Moments in Dirt and Ink

Shasta-Trinity National Forest (map link) I encountered the Natural Bridge, AKA Massacre Natural Bridge, while improving the area mapping and decided I had to go see it, whatever it is. It is the third and last hike included in the Forest Service's Hayfork Area Trails handout that I happened to find while researching the location. Here, the map will get you somewhere that works (but not the picnic area) while the description claims the picnic area is directly off the county road, leaving the traveler over a mile from their destination. I wasn't too sure about the road up to the picnic area anyway. It was mapped as improved gravel in 2014, but is now marked as unimproved in their digital data. There is a usable dirt turnout just north of the junction of Bridge Gulch Road (FR 31N19) and Wildwood Road (CR 302) for any who are concerned, but I ended up giving the road a try and parking at a turnout partway up. This widening in the road was sufficiently long to allow a pair o

Shasta-Trinity National Forest Click for map The second suggestion for Hayfork Area Trails is the north portion of East Tule Creek Trail with a side jaunt off to Plummer Peak. It is accompanied by a most confused map where roads and trail are left off, but the creeks are labeled as road and trail. This may not be the highest quality handout the Forest Service ever produced. Following the written description places one in a large dirt parking lot with a sign for the trail at one side. As I drove in, it also contained a few stacks of mystery hay bails. Since I already did the part up to Plummer Peak when I hiked the south end of East Tule Creek Trail , I was just out to see the rest of the trail. This part is shown following, and often crossing, the east fork of Tule Creek, so should be a very different experience from the ridge line following southern portion. One big, bold sign to mark the trailhead and a smaller yellow sign to warn that this is a burned area. And is there

Shasta-Trinity National Forest Click for map I found the Bear Creek Trail topping a page of Hayfork Area Trails , but it was already on my radar because, well, it's on the map. It's even got a bridge! I was so confident about the bridge that I didn't want to add it to OpenStreetMap until I saw it. It should be easy to find because it starts by the "9 Mile Bridge" (happens to be right next to mile marker 8). I had a look at it the day before just to be sure it was there. (It was!) Then I took advantage of the official dispersed camping road a smidge to the east to find camping. The top is a bit rough, so I elected to walk in. The car probably would have made it back up. Review: Bit loud with Hayfork Creek crashing past, but the major county road that runs past the other side gets very little traffic at night. This line of dirt looks well used and it connects into unmistakably built trail. There's paved parking on the same side at the trail, but I t

Shasta-Trinity National Forest Click for map I was a little worried what the state of the county road serving this trail along the South Fork Trinity River might be, especially for the last mile after it encounters the long, "good" forest road. When I got to it, I found it in better shape than the one I'd been driving. It is good unpaved road all the way to the end, which is just a slight bulge surrounded by a dark forest. It took a moment to find the well signed trailhead back at the start of the bulge. Indecisive over the proper orientation to park here. As this is about 20 miles from the nearest pavement whichever way one comes, I was a bit worried it might be faint. Nope! It looks used and the few trees down look somewhat recent, at least in the first mile. Rather clear trail as it skirts a piece of private property. It's a while to the first view of the river. Had I been slowed down by having to walk the mile of road, the sun would have been highe

Shasta-Trinity National Forest Click for map I thought Maddox Lake looked like a good candidate for a dispersed camp area, so set off looking for it. Just short of the closed road to the lake, I found a suitable space. I could hear rushing water and poked along to find a small but robust and quick flow down the hill. Then I wandered down the road to the gate to see the lake. Closure period all year, but there's a sign to explicitly allow walking. The parking is basically blocking the gate. It's a generally clear road lined with very tall trees. I spotted a small pond below the road and the stream didn't seem to have quite so much flow as above.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest Click for map I had the coldest night of the trip (at 35°F!) at Philpot and it was tempting to stay to try to wait out the two really hot days coming up. I had the 5 gallon jug full and a couple gallons extra filtered too and was done sitting about before noon. Plenty of time for a short hike up to an old lookout site, which logically fit in as the next thing. Much of the road is high in a parched, but somewhat tree covered, country. Passing through Indian Valley, I found out where all the long trailers end up. (And the road to there is not just paved, it has two whole lanes!) The turn for Limedyke Lookout Road (2N16) is just past most of free Indian Valley Campground. It's marked as being rough, but passable in passenger cars and no OHVs allowed. (I'm surprised by how many area roads are marked with the white line of licensed vehicles only on the Motor Vehicle Use Map in this area.) Except for a short stretch after Friend Mountain, it

Shasta-Trinity National Forest Click for map I needed water and hadn't been able to fill up at Hell Gate Campground (the first spigot was dry and the second added "dangerous" flagging), so I eyed the dry creek bed at Philpot with great consternation. Philpot was once campground, now signed as "Philpot Picnic Area", but returned to campground status again with a fresh "14 day stay limit" sign. I was there for the short Philpot Creek Interpretive Trail. Built after a fire to showcase the changes resulting from that, it now just showcases the decay of an interpretive trail. It finishes at a little waterfall, which keeps people coming back, and caused a bit of disappointment to mix with my consternation. However, it was a bit too cool in that pocket of land to believe the dry creek bed. A little investigation showed some water still remains. Basic signage at the trailhead in the campground. A little of the trail as it follows the water course.