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Description: |
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Mud Springs is rated as a 4.0 trail (Difficult).
The trail length is approximately 14 miles roundtrip (7 miles in and
7 miles out). The estimated travel time is 4-5 hours. The beginning
of the trail is fairly easy, climbing approximately 1000 feet over the
first three to four miles. The first obstacle encountered is a nice
uphill climb with tight switchbacks and a few small ledges thrown in
for difficulty. The trail levels a bit before encountering Mud Springs
hill approximately 4.5 miles into the run. This is a fairly steep, boulder-strewn
hill with giant moguls created from deep tire ruts and displaced boulders.
This is the place where everyone gets out of their vehicle and looks
for a good line up the hill and considers getting home early for dinner.
There is no magic trick here- the best approach is generally straight
up, relying upon a traction device and articulation to clear the obstacles.
Conquering Mud Springs hill may seem like a great victory until you
pass over the crest only to discover a long, downhill boulder-strewn
hill of loose granite that gets your attention pretty quickly. Low-gearing
and adequate clearance, or luck, are mandatory. If you survive these
first three sets of obstacles, the rest of the way is fairly tame in
comparison, with a few off-camber hills, ruts and obstacles along the
way. This is not the place to relax, as we discovered after climbing
onto a large boulder only to drop into a deep hole hidden by the rock
that resulted a good deal of bumper damage. |
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