addition. In fact, just about all of the Berryman Trail appears to have been re-routed. I was most impressed by the trail’s revised route and condition. In the process the trail has been made longer, from twenty-four miles to twenty-seven.

This is the point where you can divert off of the Berryman Trail to visit Brazil Creek and Brazil Creek Campground (go right), or keep on hiking the Berryman Trail (go left). Peering down through the trees at the campground, I could see a horse trailer and someone unloading an ATV. I was glad I had opted not to have lunch there.

Now for the big climb of the day, and then a long ridge hike before dropping down to Little Brazil Creek. If I didn’t want to be setting up camp in the dark, I needed to get a move on. It’s nearly two pm, and with four or five more miles still to go. The ‘feel’ of the western loop of the trail is very different, more rugged and rough. As I was soon to see, there have been some fairly major fires on this section of the trail in years past.

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