I woke up with a bit less to do than had originally been in the plan, and even that plan wouldn't have inspired hurry. I let the sun get up a bit before heading out.
The lower swimming hole in the morning.
A green water, both within and in reflection.
The waterfall on Gary Creek gets sunlight early.
Pondering the ford once more. To be done near that tallest of rocks left of center.
While packing up, I decided to actually try the bear can in a vertical orientation instead of horizontal. Rather than being too awkward to use with my water bag, it worked great and I didn't have to wonder what to do with all the room left under it on a short hike. So I managed to achieve something. A little color offered by poison oak. Much of it is still green, but this patch has shed almost all its leaves.
A bit of the trail dug into the rocky hillside.
Still some deep morning shadow on the canyon side behind.
I found that Lewisia I was looking for. No flowers, but the leaf undersides are nice and colorful.
Trail following along Hells Half Acre. This is where to find the Lewisia.
Looking across to a scary looking bit of trail, but that bit is not worrisome when on it.
A look up toward the top of Hells Half Acre Creek.
The cardinal catchfly still blooms.
I stopped at Hells Half Acre Creek to get a little more water since I had only gotten enough to camp the day before. I took the time to look around a bit including hunting for salamanders!
Monster! No, wait, a half eaten pine cone under the water.
Just found another one of those vulnerable foothill yellow-legged frogs instead of a secure salamander.
When ready to face the heat again, I headed out and up along the thin but solid trail.
A rod wirelettuce offers a non-red flower.
It's hard not to focus on the hard rock fin between Hells Half Acre Creek and South Fork Trinity River.
Grey pines source the vicious monster pine cones of the area.
Can't be that hot. There's a thin cooling layer up there.
Just a little bit further.
Then I lost the views but got some shade.
A softer trail as it turns into the trees.
Where a trail crew decided to shortcut a switchback instead of clear the big trees on it.
The white cobblestone road of dry Coon Creek
The bigleaf maple is thinking of turning colors.
One last stretch of trail.
I hadn't walked nearly far enough, so I took the short spur to Surprise Creek.
Surprise Creek flowing nicely. I knew it would be.
Then I was back to the car and ready to leave, done with hiking around Trinity County just in time for the weather to break and stop being 10-20 F° warmer than normal.
Going to drop in some steam gauge notes here. The relevant stream gauge is SF Trinity R BL Hyampom CA which is online here. It is, crucially, below the Hayfork Creek input.
For this time period, the gauge height was 1.9 feet, corresponding to about 75 cubic feet per second. Last year it only got down to 3 ft, about 100 ft^3/s. When I was there before (24 Apr 2020), the height was 3.15 ft (400 ft^3/s) and that year it bottomed out at 1.8 ft (31 ft^3/s). That would have been a great year to go for it!
Median data: It generally goes lower than this year. It tends to bottom out in mid-September at just under 60 ft^3/s.
Ikon on map noted. To quote Chico Marx, "Ohhh, why you want a ford when you got a horse?" I'm betting the bridge has been gone since 1964. John Muir never had to worry about getting electronics wet.
Great mushrooms!
Your condition report is much appreciated. It's good to know that trail tread can be found on the far side of the river. Last year I fixed up a lot of bad tread from the northern trailhead to about halfway from the elbow down in to Hells Half Acre Cr. I think there were still some slidey spots past there.
A horse would be fine, very fine. Built in snorkel, which the Ford would have needed. One of those fords, Muir was stopped by someone on the other side saying it was dangerous and let them go and get the horse. He admits it was much nicer on a horse. Long skinny legs are well crafted for the task. Some days he didn't even have a jacket to worry about wetting.
I have measured my leg and the water was probably 34-36" deepest. I guess it's deep enough to feel like there's little options to recover from a slip (on algae covered, overly large, rounded rocks) without getting everything wet. Still, I've got this fancy Ultra fabric backpack. Seams aren't taped, but it would still take some soaking before much water got in. And then it was almost 60F until after 3AM.
Oh, yeah, had my temperature logger, too. There's plots in the albums, but it seemed excessive to include it each time. A cold air mass must have rolled in because it dropped off 10°F in half an hour in the early morning.
It makes sense that that sluff on the south facing side needs a bit of attention. Actually some on the other side might have been cleared a little since I was there before.
