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This page last updated on 03/08/2017
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| (Fig. 01) |
03/03/2017 Trip Notes: On this date it was a sunny day in the low 70's with no wind, the best weather we've seen in months. So Jim Herring and I decided to take advantage of the weather and hiked the area around the town of Calico. We started at the Red Spring and picnic area, that acts as a trailhead for several short hikes within Calico Basin. From the picnic parking area, we decided to head out on a trail toward Angel Pass and the Calico Spring (center of Fig. 02). Calico Spring is the middle spring of the three springs within Calico Basin.
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| (Fig. 02 |
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| (Fig. 03) Click picture to enlarge |
Along the way we passed several large rocks and cliffs where people were doing some free climbing (Fig. 03). It is always amazing to watch people climb up these rocks and cliff areas using nothing but there bare hands. Personally we think their all a little 'crazy', but each to their own.
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| (Fig. 04) |
If you click on the images in figures 03 and 04, you can better see a climber working his way of one of the large outcrops that we passed on the way to Calico Spring. Even though all of the springs at Calico Basin have water running year round, due to the fact that it was still winter, there were only just a few signs of water that were barely flowing (Fig. 05). There was very little green vegetation and almost no wild flowers. It the spring, about mid-April, this area is much greener with more water are many small wild flowers and cactus blossoms.
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| (Fig. 05) |
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| (Fig. 06) |
Along the way we did spot a rabbit that had apparently been getting a drink of water from the spring. This spring is about the halfway point of the hike to Ash Spring. As we approached the northern edge of the red Calico Hills we were presented with a view of the large flat, open meadow filled with dozens of large Ash trees that is fed by the water from the spring.
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| (Fig. 07) |
From the vantage point in the trail (Fig. 07), we had to climb down to the meadow and then follow the meadow due west towards the base of the hills to the trailhead of the spring. Once we reach the meadow we walked through the large grove of Ash Trees on the way to the spring (Fig. 08). When you go to the end and the head of the spring, one come to an area where the water just flows right out of the rocks on the side of the mountain (Fig. 09). From here we followed the 'stream' that has been carved out by the water from the spring along the north side of the meadow (Fig. 10). There are several pools of water along the way that are nearly a foot or more deep and even a couple of places where the water creates a few small waterfalls as it flows over the rocks (Fig. 11).
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| (Fig. 08) |
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| (Fig. 09) |
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| (Fig. 10) |
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| (Fig. 11) |
Because we had two cars, we parked one in the parking lot for Ash Spring and were able to drive back to the Red Spring and picnic area. When we got there we had a picnic lunch before walking the wooden boardwalk out to
Red Spring. Our hike for the day ended up being nearly 3.5 miles. The last picture of a quail (Fig. 12) was taken along side of the road on the way out.
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| (Fig. 12) |
