Trailblazers are ready to brave White Canyon. {photo by Lin}

Bruce, Alan, Deirdre, Nancy, Chris, Felix, Robert.

Our hike started just before 9 AM, proceeding east to Wood Canyon. As it turned out, most of the area had been burned by the Telegraph fire in June 2021, and the pretty forest of yucca is gone.

Ghost tree. {photo by Lin}

Can you say moo. {photo by Lin}

Once we reached Wood Canyon, we went south. Along the way, we found fresh black bear tracks.

Nancy, Deirdre, Grace, Felix, Robert walking. {photo by Lin}

We went over a low saddle into the White Canyon drainage. For most of the way, we followed a previous GPS track, but a few of us found a better route that followed a lower contour. Eventually, we reached the upper reaches of White Canyon and completed the loop back to our vehicles.

Alan looking out over White Canyon . {photo by Lin}

It appeared that very few people have used these trails in the past three years. Trails that I recalled being easy to find are now faint and overgrown with catclaw. The few well-trod trails were made by cows. White Canyon is as pretty as ever, but the first half of the hike was a disappointment compared to my memory from before the fire.