Philpot Waterfall and Plummer Peak Lookout

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.

The trail looked scruffy at first, but it is quite distinct along the route. The lower part of the trail has been claimed for the south end of East Tule Creek Trail, but a few numbered posts remain to show its real allegiance as the trail makes a way near the creek.

Brochures for the interpretive trail were not part of the information board collection, but some posts remain.

A small, but clear, pool along the way.

A little water at the first crossing. Nothing to help getting across when it flows.

Woodpeckers live here, too. First I spotted a northern flicker.

Then an acorn woodpecker.

About halfway along, there's a short trail connecting to parking up on the the road. First there's a shortcut that gets directly to the climbing East Tule Creek Trail, then there's the good trail adorned with warnings about entering a burned area. This is for the Peak Sha Fire in 2015, not the one that inspired the interpretive trail about 40 years ago in the 1980s.

The second trailhead with its warning sign beside the road.

Soon, the route left the trees although it stayed right next to the water. The sun was already warm.

A wide swath through the brush has been cut for the trail.

First look at the wet rocks of the waterfall, a bit obscured.

And then there's the waterfall. As is typical, the hard rocks that make the waterfall also serve to push whatever water is flowing to the surface. At this time of year, that's not a lot of water.

Dribbles off the end of a rock: late season waterfall.

The water in the pool isn't very attractive, but it has a bit of life. (Water striders and foothill yellow-legged frog here.)

The mossy wet above.

Waterfall seen, albeit in rather meager form, I could start on the secondary goal of the day: hiking East Fork Tule Creek. The creek it is named for is along the north end and occurs on a list of hike suggestions around Hayfork as a route up to Plummer Peak. I thought I'd take that, but also check out this side as it is part of the Bigfoot Trail. This side is shorter, so the peak bagging, which is a side spur, would come with this hike.

The real start of East Fork Tule Creek is steep and rutted.

The part of the trail that is not borrowed from the old interpretive trail is steep and rutted. The map shows some little wiggles around the ridge edge, but there's none of that on the ground now. I'd seen some flags and thought maybe I'd missed something better, but short investigation turned up nothing usable. I would just have to climb the steep.

A little less steep climbing out in the sun.

The road below is always an option instead.

An antenna comes into view, giving away the location of the peak.

A view quickly gained and then steadily more expansive.

The trail crosses the road with a jog off to the left. From the crossing, the view is almost as good. There's just a ridge and trail and a few trees more in the near portions of it. The next bit of trail does not relent.

More steep, rutted trail, but the trail marker assures that this is it. Oh, and horses are explicitly allowed.

A first view of the lookout behind the antenna.

Since I was on the Bigfoot Trail, I figured I ought to pay some attention to at least one conifer.

This area has quite a few sugar pines loaded with cones.

Just a little more trail with only a little more steep bits left.

One last steep, rutted, but signed, bit of trail to the road again.

The trail crosses the road again, but that's where I was getting off. There's another mile on road to the top. It promises to be much easier. In fact, I could have driven up in my little car. There is a sign faded to near invisibility at the start of the road claiming one needs permission to drive up to the lookout, but the gate is only locked seasonally on this "administrative use only" road.

Looking back over the ridge I just walked up. It's the low one in the middle.

And some new view off to the northeast including Mount Shasta, looking rather ghostly in the day's murky air.

Madrone bark pealing away.

Hayfork Valley stretching east of Hayfork.

Signed at the top so we know where we are. "Elevation 4412"

The fire lookout at the top of Plummer Peak with all the shutters open for spotting.

This is a professionally staffed fire lookout in season. This particular lookout likes to leave the grate down to allow taking laps around the building while trying to spot smoke, so you've got to get permission to come up. I went spotting benchmarks and having lunch in the shade of the lookout first. I even had enough signal to get a weather report. It said I was lucky to be up here today because it was going to get even hotter for the next three days. Everywhere was looking at 10-20F degrees above normal for at least a week.

The station marker, a bit bruised.

But I did get to go up and even got to squint through to the crosshairs of the Osborne fire finder. Looking out to decidedly dry Chanchelulla Peak, I decided that the Wilderness wouldn't be on the itinerary of this trip after all.

To the northwest are some former lookouts I'd like to visit.

Looking southeast over Salt Creek to Chanchelulla (at right) and other interesting area peaks.

Looking southwest to where I've been. The small ridge climbed today and the south end of South Fork Mountain in the distance, the west wall of my recent backpacking and host for more fire lookouts.

North across Hayfork to Hayfork Bally and its lookout, which I had expectations of visiting soon.

Then it was down again. I finally found the second reference mark, forgot to try to find the geocache, and decided to zoom down the road instead of the steep ridge. The lookout believes the firefighters use that ridge for training and I have to admit, it checks out. It certainly is the sort of thing they would use. The road is a mile longer, but still faster and easier.

A junction of good dirt roads and the first direction signs. Even the major county road off the state highway didn't have signs.

Looping around a tall tree in a steep little canyon. The road may be one lane road, but it's smooth.

It does feel like a long way down.

At the on road parking, I popped over to the trail instead of road for the final stretch.

Someone loves to make lace of the leaves.

I still needed some water. Rather than collect from the tiny North Fork along which I'd been hiking, I investigated the main stem of Philpot Creek which it ends in on the far side of the campground. There was a lot more water flowing down that one. The area was way too cool to be from just that little fork.

*photo album*




©2024 Valerie Norton
Written 31 Oct 2024