Re: The Lost & Boulder Ditch
Posted: June 29th, 2020, 8:27 pm
Like Guy, I selected this hike to avoid the wet west side of Hood. Problem is, I was expecting it to be a decent day, so this Plan B hike was impromptu. All I had to guide me was my phone. Better than nothing, but now that I'm home I see how this day could have been better with some research. Still, it went well.
Chiyoko is right, it's best to park at Forest Creek Camp.
When I arrived at LBD, it caught me off guard. I suppose because it's not a natural creek, it doesn't lie where you would expect a creek. Suddenly, as you're walking up Road 3530, there it is, as beautiful and surreal as I could have hoped for.
My plan was to turn left/north and follow LBD to Rd 48. Like Webfoot, I hadn't been able to find it as I drove along Rd 48, and I was eager to see where it crossed. I now realize it's just barely east of Boulder Creek, as shown on map. It is visible from the road, but barely.
I was about to turn back when it dawned on me that I should see where it goes on the north side of Rd 48. I poked around a bit. Couldn't find it. Weird. Went back to Rd 48 and found the culvert. Aha! It goes underground. Looking at the map, I surmised LBD gets diverted from Boulder Creek at a dam. I followed the trickling Boulder Creek, and sure enough, it took me to the dam. I now realize it's shown at upper left on the map Guy posted above. Above the dam, Boulder Creek was substantial. Also visible from the dam was a little tributary coming from the left/west. I followed it upstream, past some charming cascades, until it leveled off at yet another ditch. I followed this through a variety of interesting sections, some underground, some through plastic pipe, some open like the LBD, some plastic lined, until I finally noticed a trickle of a creek in a rocky bed parallel to the ditch. From this I surmised I was about to reach another dam. I was right. Above this dam, the creek was natural. I turned back here. I believe this must be Cedar Creek, which Barlow Road crosses at Forest Creek Camp. So from that dam, I actually would have a short walk to my car if I took the direct route, but instead I retraced my steps on the scenic route.
To summarize: Cedar Creek is mostly diverted (north of Rd 48) to a ditch which feeds into Boulder Creek just above a dam, and then Boulder Creek is mostly diverted (north of Rd 48) to LBD. The remnants of Cedar and Boulder creeks are both crossed on roads south of Rd 48, on the way to the Rd 3530 crossing of LBD. What fun! This was an extremely inefficient hike, but I think it would have been very easy to overlook how this all fits together, so I should be grateful for how my hike went.
Above, Guy wrote "I'm guessing that since the ditch is still in use its probably walked by whoever maintains it a couple of times a year". I met him! He was at the Boulder dam, the one at upper left on Guy's map. He shared info on history, where the water goes (customers), some of his maintenance woes. If not for him, I might not have explored up the creek that feeds into Boulder Creek above the dam. I noticed it, but didn't realize it's a ditch upstream. He also told me there was another dam up higher. In some of the underground sections, I was discouraged and considered turning back, but I was hoping to reach the upper dam.
Chiyoko is right, it's best to park at Forest Creek Camp.
When I arrived at LBD, it caught me off guard. I suppose because it's not a natural creek, it doesn't lie where you would expect a creek. Suddenly, as you're walking up Road 3530, there it is, as beautiful and surreal as I could have hoped for.
My plan was to turn left/north and follow LBD to Rd 48. Like Webfoot, I hadn't been able to find it as I drove along Rd 48, and I was eager to see where it crossed. I now realize it's just barely east of Boulder Creek, as shown on map. It is visible from the road, but barely.
I was about to turn back when it dawned on me that I should see where it goes on the north side of Rd 48. I poked around a bit. Couldn't find it. Weird. Went back to Rd 48 and found the culvert. Aha! It goes underground. Looking at the map, I surmised LBD gets diverted from Boulder Creek at a dam. I followed the trickling Boulder Creek, and sure enough, it took me to the dam. I now realize it's shown at upper left on the map Guy posted above. Above the dam, Boulder Creek was substantial. Also visible from the dam was a little tributary coming from the left/west. I followed it upstream, past some charming cascades, until it leveled off at yet another ditch. I followed this through a variety of interesting sections, some underground, some through plastic pipe, some open like the LBD, some plastic lined, until I finally noticed a trickle of a creek in a rocky bed parallel to the ditch. From this I surmised I was about to reach another dam. I was right. Above this dam, the creek was natural. I turned back here. I believe this must be Cedar Creek, which Barlow Road crosses at Forest Creek Camp. So from that dam, I actually would have a short walk to my car if I took the direct route, but instead I retraced my steps on the scenic route.
To summarize: Cedar Creek is mostly diverted (north of Rd 48) to a ditch which feeds into Boulder Creek just above a dam, and then Boulder Creek is mostly diverted (north of Rd 48) to LBD. The remnants of Cedar and Boulder creeks are both crossed on roads south of Rd 48, on the way to the Rd 3530 crossing of LBD. What fun! This was an extremely inefficient hike, but I think it would have been very easy to overlook how this all fits together, so I should be grateful for how my hike went.
Above, Guy wrote "I'm guessing that since the ditch is still in use its probably walked by whoever maintains it a couple of times a year". I met him! He was at the Boulder dam, the one at upper left on Guy's map. He shared info on history, where the water goes (customers), some of his maintenance woes. If not for him, I might not have explored up the creek that feeds into Boulder Creek above the dam. I noticed it, but didn't realize it's a ditch upstream. He also told me there was another dam up higher. In some of the underground sections, I was discouraged and considered turning back, but I was hoping to reach the upper dam.