My daughter and I hiked this trail (my second time, her first), looking for a trail that has some length and not many other hikers. If that is what you are looking for, try it.
Access is easy and the Middle Fork road there is beautiful. Mileage is correct too about 7.4 miles from the 468th turnoff. We parked at the Oxbow Trail lot, which is bigger, has a privy and is just a about a tenth of a mile beyond the gate described in the WTA guide. It takes about a one mile walk to get from the car, around the gate and up the old road to get to the trailhead and about 3.5 miles to get from there to Brawling Creek. All told nine miles round trip for us and 4.5 hours including a long lunch at Brawling Creek. We saw just TWO other hikers the whole time! No dogs, bikes or horses either.
Its a pretty trail, very flat, with many great streams to cross and lots of varied terrain and flora to enjoy. We saw several frogs, a tadpole, three garter snakes, and ate lots of Salmon Berries. On a sunny day, eating lunch at Brawling Creek (with no others there) was a treat.
We do have a couple of ID requests out there if any of you can help.
1.We heard a loud deep huffing off in the distance, reminiscent of the howler monkeys at the zoo. What was that?
2. We saw animal sign, including these paw tracks. Bear?
3. What is this plant? Its aquatic, as you can see sometimes growing right in the stream.
Try this hike for a secluded, quiet, peaceful getaway.
Comments
Sounds like a perfect hike to get back into it.
The animal prints look like black bear tracks, based upon what I can tell.
Plant appears to be Petasites frigidus(L.)Fr. aka Arctic butterbur.
No clue on the noise other than perhaps the bear? I could be wrong on that. If you do not do so already, I strongly encourage you and your daughter to put a bell on your pack or your trek pole so that the animals are aware of you being in the area.
Posted by:
netzi85 on Jun 19, 2020 02:34 PM
I have not heard of putting on a bell but that sounds like a good (if slightly annoying as you are hiking?) idea. Thanks for the ID of the track and plant too.
Posted by:
M.J.B. on Jun 19, 2020 05:34 PM
Bells are annoying - so was a hiker I was following that would whoop and holler every hundred yards. If I'm in an area that might surprise a bear (thick brush near creek), I just tap my hiking poles together every couple hundred feet.
Kids got me a bear-bell - it's in the junk drawer.
Posted by:
mato on Sep 28, 2022 08:01 PM
In researching this mystery plant a bit further and based on your initial thought, I think it may be another variety of that same plant species: Petasites palmatus or Palmate Coltsfoot also called Japanese Butterbur. This variety is more common to our area than the Arctic Butterbur and additionally has these shape of leaves and are not as coarsely shaped as the frigidus variety.
My thought...
Posted by:
M.J.B. on Jun 20, 2020 09:06 AM
Sounds like a perfect hike to get back into it.
The animal prints look like black bear tracks, based upon what I can tell.
Plant appears to be Petasites frigidus(L.)Fr. aka Arctic butterbur.
No clue on the noise other than perhaps the bear? I could be wrong on that. If you do not do so already, I strongly encourage you and your daughter to put a bell on your pack or your trek pole so that the animals are aware of you being in the area.
Posted by:
netzi85 on Jun 19, 2020 02:35 PM
Last Saturday I saw a black bear just up the upper ccc road. The salmon berries was it’s interest, but luckily it shied away from me.
Posted by:
hunterofelk on Jun 19, 2020 06:31 PM