Leg 1 - Burkett park > Burkett Trail > Potts Creek Trail > Turkey Creek Trail > 5 Points Junction > River Bend > service road (NNE) > Cougar Overlook 4.9 miles
Leg 2 - Cougar Overlook > service road (SW) > Trailhead to Trailhead (S) > Burkett Trail > Burkett Park 3.0 miles
Temp started at 36, ended at 72 (!). Sunny, slight breeze w/strong gusts tapering off as it got warmer.
First hike in awhile due to weather conditions last week when we had three days and nights of freezing temps and some rain and ice. The trails were damp with morning dew but otherwise dry and easy to traverse. Some morning fog so I drove to the lake and saw a feral hog hastily depart when he saw me. A herd of eight deer were seen and a few birds, otherwise the wildlife was absent. I saw a group of mountain bikers at Cougar Overlook and two others on the trail earlier otherwise, the trails were void of other people. There were a few more agarita bushes starting to bloom (photo attahced) and this time, I detected the faint perfume they emitted. A nice hike albeit a sweaty one for me due to the fairly rapid temperature increase.
NOTES
Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.
Water, shade and info kiosk at 5 Points Junction.
Shade, info kiosk and a bicycle repair station available at Cougar Overlook.