Eagle Creek devastation zone - Feb. 17th, 2017
Posted: February 17th, 2017, 8:44 pm
Peder and I gave the EC trail a go today, hoping a few folks had tramped down a route through the snow and ice so we could do a leisurely stroll up the canyon. Didn't turn out that way!!
First let me say: Do not attempt this trail beyond the second set of cables-about 3/4 miles in. The going is relatively easy to that point but beyond is seriously dangerous. I mean seriously!! There is hardly a spot on the trail where you will not be badly injured should you fall and most places you simply would not survive. Period. We wished we had taken mountaineering crampon as our micro spikes barely got the job done. Ice axes would have helped too, but we foolishly left them behind thinking the snow and ice had melted back enough to make them unnecessary. Bad move, but, since you see I am writing this report, we made it.
That being said - we had a great day in the woods and enjoyed wonderful vistas of waterfalls, epic piles of snow and ice and great weather to boot. We also got one of the best workouts of our lives kicking steps 90% of the way and four off-trail jaunts to skirt really bad spots.
The EC trail will need a lot of work once the ice melts. A lot of mud and a few rocks have been pulled loose from the terrain above that will have to be shoveled off. A lot of branches litter the trail and about 20 large trees have fallen across the trail in the short 3.7 miles we hiked as far as High Bridge. There is only one place where there is a little damage to the actual trail tread and it is relatively minor.
Photos:
This was the "easy" part!
A huge tree had come down the slope here but luckily, it had kept going and did not block the trail.
Peder taking a shower. Beyond this, it got really sketchy.
We kicked really good steps along this section! This is where we met two other hikers - without spikes! Yipes!
This is the only spot we saw that will need some trail tread work: About a mile and half in.
The water was too fast and deep at Tish Creek so we opted for a work-around. We walked across one of the newly felled trees and went up and over to get around the problem.
It just got better and better the farther we went.
The next bridge is intact but nearly was taken out by a huge tree.
This old-growth giant missed the bridge by only about 50 feet or so - maybe less.
We nearly wussed out here but decided to press on:
Just before High Bridge we were presented with this. We opted to go high and bypass this section bushwhacking through the brush and trees. Way safer!
This was the stopper today. Too narrow, too icy and way too far to fall. We could see High Bridge and we can report it has survived.
Peder on the way back about to get his third shower for the day.
On the way back we met two young men hiking in at about the 1 1/2 mile mark and they were only wearing regular hiking boots. No spikes. I hope they survived.
7.4 miles, 7 hours, 38 minutes (!) 880' vertical =/-
-dn
BTW, on the way back I spotted a really nice looking knife in Sorenson Creek and picked it up. I googled the model and brand when I got home and found it cost more than most folks earn in a day! If anyone reading this lost a knife on the EC trail, describe it and I will get it back to you.
First let me say: Do not attempt this trail beyond the second set of cables-about 3/4 miles in. The going is relatively easy to that point but beyond is seriously dangerous. I mean seriously!! There is hardly a spot on the trail where you will not be badly injured should you fall and most places you simply would not survive. Period. We wished we had taken mountaineering crampon as our micro spikes barely got the job done. Ice axes would have helped too, but we foolishly left them behind thinking the snow and ice had melted back enough to make them unnecessary. Bad move, but, since you see I am writing this report, we made it.
That being said - we had a great day in the woods and enjoyed wonderful vistas of waterfalls, epic piles of snow and ice and great weather to boot. We also got one of the best workouts of our lives kicking steps 90% of the way and four off-trail jaunts to skirt really bad spots.
The EC trail will need a lot of work once the ice melts. A lot of mud and a few rocks have been pulled loose from the terrain above that will have to be shoveled off. A lot of branches litter the trail and about 20 large trees have fallen across the trail in the short 3.7 miles we hiked as far as High Bridge. There is only one place where there is a little damage to the actual trail tread and it is relatively minor.
Photos:
This was the "easy" part!
A huge tree had come down the slope here but luckily, it had kept going and did not block the trail.
Peder taking a shower. Beyond this, it got really sketchy.
We kicked really good steps along this section! This is where we met two other hikers - without spikes! Yipes!
This is the only spot we saw that will need some trail tread work: About a mile and half in.
The water was too fast and deep at Tish Creek so we opted for a work-around. We walked across one of the newly felled trees and went up and over to get around the problem.
It just got better and better the farther we went.
The next bridge is intact but nearly was taken out by a huge tree.
This old-growth giant missed the bridge by only about 50 feet or so - maybe less.
We nearly wussed out here but decided to press on:
Just before High Bridge we were presented with this. We opted to go high and bypass this section bushwhacking through the brush and trees. Way safer!
This was the stopper today. Too narrow, too icy and way too far to fall. We could see High Bridge and we can report it has survived.
Peder on the way back about to get his third shower for the day.
On the way back we met two young men hiking in at about the 1 1/2 mile mark and they were only wearing regular hiking boots. No spikes. I hope they survived.
7.4 miles, 7 hours, 38 minutes (!) 880' vertical =/-
-dn
BTW, on the way back I spotted a really nice looking knife in Sorenson Creek and picked it up. I googled the model and brand when I got home and found it cost more than most folks earn in a day! If anyone reading this lost a knife on the EC trail, describe it and I will get it back to you.