Journey Through Rocky Peak Trailhead & Kuehner Dr.
Okay, I finally committed to the Hummingbird trail after the Rocky Peak Summit. I decided to embark on Hummingbird via Rocky Peak trailhead, and then head to the secret cave from there. Bad idea! I didn’t find any signs or markings that led to the cave.
What am I talking about?
Well, according to the reviews on Yelp, there ought to be markings on the rocks that led to the cave… if you find the secret path, that is. I did not find the path. What I found was rocks and steepness that led to nothing but pure exhaustion and soreness, from going all the way down to Hummingbird, and then all the way back up to Rocky Peak.
I scoped some mini caves and headed home to nurse my feet. I decided my second attempt will be through the path fellow hikers took, Kuehner Drive.
The parking situation wasn’t bad, I found a cool spot close to the entrance and thanked my lucky star. As expected, I initially missed the “secret” path which led to the secret cave. Why? Because I followed the actual trail sign like a supposed adult, but apparently this leads to the actual trail of hummingbird and not the secret cave that we all crave.
So, where did that leave me?
I made it all the way to the same ending spot of the trail from when I initially hiked it from Rocky Peak trailhead. I refused to accept this dead end and got to work with my imaginary binoculars. I gave up, as I realized my binoculars weren’t working because I wasn’t sure what I was looking for in the first place. I wished for a sign!
I finally said screw it and walked up to a mountain biker. I asked politely or should I say admitted that I had no idea how to get to the cave. He pointed to it, it was far, I was on the opposite side, way opposite and too low. It was basically another peak trek. I thanked him for his service.
I became a ninja, oh yes! I ninja'd my way through rocks and grasses because there was no way I was going back to the main starting point, to retrace my steps to find the secret path. No ma’am! I am happy to report that I finally got there. I found the markings and followed them religiously.
Wow! There were some crazy signs and slogans, from “Ass Crack” to “The Swing Issa Lie” I was amused and also curious about why this cave garnered so much attention and love. Eventually, I arrived at the last trek. This involved a semi-steep rock climb downwards, with the support of a rope. I had an evil grin behind my mask as I envisioned myself in the “Romancing The Stone” jungle. This was my first rope climb, I was not about to screw it up. What screwed up the special moment was my bloody Akaso camera. Upon playback, I made up my mind on doubling up the savings. It was time for a new camera.
I digress.
Getting to the cave was a relief. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a wow factor as a first impression. I am not sure if it is because I had already been to the peaks and summit or because I just wasn’t blown away. Perhaps, the graffiti was too much for my brain to grasp? It's hard to say, but I enjoyed exploring the words and art within it. I enjoyed the natural outline and formation of the cave. I also secretly wished I had a view of what it was before the graffiti. Not taking away from the graffiti art, but also wished for a different view as well.
I laid there as I continued exploring the art all over. It was comfortable and creative to have some swings in there. Quite frankly, it seemed like a resting room tucked away in the mountains for the perfect timeout from society. Unfortunately, it may not be the most ideal place to spend the night...or maybe?
I was ready to head back down to earth and said my silent goodbye to the graffiti cave. I decided to follow the signs on my way down to see where I missed the turn, and also for my review on yelp for future hikers.
Overall, I had a fun and adventurous experience. Although I wasn’t all hoo-ha about the cave discovery itself, I was pretty impressed by the work that went into converting a natural cave into an interesting work of art.