Hiking Journal

hedge creek falls

After endless weeks of wind and rain I woke up to a strange silence — there was no wind or rain beating against the house... and it was sunny, so I drove down to Hedge Creek to see how the falls looked like after the most rain we've had in years. There was even more water than I imagined, and I wasn't able to walk around the back of the falls without getting soaked by the spray.

sulphur creek

Continuing my quest to see creeks as they are supposed to look (i.e. with lots of water in them), I hiked up along the lower part of Sulphur Creek. On the drive over I noticed that Castle Creek was up and green, but Sulphur Creek was clear with the aroma of sulphur permeating everything nearby. It was a great day for a hike, and it was nice to actually hear the creek again, as well as to see and smell it.

pluto's cave

With the weather switching back to rain again it looked like an underground hike would be better than an overground one, so I drove out to Pluto's Cave. The almost overpowering smell of bat/bird/rodent urine was gone, and I had the place to myself. Being alone, I didn't venture much farther than the beginning of the last section, but it was nice not to end up sharing the cave with hollering kids and people who shine their flashlight in your eyes while they're talking to you...

root creek

On a clear day so warm that I had to only bring three layers of clothing along I hiked up Root Creek to the beginning of the rocks. Mushrooms were beginning to show up, as well as some very healthy wild ginger. Last years yuck had been washed from the pools, and the creek looked great. The unending storms this winter have sure taken their toll on any trees with significant rot or the misfortune of growing in sub-standard soil — if you don't like stepping over zillions of fallen trees then cross-country hiking up the Root Creek canyon will not be something you'll want to do.