Our first hike here of the season. We hike here often in summer and fall.

We frequently take off the main trail and go up into Hamblin Draw, a meadow area. The main South Fork creek is not safe to cross right now. I'm sure some hikers would do it, but it is flowing really fast.

The smaller creek in the photos is the one coming down from Hamblin Draw. Hamblin Draw is not listed on the map. Some people were calling it Melissa Springs, but the local rancher who has lived her entire life within 3 miles of it scoffed at that when I asked her about it.

During times of lower water it is an easy loop hike to go up Hamblin Draw and loop over the low divide via a very old logging road, and back to the main South Fork, which will land you well upstream, in the upper meadows near Joe Baca Draw. We didn't go that far, though.