Page 1 of 2

Herman Creek, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017

Posted: February 16th, 2017, 6:03 pm
by Don Nelsen
I was hoping this trail and its offshoots would be in better shape than the ones I've hiked farther to the west- and it was, sort of.

The road to the parking area has not been plowed and will need some chain saw work but not much. Snow is continuous from the frontage road and is about 12 to 18 inches deep at the TH.

Image

The usual parking area at the TH:
Image

a little farther up the trail:
Image

There is a well tramped down path as far as the junction that heads east on the 400 and to Indian Point but only two sets of tracks branched off at that point onto the Herman Creek Trail proper. It looked like this:
Image

It was good for a while and then less good but we sallied forth. The tracks showed that the two previous hikers turned back about a quarter mile later but we pushed on to the first big waterfall:

Image

The continuation of the trail at that point looked like this and my intrepid hiking partner decided enough was enough!
Image

I wanted to see more so continued a little farther to the next waterfall:
Image

The "trail" looked like this beyond so I had had enough! It has been an interesting winter.
Image

5.2 miles, 1020' vertical

Re: Herman Creek, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017

Posted: February 16th, 2017, 6:54 pm
by retired jerry
hmmm... might be a lot of trail work required in the gorge this spring

Re: Herman Creek, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017

Posted: February 16th, 2017, 6:58 pm
by Don Nelsen
retired jerry wrote:hmmm... might be a lot of trail work required in the gorge this spring

Amen, Jerry! Bring the saw and clippers! dn

Re: Herman Creek, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017

Posted: February 16th, 2017, 8:57 pm
by Chip Down
I don't mind the steep snow and ice. Can be a fun challenge. But the arboreal debris can be so demoralizing. Nothing fun or adventurous about that, just a hassle. Although sometimes it can be fun to deal with big downed trees on steep slopes. What finally turned you back? From the last pic, it could have been either the snow or the blowdown, or maybe both.

Re: Herman Creek, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017

Posted: February 17th, 2017, 6:11 am
by retired jerry
my saw is getting a bit dull,I think I'll order a new one, with a couple spare blades

Corona, 6 inch folding, 5.5 ounces

I wonder if I can sharpen that blade?

Re: Herman Creek, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017

Posted: February 17th, 2017, 6:15 am
by Eric Peterson
I wonder if MCDS is still around :?

Re: Herman Creek, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017

Posted: February 17th, 2017, 7:27 am
by Don Nelsen
Chip Down wrote:I don't mind the steep snow and ice. Can be a fun challenge. But the arboreal debris can be so demoralizing. Nothing fun or adventurous about that, just a hassle. Although sometimes it can be fun to deal with big downed trees on steep slopes. What finally turned you back? From the last pic, it could have been either the snow or the blowdown, or maybe both.
My hiking partner's knee was bothering her on that never-ending traverse. I may go back today and see what it looks like beyond where I turned around.

Re: Herman Creek, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017

Posted: February 17th, 2017, 7:56 am
by retired jerry
Ha, ha, Eric,... I think we chased away mcds :)

I assume you mean knee Don

My knee was bothering me, but then the PT told me to use stationery bike, which I've been doing for several months

My knee seems much stronger. And my hips which were also bugging me

Re: Herman Creek, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017

Posted: February 18th, 2017, 2:04 pm
by Don Nelsen
retired jerry wrote:Ha, ha, Eric,... I think we chased away mcds :)

I assume you mean knee Don

My knee was bothering me, but then the PT told me to use stationery bike, which I've been doing for several months

My knee seems much stronger. And my hips which were also bugging me
Fixed the typo. Yes, I meant knee.

Biking hurts my knees Jerry. I don't know why but it does. I used to ride about ten miles/day for years in my mid teens, too. sometimes, I would go 100 miles or more but now even ten miles hurts. Must be getting old!

dn

Re: Herman Creek, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017

Posted: February 18th, 2017, 3:57 pm
by retired jerry
I suspect I've got a couple years on you, 62 total

Weird how people are different, some things work for someone but not another

No matter how fast I peddle, I don't make any progress. I guess that's why they call it a stationery bike :lol:

Currently, I'm not into moving bikes, they seem sort of dangerous. You're out there with nothing between your moving head and stationery objects like the ground. Helmets are better than nothing, but not that much.