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.
Coconino National Forest Click for map. I seem to be collecting fire lookouts, but the inclusion of Wing Mountain on the list of Arizona lookouts on Peakbagger wasn't what got my notice. It was the simple fact that the quad west of Humphreys Peak is named for Wing Mountain. I'm a bit suspicious about it being a lookout because there is not so much as a trail going up it, much less a road that is common for such things. People who have climbed it seem to have just picked a side and gone for it. I picked the side where there is a shoulder called Little Wing Mountain so I could climb and get the benchmark, then move nearly halfway around the crater to the high point. It is a side that looked highly climbable from afar, which seems like another plus. Forest road 222 (Wing Mountain Road) in seems generally maintained, but 519 only happens to be passable for my little car by a bit of luck. I park at 9230C where someone has had a camp site. It is a little way down the hill fro...
Since I last wrote about digital maps, the S1 Mobile app has been shut down and the Forest Service released a new map app that looks pretty good. It might be time for a new post on maps. (Check the "equipment" tag for older editions.) USFS app in offline mode showing a section of the Pacific Crest Trail north of Marble Mountain Wilderness including intersecting roads, streams, and contours. As before, this will focus on legal, free ways to have maps stored on your handheld computer (AKA "phone") so you can have them anywhere and any time. While these are free, it does help insure that independent developers keep going next year if you send some money toward them. My criteria for a map app: Works offline. If you only have a map when online, you don't have a map. It is as simple as that. This is non-negotiable. Maps should include contours. I'm looking to hike with these maps after all. Shows location. User configurable storage opt...
Redwood National Park Click for interactive map On the prior Thursday, I joined the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee's invasive species tour of Eureka. It was at the last minute because I figured I knew all about these things since I spend a bit of time each week hacking them down as a volunteer. Of course, they were talking about the lesser known things and the tour started out with aphids that affect Sitka spruce terribly as we toured Mouralherwaqh, a patch of land that is Wiyot again. This one is not open to the general public, but we also visited the 'O Rew Redwood Gateway, a piece of land that is Yurok again, and is open to the public as of 1 Aug and where I discovered a new trail. I also noted that although this was most recently an abandoned mill site, there are some nice rounded tree tops poking out of the forest nearby, one of the signs of old growth. I decided I would be back to try that new trail. The sign at the after hours/overflow parking a...
Arcata Community Forest Click for interactive map Speaking of new trails, the city of Arcata has been getting some built. The Beith Creek Loop in the Arcata Community Forest has a nice windy bit that dips deep into another stream canyon, making a lovely reroute for a skid road that passed as steep and slippery trail before. I keep meaning to show it off although likely very few will find any meaning in it. They've also been hard at work on their end of the Annie & Mary Trail. A while back when I hiked the Arcata Ridge Trail, I found the base layers in and it was getting close. A couple weeks ago , it was paved with a bike zooming past. I've been told that the section still under construction is quite beautiful as it goes along the Mad (Baduwa't) River. So, with the caveat that I don't want to be pressing gravel about and slowing down the process of the trail coming together, I headed out for an Arcata Ridge Trail "thru hike plus". Past the first ...
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.