20201025 – Hocking State Forest – Silver and Pink Bridle Trails, Parachute Rock, and Box Canyon
docscape
Date: 10/25/2020 – Distance: 7.5 mi – Elapsed Time: 4.5 hr – Ascent: 1286 ft – Descent: 1257 ft – Difficulty: Difficult
This final day this weekend in Hocking Hills, I decided to tackle another, completely unknown area of the Hocking State Forest Bridle Trails. I noticed on the new trail waypoint marker maps they just installed, there was an area called Box Canton that had several notable features near it. I wanted to check it out and it looked like I could make a good loop out of a couple different trails there. I started at the Horse Camp on Keister Road. From there I caught the Silver Bridle Trail, then followed it around to the Pink Bridle Trail. I then took the Pink Trail left into the canyon and back out to pretty much the same location. I then took another part of the Orange Trail back to the Horse Camp.
This Vine Japanese Honeysuckle was actually at my campsite before I left.
The new trail maps.
Entrance.
This is the Orange Trail I came back on leaving the parking lot to the right.
The Silver Trail is straight.
The paint sometimes looks white, but it’s the Silver Trail.
It you take a right at the fork at the bottom of the hill, then you come to a place called Parachute Rock. This is the crest of the hill overlooking Box Canyon.
Mountain Laurel.
You should stop your horse here.
Parachute Rock is way above the tree tops and kinda scary, but awe inspiring.
Parachute Rock.
Look at the contrast with the red against the lichen and it’s bright orange flowers at the tops of the stump.
It looks like a crayola 5 pack.
With those 5 crayons you could color the world.
Except Silver, that is a different pack.
This little Foot Only Trail leads to the Pink Trail.
This is just at the bottom of the Foot Only Trail to the left.
This should take me into the canyon…
Here I took a left.
Notice the change in the blazes? I think that must mean wrong way for horses, because this trail is way to technical to negotiate horses having to pass each other in opposite directions.
I had to ski through this on my heels, no kidding. It was about 8 inches deep.
I got out without too much damage.
This creek leads into Box Canyon, you can go up into it pretty far.
The rocks take on organic hues and appearances.
Someone told me this sandstone erosion looked like skulls. It’s not.
Trail is getting really sketchy now.
Whoa.
Then this trail pretty much ended here without a really risky climb down into the creek again.
So i went back and continued the Pink Loop left.
I would classify that as a “pillar”.
I need to learn to identify these things.
This sign to the left says, “Foot Traffic Only” and leads into Early Hollow. I did not go in there.
Instead I was heading back to the mud.
The cold turned the ferns completely white.
This mud was bad, and a 4 inch deep creek crossing.
…and another creek crossing. Notice the blaze color change here.
This is a major intersection.
Orange Trail to the right.
It’s a service road back to the Horse Camp.
But it’s a climb.
At the ridge top, it opens up.
Then you start to come to people’s property. Notice the fence gate straight and the pink double blaze. The double blaze usually means a decision point. In this case you turn left before the gate.
Then soon you come back to Keister Road, right where the Horse Camp entrance is.
