DESTINATION Big Creek Trail #11 1 Photoset
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| Hiking | 19.91 Miles |
2,921 AEG |
| | Hiking | 19.91 Miles | 8 Hrs | | 2.57 mph |
| 2,921 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Carrie took a day off of hiking with the pup and went to Missoula while I hiked the Big Creek Trail to Big Lake. This was a superb hike. The trail was in excellent condition, the lake was a worthy destination and I really enjoyed the large section of old growth forest that the trail passed through.
The big Creek Trail was quick and in great shape. It even had several bridges along the way. The reason for the excellent trail conditions can be attributed to the fact that Big Lake is one of the handful of remaining lakes in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness that still has an operation dam at its end to meet the water needs of the otherwise arid Bitterroot valley. During the late 1800s, 50 dams were built on various Bitterroot lakes to slow their runoff and hold a little extra water for the dry summers. Currently, there are about 15 of these dams still being maintained and used. Some consist of simple earth or rock damns, while others, like Big Lake for example, are made of concrete and a little more elaborate. I thought the dams were going to bother me, but they are only at the outlet streams and its pretty easy to ignore them.
The scenery along Big Creek was excellent. First there was "Tipee" rock which was a little unspectacular and then a nice section along the creek. From the creek you entered an old growth forest that contained some very large firs, cedars and ponderosa. After that, there was a pretty scenic climb to the lake and the lake itself which was huge and very scenic, complete with a waterfall pouring down its far shore. There was also a nice waterfall on the outlet stream as well. I was keeping to a schedule so I did not spend a lot of time at the lake, but I left pretty impressed and kind of regretting that I did not do the Big Creek, Bear Creek Loop as one of my backpacks, no worries though, that loop will be there next year. It was a quick and uneventful hike back, but I did slow it down for the old growth forest, maybe one of best wooded sections of trail that I have done in a long time, if not ever. |
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