By Would you believe me if I told you that these pups hiked 17 miles together in one day?
Our friend Kristine invited us to a pack hike to Black Star Canyon. I’ve been wanting to check it out for a while but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to or would be able to hike 8 miles to the Beek’s Place and back, making 16 miles in total. I packed for 16 miles anyway but decided to play by ear depending on the trail condition and our physical and mental condition on the day of.
We met 3 ladies and their pups at the trailhead. We did a quick round of introduction before we began the hike. One of the pups (who is not in the group photo) wasn’t good with other dogs so the pup stayed on a leash and the pair hiked behind us. The trail began on a paved road but after a quarter mile or so, it turned to dirt. At the 2.54 mile marker, we came to the Black Star Falls trail junction.
The trail to the waterfalls is unmaintained and has poison oak along the trail. The group decided to hike to the top of the waterfalls instead. On the way, Kristine took the group to this open meadow off the trail. You can’t see it from the fire road because it’s on higher ground. This place was like The Sound of Music! ..except for the crazy wind. Look at those ears! Haha!
After we let the dogs run around for a little bit, we got back on the fire road again. The side trail to the top of the falls wasn’t far from there. Although it’s unmarked, the long path descending through this open field will be hard to miss on your right. Here is the trail from the opposite direction.
My GPS said 4.97 miles. Since we took a little detour, I would guess it is probably at around 4.7 miles. Most likely, you will see other people. From here to the top of the waterfalls is 0.17 miles.
After the detour, we unanimously agreed to hike to Beek’s Place. Everyone was feeling good. All the dogs got along very well. Xena was super happy on this hike. She smiled up at me many times. The Spring-like weather in January was enjoyed by all.
The fire road gains 2,468 feet in elevation over a stretch of 8 miles so it has a gradual ascent. The easy terrain pretty much remains all the way to the top. However, the fire road is exposed and there is no shade so I wouldn’t recommend this hike with dogs during hot weather. We only ran into a few bikers that day but I hear there are many speedy bikers on this trail so look out for them.
From this gate, Beek’s Place is practically just around the corner.
We were greeted by a 360-degree view at the top and we could see the snow cap on the Mt Baldy. But I was disappointed to find shattered glass bottles everywhere near the ruins of Beek’s Place. Please remember to leave no trace.
We took a lunch break here then took a group photo before we headed back. When we were ready, we went back down the way we came up. We enjoyed ourselves on that day very much. Sunshine, waterfalls, and laughter but most of all, the beginning of a new friendship.
Good to Know:
- Hike Date: 1.14.17
- Distance: 17 miles RT, out and back
- Elevation Gain: 2,468 feet (752.25m)
- Duration: 7 hours 40 minutes including breaks
- Difficulty Rating: Difficult
- No restroom
Not all group photos are graceful
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Happy Hiking!
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Hiking Girl with Dog 
Now that’s a good hike! Congrats to 2-legged and 4-legged hikers all!
Haha, thank you Mike! We were proud of these adventure pups for sure!
Look at that adorable group of friends!
They are great trail buddies!
looks like so much fun!! 🙂 too many cute pics! way to go on such a long hike!! Xena’s face in the last one – LOL!
She is the queen of side-eye. 👑😂