We started our hike at 6:30 AM on the Old Pinnacles Trail to Balconies Cave, a 5.3 miles round trip, four hour "stroll".
We walked 2.5 miles thinking we'd be making a loop. The hike was described "This sunny hike to Balconies Cave also leads to towering rock formations: Machete Ridge and the Balconies Cliffs. Flashlight required in the cave."
We made it this far and were spooked about all the boulders we had to crawl under but we
persevered.
I loved this description by a true spelunker, "My favorite portion of the Balconies Cave network was the lengthy passage at the beginning of the cave. This 'passageway' is about 100 feet long, and is comprised of a number of fallen boulders, which really emphasize the nature of what a talus cave is. This area is about two to three feet wide, or less in spots, and in places, you will have to duck to fit under some of these boulders. Further, as an amateur photographer, the light in this area was really interesting to me – while it was all natural, it has a definite unusual tint to it. This is definitely an area that’s worth examining at your leisure."
To finish the loop, we would have had to enter a very long, very dark cave. When Steve looked in the entrance, he could not see any light just a path that meandered downward. We both agree, "No dang way".
So one goal was to experience the talus caves. And we did just that as we meandered in the deep, narrow gorges that were transformed into caves by large chunks of rock falling from above, wedging into the cracks leaving an open area below. Our brief explore was enough. We then returned the way we had come. We were amazed and impressed by the uniqueness of this peaceful place. What a great stop on our road home.
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2 comments:
WOW - I'm sure it makes you feel rather insignificant. I don't blame you for not going into the narrow, dark tunnel. But I bet Brady would have done it :)
Now that is an adventure, looks amazing.
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