You got way more ambition than me just spent my fourth weekend raking leaves with a very quite 17 year oldCrusak wrote:After spending the past three weekends at home doing yard work I was desperate to get out hiking. I've been dealing with some lower back pain (from the yard work) and that's kept me a bit idle as well. Since today was one of my paid holidays, I decided to celebrate with a quick trip up the Elk Creek Trail.
My last trip up the Elk Creek Trail was back in May this year. Since it had been six months I figured it was time to get up there again.
Last year I did some snowshoeing up there, and today I decided that it might be good to get up there and do a bit of light trail maintenance and pruning. In the past the ice and snow has weighed down the small alder saplings along parts of the trail and created a very tangled mess (making it very hard to snowshoe across). My goal was to trim back some of the alders along the worst parts. I also wanted to check out the section of trail at the top, past the "official" end of the Elk Creek Trail, and close to the private property line.
I started out in 44° weather with light rain. My truck was the only one parked outside the gate (campground closes in October) just off Hwy 6. It's been fun to hike the same trail every few months and see the changes that take place. There are numerous landslides creeping down the hillsides along the trail that threaten to obliterate it someday. I saw some new ones.
I'd forgotten that this isn't necessarily an 'easy' trail, and after having three weeks off I was huffing and puffing. I stopped every now and then to take a photo. This is one of several small streams that intersect the trail:
One of my objectives today (besides just getting out on the trail!) was to trim back some of those pesky alder saplings and remove any small downed trees that I came across. Fortunately there weren't any trees down on the trail, but I found a lot of overgrown alders and other messy trees/bushes along the way. My new pruners came in hand
Note the gloves I'm wearing - bought them at Costco and they're very good for hiking in wet weather. My hands stayed warm and dry all day (even though it was raining and I was handling lots of wet branches).
For some reason today I noticed a whole bunch of things along this trail that I haven't ever noticed before. I saw about six game trails that looked interesting to explore, and a few places above, below and beside the trail where it looked like logging roads used to be. I also heard some very loud water off-trail at about the 2600' elevation mark, at a bend in the trail. I went off-trail briefly and discovered a nice campsite, and this waterfall/stream that eventually meets up with the west fork of Elk Creek. My camera lens is smudged & wet... sorry. It was that kind of day. :
I made it to the junction at the 4 mile mark (that connects with the old road that goes over to the three-way junction on the back of Elk Mtn & Kings Mtn). This spot has changed quite a bit in the past couple of years. It used to be fairly open, and now there is a small alder forest growing that nearly obscures the this trail junction sign.
I was already feeling tired. Taking weeks off from hiking can do that to a person.But I wanted to head further up the trail, in this direction:
Here I spotted my first surprise - the biggest (and freshest?) cougar scat I've ever seen.
Actually I'd seen some cougar scat lower down on the trail, and lots of coyote scat too.This abandoned section of road/trail is slowly being reclaimed by the forest. These brave little trees are giving it their best shot:
Headed up to the top I got my second surprise! The logging on the private property at the real "end" of this trail is in full swing, and the cool rest spot I'd taken a break at last time (next to whatever scientific equipment is up there) is totally destroyed. Yup, they're logging.
On the way back down I got a brief almost sunny moment. This is one of the spots that I did a bit of pruning, to open up things a bit.
Overall it was a good day. I made it back down in one piece, my truck was still in one piece (parked beside Hwy 6) and I drove home safely. Oh, and I finally went hiking!
Overall stats for the day: 10 miles and 2600' elevation gain.
. Have hauled away six pickup loads at least its free to dump them at the recycle place. We have four 20 plus year old sub gum maples very bright redimpressive leaves until they fall on the yard.
Last fall when my back and shoulder were wasted my wife and son did not get them up till almost Christmas the grass in the back yard actually turned red from all the leaves piled on there so long. Still a few on the trees but the end is near hoping the blower and lawn mower will finish it.
Know what you mean about the clear cuts the Silver Star area looks like a nuke went off up there. I road dirt bikes in the Wilson river, Silver Star Larch, WA area. Years ago the trees were nice I think it must be the second or third cut in these areas they are going nuts.
Got to do that elk creek hike have not done it maybe we can hook up some time and do it I am stronger theses days no match for the Crusantor tho.
Take care --- T/Roy