Tired. Sore. Achy. Exhausted. But happy.

A bunch of us from the Sacramento Hiking Meetup Group hiked the American Canyon Trail yesterday morning, from the trail-head down to the Middle Fork American River at Poverty Bar. No, not that kind of bar! But we would have been happy for bar stools to sit on, if nothing else.

Here’s how the trail is described:

This steep trail has everything needed for a  great day of exploration: rugged mountain canyons, a beautiful stream with waterfalls, a wide variety of plant and animal life, gold rush era history, and panoramic views of the Middle  American River. This is an excellent hike for bird lovers and picture takers – even artists  with drawing pads and paint boxes. Remember  binoculars, camera, sunscreen, water and a lunch to enjoy while you savor the scenery.

Sounds inviting, doesn’t it? But wait! There’s more!

There’s a 1200-foot change in elevation, which isn’t too bad for a 2-1/2 mile hike. But 600 of those feet happen in a 3/4-mile stretch, so it does get steep in a few places.

The obligatory shot of the sign at the trail-head. We decided that the mileage signs leave something to be desired, since on the way back, almost every sign we saw said "Third Gate: 0.9 miles." Finally, the last one said "Third Gate: 0.8 miles." Very discouraging.

But eventually we all made it back safely, even if I was the last one!

And boy, am I ever paying for it this morning! Sore legs like you wouldn’t believe. So it looks like I’ll be heading out later this morning for a walk to loosen up my leg muscles.

But it was worth it, if for no other reason than it let some of us know just how out-of-shape we’ve become since the summer. I was in much better shape when I hiked up to Mirror Lake in Yosemite, and that was only 7 months ago….

 

A very nice place to eat.
We stopped here at Poverty Bar
for lunch, and then headed back afterwards.