It's a cool, breezy November morning without a cloud in the sky as Denise, David, Steven, Karen and Ted set out from Canyon Lake Trailhead.

Decisions come early. The Boulder Canyon Trail splits as a new section goes right up the ridge to hill 2351 while the older section takes a roundabout route with fine views of the lake, Weaver’s Needle, and LaBarge Canyon. Ted chooses the roundabout way, the better for picture taking and getting a preview of our return route.

Sugar frosted rocks and prickly Sonoran vegetation line the trail. The sugar frosting is quartz. It has a lower melting point than the other minerals in these volcanic rocks, so the quartz remains liquid after the others have solidified. Liquid quartz flows into the cracks, forming veins and then sugar frosting when weathering breaks the rock apart at its seams. “Come here in March after a wet winter,” Ted advises. “It’s an outstanding spring flower hike.”

The Boulder Canyon Trail takes us to several outstanding picture spots, then down, down to LaBarge Creek, which is dry and lined with cobblestones. Geronimo Head looms over us on the east, with Battleship Mountain and Weaver’s Needle to the south.

Where the trail crosses LaBarge Creek we stop for a snack break. Here we could go north in the creek, south to the Indian Paint Mine, or back the way we came. We decide to continue on the trail.

Colorful boulders mark the way to Paint Mine Saddle, the halfway point of our trip. Indians used the brightly colored minerals for decoration, then the mine was dug in hopes of finding another color—gold. Not here.

A faint trail takes us from the Indian Paint Mine down into Boulder Canyon, dry at this point and also lined with cobblestones. We try walking along the side, but summer rains have left it choked with catclaw and other pernicious plants.

So we bushwhack and boulder-hop our way down the canyon.

Ted takes the sweep position for the rest of the hike, having been tripped by some loose rocks that slid from under his feet.

Others ask him whether we can get through this canyon. “Yes, I’ve done it four times,” he assures them.

It soon becomes evident that there is water in LaBarge Creek. We just didn’t see it because it’s flowing underground. There are pools of water with cute little frogs jumping in them, fish, and turtles.

Then we arrive at Box Spring. It seems impossible to get around. Denise and Ted find a way of climbing a boulder on the right side and sliding steeply down with a tree to hold on to.

The canyon eases up as we approach the lake. We look for a place to climb out on the right side and get up to the Boulder Canyon Trail. David finds a steep but passable route.

Our main direction is up, but we’re soon out of the canyon and back on the trail where we started. After having the wilderness to ourselves the last three miles, we meet lots of other hikers on the trail.

It was an adventure hike on a pleasant autumn day.