After last week's detour to Putrid Pete's Peak, it was time to seek out Dirt Harry's Balcony. The trail begins at the Ira Springs trailhead which is reached by from I-90 Exit 45. The trail for Dirty Harry's Balcony continues straight west at the first switchback.
The first 20 feet of the trail have been obscured by branches laid down to keep hikers heading up to Mason Lake or Bandera.
Ignoring the barriers leads to a nice trail along contour, rising slightly but generally an easy go. At about 1 mile from the start, at the second of two sign-marked left turns, the trail to the "Balcony" drops away below the P3 trail.
Beyond the junction the trail is relatively easy to follow but a lot sketchier than the previous section. It drops elevation more than one would anticipate heading to a balcony so it was pretty easy over all. At about 1 1/2 miles, the landscape transitions to a wide gently sloped area and the trail become harder to follow. Trees have been etched to indicate the way, On the left a small rise became visible that could have been the "balcony".
It offered a nice overlook of McClellan's Butte and I-90 and a rocky prominence about 1/2 mile further west that was occupied by a hiker, so surely that had to be the true destination. I left the "Faux Balcony and continued on until I hit a well defined trail at a bending tee. The way to the Balcony is to the left another 100 yards or so.
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