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Hiking | 14.00 Miles |
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| Hiking | 14.00 Miles | 9 Hrs 30 Mns | | 1.75 mph |
| 1 Hour 30 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Previously, came down Gold Ridge on the loop from Deer Creek. Going up was quite different. Trail is well marked and decent. Still covered with hard packed snow in areas. I came down the South Fork Deer Creek trail. It's a tough trail to pick up from Pigeon Springs. I didn't see any cairns or trails, although the snow was about 6 inches deep. I just headed down the ridge line to the creek and after a while a random cairn appears after what seemed like an hour or so. I think I spotted about 2 while in the creek. If you don't spot any, just stay in the creek. The brush is thick and sharp and many trees are down. I can't recall seeing a trail along the banks. I must have fallen hard several times as the brush and slippery rocks are tough obstacles after jelly legs from the Gold Ridge and trying to book it for a single day hike. I think canyoneering shoes would serve you best. There are some steep rocks and ledges to scale down. Again, not sure if I was on trail or not, so hiked the majority in the creek itself. About halfway down the Creek, frequent cairns and yellow ribbons appear and the footing gets better. The final 2 miles or so finally get you out of hell onto a visible trail. Plenty of water available. Overall, would be tough navigation coming starting the trail from the Deer Creek headed toward Pigeon Springs.
On a side note, there was a strange setup towards the middle along the trail under a tree. Looked like a bootlegging camp with a tent and garbage everwhere. Bunch of spray cans like someone was huffing. Look abandoned but saw a rifle/bb gun and clothes hanging, so I just minded my own business and made double time away from there.
Also, thanks to whoever put up the yellow ribbons along that portion of the Creek. I would have like to have contributed some cairns at the end but had no clue if I was on or off trail. |
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