Short trip up Sweeney

[chameleon]

Today I made a short trip up Sweeney creek. This is the creek on highway 14 where you pass a waterfall, but by the time you notice it you're too late to stop. It is a very interesting creek however. For one thing, there is a mine shaft that goes straight into the wall behind the falls for 40 feet or so. For another thing, the creek is filled with interesting rocks - many an odd color of green...have no idea what it is. There is obviously some interesting history with this creek.

Today, the stream was raging, which is one reason I stopped. It was a muddy brown color and much higher than usual. I didn't get many pictures because of the heavy rain most of the time. I followed a deer trail up above the falls, and then the stream became fun. It turned into a wide slot canyon for a 1/5 mile, at which point you hit another waterfall - probably 35 feet tall, and much prettier than Sweeney falls. Unfortunately, the spray and rain didn't allow me to get a shot of the main falls from below. However, an interesting 10 ft waterfall shoots out of the rock off to the right hand side of the falls - must be some small fissures in the rock wall here. Here's a photo - the main falls is on the left of this wall, beyond view here.

I then hiked to the top of this falls. Here is looking down it.

Here is a photo looking up the stream from the top of the falls.

After that I followed the stream up another 1/5 mile and it comes to a really neat swirling pool where the stream changes direction.

An old road meets the stream just before here - and I mean an old road - there are some trees at least 30 years old growing in it now. I was able to follow it back to 14 though. I really like this stream now. It's a fun, easy bushwhack, and the mine shaft, road, etc... are very intriguing...anyone know the story behind them?

[pyles_94]

another creek worth checking out is the one just west from there... called nelson creek. from the google terrain view you can see there are some falls there.

[Splintercat]

Nice find, Jamey - that's worth a revisit, with the water clears up and the ferns are out. I think it's on private land, but not positive.

-Tom

[AlexanderSupertramp]

Well done Zach! This is one I've always wondered about. Thanks for the report and pics.

Adam

[Sore Feet]

Doesn't surprise me at all Zach, good find. Nelson Creek intrigues me more than Souther Creek (not Sweeney Creek) does just because Nelson Falls appears to be inaccessible without crossing private property, so maybe this will begin to make up for that issue.

[aywolfpac]

That "swirling creek" shot is great.