Silverado Loop with Emmett

Last Friday, January 22, I left about 6am to meet up with my friend Emmett in front of the Christmas tree farm on Black Star Canyon Road. Originally, we had planned to hike to Santiago Peak from Maple Springs Road. But I learned online just before heading out that morning, that the gate at Maple Springs Road was closed. A gate closed here would add about 7 miles to my pre-planned route. So, plans changed on the spot. We still drove my truck into Silverado Canyon and began our hike on Maple Springs Road. But we began it on the paved road, where the gate was closed and hiked it to the dirt road and then up to The Main Divide. But instead of turning right on The Main Divide toward Modjeska and Santiago Peaks, we turned left, toward the minor peaks, Bald and Bedford, to close up a giant circle that is often called The Silverado Loop.

Heading up Maple Springs Road:

It was a beautiful day and quite chilly. So chilly, that my teeth chattered during the earliest hours. But hiking up that mountain tends to warm things up, especially when hiking up with Emmett. One step from the ultra tall ultra runner is about three of mine (and I suspect that he was even slowing down for me).

Being that the gate was closed, there were no vehicles anywhere, which is very nice. As a matter of fact, there were no people anywhere either. We didn’t see another person until the very end, just a couple of miles from my truck.

After climbing Maple Springs Road, there’s a nice little down hill section, but after that, there’s more climbing. There’s a tremendous amount of climbing on this loop in fact. Talk about suffering. There’s plenty of glorious suffering on the Silverado Loop. Also, plan for lots of hours away from home if you do this hike. Our moving time was 5:41:33 (actual time was of course greater due to occasional stops.)

The Main Divide:Looking back on Maple Springs Road:Heading down Silverado Motorway:

Great company and great trails encompassing approximately 17 miles, with 4,500’ of elevation gain I didn’t get many pictures however. I didn’t notice until I arrived home that there was gunk on my lens and many of my photos were blurred (even the “group” photo of Emmett and I at the top of the motorway was blurry).

Oh, and there was lots of climbing! Did I mention that? My Gluteus maximus muscles ached for 3 days (just in time for my next hike).

Silverado Loop

Saturday, January 11 I headed back to Silverado Canyon for my longest hike/run since I decided to "train" for Calico. The gate to Maple Springs Road was open, so I was able to park directly in front of the trail that I would be ending on -- Silverado Trail. Starting and ending here made what I (& others) call The Silverado Loop measure 16.86 miles on my Amazfit watch (with 3,727' elevation gain). 

The first 7 or so miles were a climb up Maple Springs. It was dang cold at the bottom of the canyon, and that's perfect practice for Calico! Things warmed up after about 8 miles when I finally took off the beanie and long sleeves (also perfect practice for Calico). There was the last remnants of snow toward the top of Maple Springs Road and on the Main Divide in the shadow of Modjeska Peak (which still had snow on its backside). 

As I write this post, I am one week out from Calico . I suspect I stand a good chance of placing last 🤣. Go DFL! But that's okay. Not near the shape I wanted to be in, but in much better shape than I started 3 months ago. So yay! It's been a long time since I've done the Silverado Loop. I cannot deny that I have progressed in the past 3 months. 

Those first 7 miles up Maple Springs are nowhere near the course at Calico (which is mildly rolling hills through desert sand). But the Main Divide to Silverado Trail, that was quite tough, and more comparable to some of Calico's terrain. There was so much climbing in the overall downhill along the Main Divide, that reaching the Silverado Loop took much longer than I expected.  

After turning onto The Main Divide, I focused on running long stretches to make up time for the Maple Springs Climb. I saw no other person on foot. Occasionally I'd see one or two motorcyclists and they'd nod or wave as they went by. I was completely alone and wonderfully lonely. The kind lonely where I don't focus on myself, but instead, on things outside me. I could see for miles and miles in every direction. It was beautiful. And some parts were hard has hell (which I took like a tortoise but recovered quickly after the climbs -- my saving grace in being able to tackle these longer distances). 

When I finally arrived to the top of Silverado Trail, I took note at the sun's position in the sky and thought, "Oh no, did I do it again?" With a quick calculation I realized that I had two hours before dark, and I knew from the last time I got caught out in the dark, that I could make it down that treacherous trail in more than half that time. And I did.

The Silverado Loop was a wonderful experience last weekend. There should be crowds, droves up people up there. Do they know what they're missing? I think not. One of my favorite routes in these local mountains, so I'm not complaining.

Maple Springs Road

Looking back at Maple springs Rd from the Main Divide

On The Main Divide

Ocean View from Silverado Trail