Volcan Mountain was my second hike of the day and I didn't get started until after 1 pm which meant it wasn't likely that it would be too crowded. After about a half-mile up the trail, I ran into ice and mud so I put my microspikes on and breezed through it. This was another peak when my main focus was to locate survey markers that I'd missed on previous expeditions. In addition to the more common survey discs, I was also searching for Section Corner Markers (survey marks that delineate property lines as part of the Public Land Survey System or PLSS).

It was a jackpot day as I found two Section Corners and four Reference Markers that I'd not located before. I came up short on two specific markers I was hoping to find, the actual USGS Station Disk and the corresponding Azimuth Marker, perhaps another time when there is no snow on the ground and I can crawl around in the brush. I did see a mountain lion (from a safe distance) and a couple of coyotes as I was wandering around looking for my survey markers.

I did come away with an un-planned “bonus” ????as a result of my search for the first Section Corner – a good case of Poison Oak! It's an occupational hazard of looking for section makers as they are rarely on a trail. Usually, I am super cautious and pick my routes to avoid the stuff, but I unwittingly crashed through a thicket of dead (just stalks, no leaves visible) poison oak, sure enough, the next day the rash hit me with a vengeance. It happens. A lot. It's really more of an annoyance dealing with the rash and itch for a couple of weeks. Haha, other than THAT, it was a perfect day! ????