Lots of Waterfalls on a Loony Lewis River Trail 3-7-14

[Sean Thomas]

Nice report Sean. I always enjoy seeing trails that I have enjoyed in summer and fall during the winter. It's always interesting to see how different they are "when nobody's looking".

Thanks TNT. I have only been there in fall/winter but would really like to get back and see the water at its lowest sometime in late summer/early fall.

Great report and photos, Sean - the Lewis River is a real treasure! I don't think I've seen the lower falls that high before... wow! But then when I look at the size of some of the "creeks" pouring in, it makes sense. I don't envy your post-holing, though - beats the crap out of me...!

Back at the car about 30 miles and 8 hours/20 minutes later...

Let's see... my version would be "Back at the car 30 miles and four days later...

Thanks for posting!

Tom

It really is a place worth revisiting again and again. I fully agree with your sentiments on the post holing and was fully beaten to some sort of crap by the end

Wow Sean....really impressive! That river was really raging, thanks for sharing the pictures and trek. There is an abandoned trail that goes up Alec Creek to the main road. Just before you get to the road there is a 30ft Alec Creek Falls lying forgotten about on the creek. At one time it probably was a stopping point on the trail but storm damage wreaked havoc on the area.

After a few snacks at the TH the sheriff pulled in and asked me where I'd been..

I'm surprised he didn't give you a ticket for your custom made license plate .

Thanks for the heads up on the falls, Goat! I never would have known about that one and will have to visit it sometime. Your post also has me wondering what the best abbreviation would be for a PH plate

Let's see, 30 miles divided by 8.33 hours = about 3.6 mph overall pace, in winter with the occasional post holing and what not. That's a mean pace.

The falls are really raging! And the river was looking wild and wooly, too.

Great report and pictures. I really appreciate all the work you're doing on Tanner. Someday soon I plan to hike that trail for the first time.

Thanks, Crus! I will post some more pics soon from the tanner adventure and just latch them on here in a little bit. There are several biggens that I wont touch and still some brush but its looking better than it has in a while Also, I have only seen one person down there(separate of my group) and that includes the work trips, hatfields and a couple over-nighters back there. I always think about how just over Tanner Ridge is one of the most visited and well maintained trails in the state yet its next door neighbor gets no love(past Wahclella anyways). I guess it makes sense though, EC has the famous recreation trail blasted out of the cliff side by engineers while Tanner has the powerlines and the service road.

Great report! Thanks.

Thanks dunes!

And I bet you didn't see a single person on the trail.

With the forecast I'm seeing I bet that snow on the trail will be melting soon but the river levels will probably not be going down as the snow above melts. Might call for a visit in the next week or two.

I only saw two people in the afternoon near the TH. There was so much water on the trail they said they turned around just before Bolt Camp.

Nice report Sean good job on pushing thru.

I don't mind the drive from Woodland except that 25 mile S curve stretch along Swift reservoir. Nice the cop told you the road was open that's a nice drive.

Thanks, Roy. I was happy as I had read somewhere on the USFS site that they would only be plowing wind river for the snow parks until funding ran out and werent planning on plowing Curly Creek rd.

Wow - great job! Great photos and report, too. That is an awesome pace, especially so in those conditions.

dn

Thanks, DN! It was an epic day! Not DN epic but epic nonetheless

Excellent! Love the raging upper falls. What a great surprise! Looks like fun

Thanks, Brian. That was the best part of the day, just hanging out at the upper falls for a bit on the riverside. I had really been missing out all this time as I was an upper falls newbie too

[kepPNW]

Great report! This is a place I really need to get to! Hopefully soon.

A few miles north of Carson I had to make one last stop to watch the Elk graze before days end. I just kept my distance and sat in the car for a while watching them do their thing, where they didn't seem to mind a slightly wonked out goof with a camera obsessing over them

We saw your friends yesterday!


They were there all day. Huge herd!

[drm]

They never plow Old Man Pass through Curly Ck Rd through the winter. But at some point late in the snow season (it's usually April) they go ahead and push through one time so that we don't have to wait for it to fully melt out.

[bobcat]

I see, 'tis marathon season again. Great to see photos of all those falls fuller than I've ever seen them! Good to know about Curly Creek Road, also.