Smith River: Old Gasquet Toll Road

Six Rivers National Forest

Smith River National Recreation Area

Click for map.

So what did I miss by not crossing the creek and returning along the Old Gasquet Toll Road? Well, besides very wet boots as the sun was dropping into the lower parts of the sky. I drove along the road in the morning. I did have to stop to toss off a few rocks. They were oddly light and one showed some signs that a previous person past should not have rolled over it. And I saw a few of the things I missed.

Some better views of the antics the Middle Fork Smith River and tributary creeks get up to.

Melderson grave. It could use some brush clearing, but is distinctly marked with headstone and other stones. The only writing on it are scratches. Who puts graffiti on a grave?

Better views of the morning clouds haunting the canyons.

Three Pools, which look more like something built for recreation rather than something from the mining operations. Now it is a popular dispersed camping area.

At least three stunning cascades.

At the junction, the sign only points out the High Dome Trail entry in 4 miles and not the one in a few hundred feet. It is not along my route, but I would probably have found my way out to the bridge.

East Fork meets West Fork of Patrick Creek. It is quite noisy.

The trailhead is signed and I stopped by it. It might be as much as a quarter mile from Three Pools, which would have been a good stopping point. It might have been a little early, but sodden boots can be very unmotivating.

The same High Dome Trail crossing for West Fork Patrick Creek, but from the other side.

The rushing water of the creek below the crossing. There is a spot nearby that looks mostly okay to cross, but there is still one spot that looks extremely fast.

©2017 Valerie Norton
Posted 20 February 2017