May Interlude: No Corundum, No Lapis

I knew that sooner or later Cascade Canyon was going to figure back into these monthly interludes. The thought of uncovering fragments from the elusive lapis lazuli deposit up in the highest reaches of the canyon (after I heard about it) have never gone away. Baring that unlikely scenario, there was always the corundum crystal deposit right on the Barrett-Stoddard Road, a deposit I have ridden and hiked past numerous times over the years completely unaware of what I was looking at. Rubies are gem-quality corundum crystals, though from what I have read, the Cascade Canyon corundum are of a lower grade, far from gem quality. Never-the-less, the idea of striking hammer against rock and releasing some hidden mineral has always been intriguing. 

With this month's interlude hike so close to home there was no rush to get out the door; the Barrett-Stoddard is not a heavily used trail along the lines of Icehouse or Mt. Baldy, the two elephants of the local mountains so to speak, that draw the biggest numbers and, even with the late start there was only a single handful of people making their way back out, plus two more starting up at the same time. One of those two was a double amputee with a pair of prosthetic legs - when you hear people talk about the human spirit, that is what they mean, never giving in to doubt, never giving up no matter what obstacles are thrown in the way. 

Anyway, upon reaching the point where the Barrett-Stoddard crosses Cascade Canyon and then starting up what appeared to be the most likely way - the dry stream bed - it only took about ten yards, maybe fifteen, worth of steps before realizing pants were going to be required equipment. Like the last little upslope scramble to the Red, White and Blue mine down below in San Antonio Canyon, shorts were just not going to cut it. Be prepared, dude, be prepared!

Ah well, we could always continue along the main trail, to Stoddard Saddle. Once the saddle with its line of spruce [?] was reached then what do you do? We'd hiked the peak before, and was not enticed by it this time, choosing to head down through a tunnel of blooming ceanothus, into upper Stoddard Canyon instead. That wasn't very enticing either, though a swarm of bees on the move, and in search of a new home, provided a point of interest, we turned around before descending very far.

Finishing up so close to Baldy Village, lunch and a cold beer at the Lodge was a must; rarely do these interludes end with something quite so gratifying. What our search lacked in colorful gems, it made up for in colorful wildflowers. Even in the midst of drought, the hills are alive. 

Signing off. Before it gets dark, I've got a chunk of stone to go whack with my hammer and see what's inside.