Box Canyon Trail

It took me a while to get here. I mean, not in drive time, this one is only a few miles away. It took me a while to actually decide to hike this trail. I try to read a lot of reviews before heading out so I have an idea about what to expect. One reviewer wrote that you pass by some old cars and end up at a huge rock, and that's about it. They weren't wrong. I just saw and heard and felt so much more. So, the first lesson here is; take the reviews with a grain of salt and then head out and make your own experience. Yes, even my reviews.

The Sacramento River runs through Box Canyon after passing through Lake Siskiyou, so my parking spot even offered an amazing view. I walked along the lakeshore and got a good look at the intake under the bridge before crossing the street to get to the trailhead. I had never been this far on the road (except a few minutes earlier, when I missed the entrance to the parking lot), so I didn't even know there was a bridge or dam.

After crossing the street, I got a glimpse of the actual canyon and was shocked at how deep it was. Eager to get started, I headed away from the bridge and toward the trailhead and vowed to get a better look from the bridge on my way back to the car.

The beginning of the trail was paved with small rocks and covered in pine needles. It's cold now so I'm wearing actual boots around, which is good because I did trip on some of the little stones. A much needed reminder to watch where I'm walking, especially with the narrow, and sometimes sloped, trail in my very near future. Quickly regaining my balance, I was greeted with a gorgeous view of the rocky wall on the opposite side of the canyon. Yes, just a few feet in and I already had to pause.

In thinking about how I would describe this hike to you, I feel like it could be broken down into sections. This first section has a slight downgrade, is pretty wide, and runs in-between the canyon and the golf course at the resort. I didn't realize the golf course was so close, but I kept hearing voices, so I thought people were coming up behind me, but they didn't pass...and that NEVER happens. People always pass me, this is called Hiking Slowly for a reason. The path curved to the left and I saw the green grass and, eventually, a bridge for the golf carts, and a doe and her fawn darting away from the game and into the forest. It did cross my mind that they might be running from a bear, but then I heard the voices again and decided that wasn't the case. Not gonna lie, that didn't stop me from getting out my bear whistle and making more noise as I walked.

Keeping an eye out for other living creatures, I ventured into the second section, which we will call... In. The. Forest. I could see the hill on one side, the downward slope toward the canyon on the other, and trees. That was it for a while. Now, if you've been here before, you know I LOVE trees, so I was not disappointed. Pine trees, deciduous trees, fallen trees (like the root mass of the one to the left), rotted trees, tree roots, pine needles, bare branches, and all the yellow leaves of fall. It was amazing.

I came upon the third section after stepping over a stream. Normally, crossing any body of water alone is not on my "to do" list. But this one was small, and there was a sturdy rock to assist. So I took the giant step forward (I feel the need to say "Mother may I") and progressed into what I will call the Curious section. Still in the forest, and with no signs that there was ever a road, I came upon the "Vehicle Graveyard". It reminded me of scenes of the great depression in the movie "The Grapes of Wrath". Old, smashed, rusted cars, refrigerators, old round washing machines, tires, and oil drums were just lying about. Curious, indeed.

Leaving the graveyard behind, I crossed a little bridge and entered the final section of the trail. What I saw, my friends, is exactly the reason that all of us adventurers hit the trails. The first marvel I came across was an enormous tree trunk, and when I looked up, there were two trees growing out of it. Next, I peeked through an opening in the forest and spotted a view of the river cascading over rocks on the floor of the canyon below.

Continuing on the path as it curved around the mountain, I came to a fork in the road. I chose the uphill path to the left, rather than the steep downhill option on the right, and kept on until I came to the end of the trail. That review I read was correct, there is a big rock at the end. What they neglected to share was the magnificent view that big rock gets to face each and every day. With the path looping around and in-between several boulders, I explored the different vantage points and found myself climbing up the steep part of the fork I had passed earlier.

I think I have mentioned before that I love an out-and-back hike. Knowing that I will be able to catch anything I might have missed gives me the opportunity to focus and be present...and this is when I remind you to take a moment and look up.

Every time I stop and see a view like this, I am reminded that I am just a tiny part of the energy and timeline of this planet. All of my worries seem so much smaller. It puts everything into perspective.

Following the mostly up-hill trail back to the car, I stopped a few times to admire the view (and to catch my breath, if I’m honest), thanked many trees and their roots for stability, and congratulated others for putting on a spectacular autumn show and surviving a car crash. As I neared the road, I was eager to head to the bridge and get a look at the canyon (it's not easy taking a photo through a fence with only 1inch openings). Once again, I am in awe of the adaptability of water to provide life and create such a chasm.