3/18/2010
This was a Thursday Morning after the Early Service. NOT a Terribly Cold Morning. However the
Trail was a Little Muddy from Rain a few days before. Here in this Picture My Car is Parked in
the very small Parking-Area just off of Hwy 238. The Jacksonville Reservior Road is right across
the Street. We have seen this area before in a Previous Hiking Trip. This is NOT the Easyest Parking
lot to get in & out of because of a Blind-Corner on 238. So today I want to go check out the
Petard-Ditch-Trail. That will begine in the Rich-Gulch-Area. From here We need to go across
the Little wooden Bridge You see Ahead and up the Switch-Back Trail that will take us up to
What JR & I Named Tree-House-Hill. Lets begin.
Here at the Top of the hill. We are going to go down that Trail there that
I'am pointing at. And It will come out in the Next Picture at a Intersection
of 5 Trails. There is a old abandonded Wrecked Car down at the Bottom of the
Hill here. Lets just keep Proceeding Straight ahead.
The Trail-Head that I'am looking for today is Straight a head.
We see Plaque-City through the Trees there.
We are aproching the Trail-Head now. I had walked part of this Trail once
before Years ago. I dont know what to exspect. Will find out soon.
The Beginning of this Trail kind of Meanders around some old mining areas
But then gets on a Straight Pathway heading South to eventually Meet up
with The Creek. Along the Way I look down the Hill and see another Trail
down there. That is the Lower Loop. We will be Retuning on that. Also
You can see that old Wrecked Abandoned Car down there. The Trail now begins
to go South. Paralleling The Creek and Hwy 238 down below. The Trail is Nice
and wide here. The Water ditch must have been exsposed once upon a time.
or Mabe there is a Pipe. I dont know.? Soon we will come to the fork in the
Trail.
Now we come to the Fork in the Trail. The Trail that continues on straight
ahead I have never been on. I know It will go back up the Hill at some point and
loop back around to Rich-gulch. That one is on My list. So today lets follow
the Trail that goes down hill. That will come out in to a Open area. That is
visible from Hwy 238 when comming back down the Hill into Jacksonville. It is
a Man-Made area I'am sure. With a Cat-Road leading from it going up the HIll.
If You look closely while driving down Hwy 238 You will notice some Man Made
Stairs going from the Creek-Bank up the Hill. That will Lead You to this Area.
from The Hwy. Well lets walk down this little Trail to the Creek.
Now I'am down on the Lower Trail headed back towards the Place I came from.
We are now walking just a few feet above the Creek. This is the Creek that would
Feed the Petard-Ditch Way back in the 1800's. Where at Exactly. I have NO
Idea. Infact the Exact location of where the Ditch Met the Creek has Probably
Been lost over the Years. So Much has Changed with the comming of Hwy 238.
WHo Knows? Well this Trail I'am following now is NOT very long. In NO time at
All we will be back to where it Meets the Road. Right near Where the old Abandoned
Car is being use as a Fence.
We are now back to the Main-Road that would take us all the way back to the
Top of the Hill and Rich-Gulch. We are NOT going that Far. We are just going
up to where the 5-Trails come togather. We will take the Trail back up to
Tree-House-Hill and follow the Trail back down to the Car. This was a
Pretty short walk. Hardly even a Hour. But I have things to do later on
in this day. So Had to get back to Medford...
(Picture #1500)
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