Bald Hill Road south to the Abbott Loop and up to The Pinnacles Look-out, Danby SF
Dark misty damp morning — extremely nice after all the hot weatherNot the whole group ….Aside from where we parked, the little clearing at the look-out was the only place with any real light for taking photosBack into the gloomy woodsThis is where the southern leg of the Abbott Loop crosses Bald Hill Road — we traditionally reverse course and retrace our steps at this pointBack up at The Pinnacles on the retuen leg of the walkZucchini give-away by Ekhart
Missed getting six hikers ….The improvement to the trail along the edge of Lick Brook involved lengthening the route so the climb is more gradual, and installing several areas of wooden steps to end erosion of the steep slopes. Several hikers said this reduced the adventure of climbing up the hillside. I was hoping the work crew would also level out the path so it no longer tilted strongly toward the stream gorge, but this issue wasn’t addressed. I have a lot of trouble walking on a surface that tilts because, as some of you know, I developed problems with my balance a few years back related to a nerve disorder I inherited. I’m no longer able to walk without lurching and staggering a bit, and this problem makes me worry I could stagger into the gorge.I’ve been wearing a bike helmet and upper body armor for over a year when I hike ever since I took a weird and somewhat serious fall onto the top of my head that I suspect was related to my balance problems. The helmet and armor make me feel more secure but they can be really oppressive on a hot humid morning like this was.
