Duncan Creek 12-13-18
Posted: December 16th, 2018, 12:43 pm
I headed out to Skamania, Washington, for this short excursion on a balmy day that alternated clouds with wintry sunshine. Since I have a Discover Pass, I parked at the Nellie Corser Trailhead (The Nellie Corser Unit is part of the sprawling 15-unit Mount Saint Helens Wildlife Area). There is a cute notice from Sherman, the yellow lab, at the trailhead prevailing upon visitors to tolerate his friendly ways and not take him to the pound, but Sherman was not in evidence. According to a canyoneer site, another bored domestic critter, Francisco the rooster, also haunts the same spot hoping for some human contact and affection.
I hiked up Nellie’s “driveway” under old-growth Douglas-firs and came to the site of the Corser dwelling, where a most impressive English holly marks the spot. Not much is known about Nellie Corser, but she passed away in 1968, 18 years after her husband, and both are buried at River View Cemetery in Portland. Then I got to the East Fork of Duncan Creek and took the upper spur to admire the upper tiers of the Nellie Corser Cascades and the steel steps and mount for the waterwheel that serviced a pipe that leads to the homestead. I did not make the ford to reach the west side of the creek, but instead hiked down to admire more of the Cascades. There is a little patch of private property where the creek splits very picturesquely at Duncan Creek Falls, but the only No Trespassing sign is painted at a boulder at the road entrance to a campsite at the confluence of the two forks of Duncan Creek. There is a work around trail that stays on state land from Duncan Creek Falls out the road.
I crossed the road bridge over Duncan Creek and went around the crash barrier to pick up a trail that leads up Duncan Creek. I split off and headed up to the bluff above the West Fork and then down between two cedars and some devil’s club to cross the West Fork on a makeshift footbridge. From there, I followed the trail up to more views of the Nellie Corser Cascades on the East Fork. Unfortunately, the 50 acres just north of the Nellie Corser Unit was clearcut in 2017, and this is just across the East Fork Duncan Creek. More waterfalls soon appeared, however – a series of cascades I took to be Lower Quad Falls and then a short spur to get a gander at Quad Falls spilling through a narrow ravine.
Heading up from here, the creek is rather quiet, and you pass into Good’s Woods. These 50 acres, which straddle the creek, were donated to the Friends of the Gorge Land Trust this year in honor of Vern and Virginia Good, the previous owners. A stipulation of the transfer was that the land never be logged. The Friends Land Trust has markers on trees at the boundaries of the property. I passed where the Russ Jolley Trail to Cynthia Falls/Archer Mountain spins off to the west and went creekside to get a good look at Apron Falls, now in very decent spate. Then it was up to the Longview Timberlands clearcut, logging road, and the view from the railcar bridge over the brink of Railcar Falls. I did take the side trip to see the upper tier of Railcar Falls, but forgot to take pictures, so lower down below the clearcut I attempted a brushy bushwhack but had neglected to bring along the right gloves – the ones I had were not salmonberry/devil’s club-proof!
Once back down at Duncan Creek Road, I hiked up to the Nellie Corser Trailhead hoping to run into Sherman and Francisco, but they were nowhere to be found.
I hiked up Nellie’s “driveway” under old-growth Douglas-firs and came to the site of the Corser dwelling, where a most impressive English holly marks the spot. Not much is known about Nellie Corser, but she passed away in 1968, 18 years after her husband, and both are buried at River View Cemetery in Portland. Then I got to the East Fork of Duncan Creek and took the upper spur to admire the upper tiers of the Nellie Corser Cascades and the steel steps and mount for the waterwheel that serviced a pipe that leads to the homestead. I did not make the ford to reach the west side of the creek, but instead hiked down to admire more of the Cascades. There is a little patch of private property where the creek splits very picturesquely at Duncan Creek Falls, but the only No Trespassing sign is painted at a boulder at the road entrance to a campsite at the confluence of the two forks of Duncan Creek. There is a work around trail that stays on state land from Duncan Creek Falls out the road.
I crossed the road bridge over Duncan Creek and went around the crash barrier to pick up a trail that leads up Duncan Creek. I split off and headed up to the bluff above the West Fork and then down between two cedars and some devil’s club to cross the West Fork on a makeshift footbridge. From there, I followed the trail up to more views of the Nellie Corser Cascades on the East Fork. Unfortunately, the 50 acres just north of the Nellie Corser Unit was clearcut in 2017, and this is just across the East Fork Duncan Creek. More waterfalls soon appeared, however – a series of cascades I took to be Lower Quad Falls and then a short spur to get a gander at Quad Falls spilling through a narrow ravine.
Heading up from here, the creek is rather quiet, and you pass into Good’s Woods. These 50 acres, which straddle the creek, were donated to the Friends of the Gorge Land Trust this year in honor of Vern and Virginia Good, the previous owners. A stipulation of the transfer was that the land never be logged. The Friends Land Trust has markers on trees at the boundaries of the property. I passed where the Russ Jolley Trail to Cynthia Falls/Archer Mountain spins off to the west and went creekside to get a good look at Apron Falls, now in very decent spate. Then it was up to the Longview Timberlands clearcut, logging road, and the view from the railcar bridge over the brink of Railcar Falls. I did take the side trip to see the upper tier of Railcar Falls, but forgot to take pictures, so lower down below the clearcut I attempted a brushy bushwhack but had neglected to bring along the right gloves – the ones I had were not salmonberry/devil’s club-proof!
Once back down at Duncan Creek Road, I hiked up to the Nellie Corser Trailhead hoping to run into Sherman and Francisco, but they were nowhere to be found.