Dec 31 Hanging Rock Ridge

Today's hike is to obtain a gps track of the area with scenic spots waypointed. I will lead a hike in early 2016 and want to be able to navigate with some efficiency. My first place of interest is the huge cantilevered rock on the south side of Hanging Rock Ridge. It appears it has been used as a stealth camp in the past. Its huge overhang can shelter a small party comfortably. From there I zig zagged from south to north, obtaining great views in either direction.

The long descend off HRR is not steep. It leads to a saddle before the climb up Big Sister. It is from this saddle, one can access the plane wreckage. It did that today but may not include that in my guided hike. Instead of retracing from the wreckage back to the saddle, I continued heading east trying to hit the saddle between Big Sister and Middle Sister. I was able to do that but it was exhausting. After leaving the wreckage I encountered 2 more spots where pieces of the plane lay. If they were part of the original crash, not dragged there later, it must have been quite a violent crash. Shortly thereafter I came to an abyss and had to work my way steeply beside it. This is the exhasting part; steep and entwined with laurel and rhodo. Finally, I attained the ridge and was quite need the saddle I wished to be at. 

The climb up Middle Sister was short. There are rock outcrops on all three sisters. Continuing, I dropped to the next saddle and walked up Little Sister, then down toward Sheeprock. There is not a saddle between them. It is gradual downhill terrain. There are wonderful rock outcrops on the south side. One has a keyhole if you drop down to explore it. 

The rocks of Sheeprock are not as exposed. They have trees on and around them. From Sheeprock I try to find the water tower which will be the start of my guided hike. I walk down a graded old road on the north side until I finally decide to turn back and conserve some energy. I know I must be close to the tower but just didn't have it in the tank today.

Back over the sisters and through the saddles I went. This time I climbed Big Sister which I had skipped before. After coming down to the saddle I had one more chore to perform. While in this saddle earlier, I had unhooked my GPS from a carabiner on my back. My hat was also attached. At some point I realized my prized Tilley hat was missing. I suspected it had occurred near this saddle.

So, I retraced my steps using the GPS and there it was!