For such an experienced group, we did one of the easiest treks.  Just barely over 50 miles.  We told other crews that we weren’t there to do high mileage- we were just there to have fun.  And that’s what we did.  

We started at Lover’s Leap Camp, and learned that the most underrated sunset on the Ranch is from the top of Lover’s Leap.  You don’t really get to see the sun set (it drops behind Trail Peak pretty early in the evening), but as twilight sets in the basin that includes Lover’s Leap, Miner’s Park, and Crater Lake looks like a valley out of a fairy tale.  

Crater Lake is the next night’s camp, so we get to participate in the Continental Tie and Lumber Company program.  The next day take us to Beaubien…a pretty short hike, so we decide to side hike Trail Peak and visit the plane crash en route.  We spend two nights at Beaubien.  On our no-hike day, we have a food pickup at Phillips Junction, so we have to do some hiking anyway.  From Beaubien it’s on to Crooked Creek, where we play football in the meadow with a couple other crews.  

From Crooked we proceed to Clear Creek, but instead of taking the standard trail up the canyon, we take the longer route (I think it goes over Wild Horse Mesa?).  True to form, we get camp set up just as a huge thunderstorm hits.  

Fog greets us the next morning as we prepare to climb Mt. Phillips.  Intermittent light drizzle falls, but we press on.  Just as we reach the summit, the clouds part and we see a clear view of Baldy Mountain.  The clouds continue to clear as we make our way down to Cypher’s Mine, for the mine tour and blacksmithing program.  

From Cypher’s we head to Aspen Springs.  The Cimarroncito staff comes over in the afternoon to put on a bouldering program, so we get to do a little climbing in the afternoon.  From Aspen Springs it’s down to Clarks Fork for the Western Lore program, then our last full day on the trail sees us heading up and over Shaeffer’s Peak and Tooth Ridge, to the Tooth Ridge Camp.  We see the sunset from the top of the Tooth (not really recommended- it’s not fun to climb down in the dark).  The next morning sees us up early, and we make it down to Base Camp in just under an hour.    

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