Alum Bluff Cave

 

 

Halfway Point

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Alum Bluff Cave is a large expanse of overhanging rock that extends for 200 feet.  The bluff is made of weathering pyritiferous phyllites form water-soluble oxalates and sulphates protected by an overhang.  Now say that ten times with a mouthful of crackers.

As always, with any resting point on any trail in any wilderness, the attack of chipmunks and squirrels begins the moment you sit your weary ass down and open up some food.  This place was no exception.  As soon as I sat down and started digging through my pack, two fox squirrels jumped me.  The lil' bastids couldn't wait until I dropped something for them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I yelled at them in the most Republican voice I could muster to get a job, forage on their own and patiently explained that Trickle Down Economics was a huge benefit to us all.  They could have cared less about doing things on their own and laughed out loud as I explained it wasn't called Voodoo Economics and it truly worked.

Digging into my pack for food, I discovered I had forgotten to put in food in my pack.  It was all sitting back at the cabin.  I did have some dried mango and papaya.  These are great to snack on, but not necessarily good to sustain yourself on.  I peeled off my socks to discover to equally bleeding, open blisters on the heel of each foot.  And they hurt.  I was really trying to decide whether or not I should call it a day and head back.  Thankfully I didn't.  The rest of the hike turned out to be gorgeous.

Starting out from the bluff left a few more miles until the top.  The incline was steady, but rarely steep.  It wound up the ridgeline, offering views of folding ridges and spines densely covered by trees and vegetation.  The cloud cover was low and thick, not offering too much in views.

You cross over the ridgeline to the other side and get great views of the other side of the park.  The path also starts changing, turning more into rock.  I noticed there were cables attached by large metal rods dug into the side of the rock wall on the trail.  During the winter this trail can be pretty treacherous and icy so the cables are there to help hold onto.  There are spots where slipping off the trail and down the mountain side would be a bit less fun than trying to get politicians to stop taking special interest money.

The trail starts topping out into a blasted tree looking area.  I always love crossing high enough to reach a treeline.  No matter where you are at, the tree lines on mountains always have that devistated look, partially dead but somehow resisting and thriving anyways. 

At the top of the mountain there is a tiny village of cabins and a single lodge for those hardy enough to climb up and stay at.  There were a few people milling about at this point.  The mountain tops out to a cliffside that really reminded me of the Oregon Coast.  The brush was definitely thick, thick rhododendron.  I sat up there eating dried fruit and just enjoying a cool breeze.  The clouds started dissapating and I got some great views finally from the top.

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