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest ( map link ) I had a big day planned and got up in the early cold. That first dim, dawn light played in a band across the western peaks of Lamoille Canyon. The edge of it diffused downward into the rest of the canyon and then the band was repeated, this time with the first light of sunrise. It took a lot longer for the edge of this light to travel down into the bottom of the canyon and I was long on the trail by the time it did. Trailhead at the end of the road. Detailed signs about possible destinations are a short way down the trail on the left. Looking behind to a long canyon of shadow A pleading to stay on the trail in this fragile environment There are two trails to choose from for going up. The hiker trail travels the east side of the canyon, so would be cold longer, but would look across to the lit part of the canyon, which I hoped would make for better photographs. The stock trail climbs the other side and I could see it sitting...
Uncompahgre National Forest (map link) The Forest Service seems to be uncertain if it is Lake Hope or Hope Lake, but more certain that it is the Hope Lake Trail. It consistently marks the road up to the trailhead as a 4x4 road, so I parked in a turnout at the bottom and started up, getting increasingly grumpy about how it is a rather good road with a loose rock here or there. I chatted with some campers about how it was probably great all the way up, but they'd gotten to their rather brilliantly picturesque site and been sufficiently mesmerized by it not to continue on. Talking with them got me sufficiently emboldened to actually stick out my thumb at the truck that came by as I finished the chat. When you're going 5 MPH anyway, it's easy to stop, and he did. Greg was going for the hike too and actually wouldn't mind having a buddy. The road promptly turned to something it wouldn't be wise to try the Scion on. With good judgement, I probably could make it, but...
Apache National Forest Click for map. What struck my fancy to hike while at Quemado Lake was Escondido Mountain, although I'm not sure how one can get away with calling a 1800 foot prominence peak "hidden" is beyond me. It has no trails up it, so I have to determine my own route. Escondido Trail caught my eye first, but it really doesn't go high up the mountain and it doesn't do it on one of the steeper slopes. The road it starts from looks like a better bet, follow it up as far as it goes then grab the ridge tot the right. The easiest way up, though, looks like a 4WD road that starts further south on the (should be) Scion friendly Baca Road #13D. This one climbs high up to a saddle west of the peak leaving less than a mile of ridge walking to the top. Although it means a couple miles road walking on something I can drive, I think I'll combine the two into a loop. I just have to find parking near the intersection of 13D and 4018J, which is pretty eas...
Six Rivers National Forest DAY 1 | DAY 2 (map link) Bluff Creek Historic Trail gets my attention as I zoom by because it is clearly signed to be visible from the road and the trail is obviously used and in good shape. Also, why is "Historic" stuck in there? (Besides the obvious, the Forest Service simply says, "Gateway to Bigfoot Country" , which doesn't seem particularly unique along the Bigfoot Scenic Byway.) It doesn't get my attention when I'm looking at a map because it just offers about 1.5 miles of connecting the highway to Slate Creek Road, a paved road that leaves the highway a short distance northeast of the trail. However, further along in the same direction and connected by an unimproved road is "Wright Place (site)" which sits next to Bluff Creek. The trail is numbered, the road is not. While it is tempting to think that an old road is bigger and therefore more likely to be passable, it doesn't really work out that wa...
Comments
For this time period, the gauge height was 1.9 feet, corresponding to about 75 cubic feet per second. Last year it only got down to 3 ft, about 100 ft^3/s. When I was there before (24 Apr 2020), the height was 3.15 ft (400 ft^3/s) and that year it bottomed out at 1.8 ft (31 ft^3/s). That would have been a great year to go for it!
Median data: It generally goes lower than this year. It tends to bottom out in mid-September at just under 60 ft^3/s.
Not allowed to use superscripts. Weak.
Great mushrooms!
Your condition report is much appreciated. It's good to know that trail tread can be found on the far side of the river. Last year I fixed up a lot of bad tread from the northern trailhead to about halfway from the elbow down in to Hells Half Acre Cr. I think there were still some slidey spots past there.
Will revise all at KlamathMountainTrails.us .
I have measured my leg and the water was probably 34-36" deepest. I guess it's deep enough to feel like there's little options to recover from a slip (on algae covered, overly large, rounded rocks) without getting everything wet. Still, I've got this fancy Ultra fabric backpack. Seams aren't taped, but it would still take some soaking before much water got in. And then it was almost 60F until after 3AM.
Oh, yeah, had my temperature logger, too. There's plots in the albums, but it seemed excessive to include it each time. A cold air mass must have rolled in because it dropped off 10°F in half an hour in the early morning.
It makes sense that that sluff on the south facing side needs a bit of attention. Actually some on the other side might have been cleared a little since I was there before.