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| Hiking | 6.70 Miles |
1,183 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.70 Miles | 6 Hrs | | 1.12 mph |
| 1,183 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Note to Joe: I'm confused by the trail names: Horton Springs and Horton Creek. Is the closed road Horton Springs and the creekside trail--which is not complete all the way to the spring, the Horton Creek?
Mid-week I had gotten an email from my Phoenix hiking pal Mare about doing Horton Creek on Saturday. What a coincidence--I had planned to go there, too. I met up with her group at 8:15 to find a full parking lot with a huge group of folks with cameras. I turned back to park up along the road and by the time I walked back to the lot, the big group was gone, and Mare and her friends were just arriving.
We headed up to the trailhead--the campground is closed now so no unhappy host to deal with. We followed the creek trail at first, then joined up with the main trail at the first big camp area where we found a smoldering campfire in the ring and ALOT of backpacks and gear stashed in the area. Prominently displayed on the equipment was a Boy Scout leader's shirt: Troop 333. We poured water and mixed dirt in the fire ring, but the large partially burned logs smoldered on. I hoped I would run into these fools on the trail to give them a talkin' to. Great example to set for the boys..... Isn't this how the Wallow fire started??
The fall foliage was mixed--some of the lower trees have turned and lost their leaves, while others are just beginning to turn. The Virginia Creeper in the lower sections has turned; the sycamores are turning with some of them in their prime. Some of the maples are already gone, but others have a ways to go. The poison ivy was yellow.
I saw a few butterflies--a painted lady, a mourning cloak and some little yellow ones that didn't land for identification. There were lots of webworms in the trees.
The water in Horton is very high for this time of year. In fact, that's the highest water I've ever seen in it. As usual, it was a gusher at the springhead. I hiked the creek, then the main trail, then the creek, then you get the picture. It was really quite exhausting: backpack with all the camera gear on, backpack off. Tripod out, tripod extended, tripod packed back up. Camera on tripod, camera carried on tripod, camera settings on 1/6 second for the waterfalls, settings adjusted for non-waterfall pix. Filter on, filter off. Sequence repeated; fellow photographers will sympathize. This and Red Rock Crossing are the only places I will put myself through this rigamorole.
I got some pictures I'm happy with, and the torture was worth it. I did run into the Boy Scout Leader and gave him a piece of my mind, which is out of character for me. He said they had poured 8 bottles of water on the fire and stirred it.... NOT GOOD ENOUGH
The midday sun is just too harsh for Horton Creek photos despite filters. I packed up and was back to my car by 2:30. And despite the torture, I'll probably go back next weekend when I think the colors will be better.  |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
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Horton Spring |
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Gallon + per minute |
| | | It's a gusher! | | _____________________
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