What an awesome trip! Maintaining those trails is a lot of work, and it needs to be done yearly. You're making the hike much more pleasant for everyone else. The one constant in nature is change, the rockslide into the spring, mudslides, fires, but the one thing that remains is the beauty!

I'm glad I've never run into a bear while prospecting over the years, lots of rattlesnakes but that's about it! Did you get a chance to try your luck for any gold there?

Beautiful pictures, what a grea trip!