Dreaded Hill

Posted on April 28, 2003 in Biomes Hiking Nature Neighborhood

Dreaded Hill rises like a great panther paw between two canyons. The north side is the easier of two approaches where it can be ascended in a matter of minutes in a couple of switchbacks.

We made the mistake of attacking it from the south end where the trail does a precipitous and seemingly never ending climb out of a stream bottom filled with live oaks, mule fat, and the occasional sycamore. The trail’s a deceiver. You look ahead of you for the next 200 feet and it seems the end is near. You reach that point and there’s 200 feet more of trail. I believe we climbed from approximately the 400 to 500 foot level to 1624 feet in less than two thirds of a mile.

The panther claw batted me — an asthmatic and a diabetic — down a couple of times. When it winded me, I stopped, ate dried fruit and white chocolate, caught my breath, and went at it again.

Near the top of Dreaded Hill — on the way down on the north side — we spotted a spreading manroot vine with one spikey melon hanging from it. Did it mark the grave of another unwise hiker who tried to rush it from the south side?