Since Derek’s bike was incapacitated we hiked a different section of the Black River. This time we started out by Big Lake and hiked down to the West Fork and back up.
The day started a little chilly but the sun came out and it was beautiful. This is an easy hike, though it’s at 85000-9000′ elevation so that may be difficult for some. The trail starts in pine forest and passes through a burn. Never fear, the regrowth is fast and the aspens this time of year are starting to change. The trail wraps around and begins to descend to the river. This is where you get the first glimpse of the rugged canyon walls and the little slice of river cutting through far below.
The tread gets a bit rocky and you pass over a rock field before switchbacks lead down to the water. We crossed the river on a series of rocks and relaxed on the grassy banks. This is a great turnaround point if you are looking for less than 5 miles. Or, you could hook up with Thompson Trail and go further. This would still make it an out and back so remember that you still have to get back up the canyon to your car!
This was a pretty, easy hike with a river…what more could you want?
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