NOTES FROM THE TRAIL – A warm Saturday morning found the family on the Western States Trail, embarking on our trek from the staging area near Overlook Park on Pacific Avenue. Just three of us were undertaking the hike this time and my backpack was loaded with plenty of water, trail mix, granola bars and a small bag of vanilla wafers. The kids had one goal – to go beyond the “Hambone” memorial bench. While Rachel and I have ventured beyond that spot, the kids haven’t been with us on those hikes. Making our way into the canyon, we moved aside for equestrians, hikers, endurance runners and dog walkers. Cian, my 10-year-old son, carried his binoculars, pretending we were a group of soldiers separated from our unit. About three-quarters of a mile into our hike, we stopped at the bench and ate some snacks. During our rest, two ladies on horseback passed by, as did about eight runners. This stretch offers some great views of the dam construction site, the river and hawks gliding on the air currents overhead. Resuming the hike, the trail continues downhill, over some roots and rocks, and opens onto an access road. Watch out for cyclists on this stretch. There is a fork here  and we chose to go right, continuing downhill. The roadway turns into a series of switchbacks and comes to another fork. I didn’t recall seeing any trail markers and the newest fork had a marker lying flat on the ground, obviously pulled from the dirt. It didn’t indicate a trail name and we chose to go left, continuing downhill. We hiked on, eventually reaching a series of barrels attached to a steel cable suspended overhead across the trail. Beyond that, we reached a broad flat open area. There was a clearly marked access road, rocks cleared to the side. (Eric Peach told me later that he believes this area was part of the dam construction and just across the river was supposed to be the boat launch.) We stopped at a boulder and looked out over the river. The clock was ticking and the temperature was rising, but Parker, my 8-year-old fearless daughter, could not be deterred. She wanted to follow this new trail and continue exploring. We hiked on, the trail still winding downward. Staying on the main trail and avoiding the smaller side paths, we came to a field of “clingy” plants that were about waist high. For the kids, they were much higher. Pushing through, a small trail branched off and led to the river. “Can we go swimming?” Cian asked. It was about 10:40 a.m. at this point (we’d been hiking for an hour and a half) and I knew the way back was all uphill. Since we didn’t bring swimsuits, I let them splash around in their t-shirts and undies, allowing them to only go in hip deep. A small rapid area is located nearby, just upstream. Evidence of a few campfires can be seen along the beach, as can deer tracks. After 20 minutes, I forced the kids out of the river. We walked the beach, picking up trash and stuffing it in the backpack. A small lizard, sunning itself on a rock, scurried away as we approached. After dunking my shirt and hat in the river (to help keep cool), we set about the return hike. It wasn’t as bad as I expected. The broad flat areas gave us a chance to catch our breath and walk at a slow and steady pace. Mr. Peach informed me later that we ended up on the Tamaroo Bar Trail. The new map published by Protect American River Canyons (and unveiled at the Confluence Festival on Sunday) doesn’t show the connector switchbacks between that trail and the Western States Trail, but now I know and so do you. In all, I estimate the hike was about 4 miles roundtrip, maybe a little longer. It’s not too difficult but the air in the canyon can be still and hot, so try to take this hike early in the morning. The photo in this week’s column shows the beach at Tamaroo Bar.

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