Trail #715 - Pup Creek Falls

[Leia]

We took the 3.62 mile hike into the Pup Creek Falls yesterday.

First we stopped and bought a National Forest Pass for $20 as the websites all said that was required.

When we got there, the sign at the trailhead said they NO LONGER ACCEPT that pass. Now you have to pay a $5 day use pass. We had no change. We hung the pass in hopes that the rangers see our out of state plates and are understanding. Still, a part of me is expecting a ticket in the mail.

What a hike. I had read it was an 'easy' hike so just wore tennis shoes, left my hiking poles at home and carried in only one gatorade, one water and a bag of trail mix.

It was up hill. Both ways. Mind you we are not hikers by trade. We just walk trails here in Clark County and do short stints here and there - but in our opinion - some inclines were insanely steep and some trail portions were just loose rock/gravel along cliffs. Surely we took a wrong turn as this was NOT "easy".

We did enjoy some magical woods - shamrocks as big as my hand, ferns as tall as my face, and several smaller falls along the way.


Cell phone shot
View attachment 7259


Cell phone shot
View attachment 7260


We traversed three steep hills on the way in. The last one was so steep and long I told George, "This is the last one for me today" knowing we had to go back down and over them again and already feeling fatigue and wear on my ankles and knees. I suspect that was the 1000 foot gain/hill one site warned about.

On the other side of that 3rd hill, at 2 hours 10 minutes into our hike we decided "Just 10 more minutes and we head back". It was getting late and we didn't want to be heading back after sunset.

Then 9 minutes later we found the marker for our turn. I was so ecstatic (delirious) I kissed that pole!

Cell phone shot
View attachment 7258

Taking the turn in we could see the falls and found that the trail at the base of the falls was a MESS. Slip sliding away MESS. George landed on his backside and half way down a cliff but had grabbed a root that stopped him. VERY loose terrain on that hill side in the falls area. I (not being content to shoot where the deterioration started) had to hug and climb over a VERY large fat fallen log gripping for dear life. If George wasn't there, I would NOT have tried it as I could not touch toe to ground on both sides hugging it and sliding down would have been a quick descent into the rocky creek bed straight down.

I got the shots I wanted. Rested a few minutes then we headed back.

The hike back FELT longer, but was 22 minutes shorter.

TOTAL MILES: 7.2

SCENERY: Priceless

Low resolution
View attachment 7261

Got home and found more info on the trail. It is **NOT** rated an "easy" trail!! I KNEW IT!!! It is rated Moderate.

The beginning of the trail is fairly close to a camping area so does get some use. Within the first mile there is a fairly steep 800' climb and the number of hikers tapers rapidly. The remainder of the hike traverses a fairly steep incline between the Clackamas River and Fish Creek Mountain though the hike itself is fairly moderate

Here is the link: http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/Fish_Creek_6442.asp


Next time, I would carry two more waters, wear better ankle support (one site said they DON'T recommend rigid hiking boots on this trail due to the terrain), and bring my walking sticks. ALSO - next time I don't carry a full 15 pounds of camera equipment!

 

[Leia]

Here is another shot from my cell phone. This is to give you an idea on how some of the trail looks.

View attachment 7262

 

[JDueckPhoto]

That waterfall looks unique and what a hike.

 

[BobH]

The problem with the trail ratings is that they're written by people who hike trails every weekend! They love hiking and they're in great shape. I guess I'm getting old, but I seem to recall some of the trails up at Mt Rainer that were rated "easy" and have an elevation gain of 1,000 feet. Oh, and they start at 5,000 foot elevation, so for those of us who live at sea level, that's already a bit of extra challenge.

I was like "OK, if this is 'easy', rather than say 'moderate', what does 'challenging' look like?" Of course the ratings also vary from author to author, so once you have a feel for a certain book, you'll have a better idea of whether their idea of an easy morning stroll is a 7 mile hike up a mountain with full pack.

Also, there are other factors beside the physical challenge that enter into it. The Paradise trails pretty much all rank easy since the trail itself is in good shape (many are literally paved) and they are well marked. So while it takes some effort, you're less likely to get lost or have to hike up a crumbly trail on the side of a cliff. So I'm sure that's a factor.