Forum Index > Trip Reports > Racehorse Falls & Canyon Lk Crk Forest 5/14/06 (2009 update)
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yew
non-technical



Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 1173 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellingham
yew
non-technical
PostMon May 15, 2006 8:29 am 
The drive to Racehorse Falls is easier than I thought since it's on the edge of Slide Mountain State Forest near Welcome Valley which is east of Deming, off the Mosquito Lake Road. The trail to the falls itself is narrow, muddy, windy and had to step over many obstacles but it was fun. Really needless to say, Racehorse Falls and the creek is beautiful.
After that we tried to continue on the logging road to tie in with the road that runs up to Canyon Lk Crk Community Forest. The road was blocked by boulders and a gate at the boundary between private timber company land and DNR land. Some boulders were pushed to the side and the gate was open, only wide enough for an ATV. So, we detoured down to Mosquito Lake Road and turned left up the road going to Canyon Crk Lake, following the signs. When driving through this area I've always noticed the large, bulging rock outcrops on the tops of some of the ridges and have always wanted to find a way up to these unknown peaks. Here is a photo
I looked them up on http://terraserver.microsoft.com and they don't have a name. After getting a good look at them, I think the best route would be to bushwhack up the ridge from the log landing on the steep clearcut on the northeast side. They are on private timber company land and do not have a name. The view from up there must be very nice and the rock looks impressive. I think Canyon Creek Lake Community Forest is managed by Whatcom County. 4 cars in the parkign lot. There's a big white and red sign at the parking lot. Boy, are there alot of rules! Apparently, not many of them are obeyed by the visiting public. No Pets, No mountain bikes, No fires and many other restrictions. We locked our dogs in the car then started walking. We saw mountain bike tracks on the road that runs around the north side of the lake, a new fire pit on the other side (right under the No Fires sign), and a couple with a dog right on the lake. I don't know if Canyon Crk Lake is a natural lake. The forest along the north side of the lake is second growth. There's some nice unmanaged silver fir forest on the northeast side close to the parking lot. The palm fossil is amazing!
How mind boggling to run your hand over it and ponder that that image was pressed by a plant many millions of years ago! Is it part of the Chuckanut Formation? Here's the lake
Then had to go home and go to work. waah.gif

"I aint jokin woman, I got to ramble...We gonna go walkin through the park every day." - Led Zeppelin
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yew
non-technical



Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 1173 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellingham
yew
non-technical
PostMon May 22, 2006 1:13 am 
paddling it
Paddled it this time. There are 2 nice waterfalls on the south side of the lake. One is high up on the hill. Another is down low next to the lake.
Cool to see skunk cabbage and cedar trees sprouting up out of the top of stumps in the water.
The creeks that feed the lake are brown and putting alot of sediment into the lake. Much snow is melting above the lake. Eventually the upper end of the lake will fill in and change from a wetland to a meadow and finally to forest a long time from now.

"I aint jokin woman, I got to ramble...We gonna go walkin through the park every day." - Led Zeppelin
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore



Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 14152 | TRs | Pics
Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
PostTue May 23, 2006 10:44 pm 
Thanks for linking this TR to the other Cyn Lake TR, Yew. I missed it when it was first posted. Cool fossils! I read about the frond fossils years ago in the quarterly Washington state geological whatever publication. I can't remember what-all it said - I'll have to see if I can find it.

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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yew
non-technical



Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 1173 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellingham
yew
non-technical
PostWed May 24, 2006 10:05 am 
fossils at Canyon Crk Lk
I hear there are more fossils on the old road and trail around the lake and did a little research on them. http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~share/geology.html has a nice drawing of the Chukanut Formation with other formations but http://wvcweb.ctc.edu/rdawes/VirtualFieldSites/Chuckanut/VFSChuckanut.html has the best info.. Also discovered http://www.whatcomlandtrust.org/default.php?project#51 , Whatcom Land Trust, thanks to natural_being's TR. I did not know such a group existed before that TR. Also learned Trust for Public Land helped purchase Canyon Crk Lk Community Forest (http://www.tpl.org). They do good work too. Whatcom Land Trust rules! I'll think I'll make a donation.

"I aint jokin woman, I got to ramble...We gonna go walkin through the park every day." - Led Zeppelin
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yew
non-technical



Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 1173 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellingham
yew
non-technical
PostThu Jun 18, 2009 10:00 pm 
6/18/09 2008 Racehorse Falls and area TR In early January 2009 there were a lot of extreme landslides and creek blowouts caused by warm rain hitting a few weeks worth of snowpack. The flooding around Deming, Bellingham, Ferndale and elsewhere was pretty bad. http://www.flickr.com/photos/wadger/sets/72157612580595358/ Of course, it wrecked havoc in the mountains too. The road to Canyon Creek Lake Community Forest is still washed out, again. After checking out FR 3122 now a trail near Glacier, WA and shopping at Jenjen's joint in Maple Falls, I checked out Racehorse Falls to see what it's like. Here's upstream and from the air, courtesy of Washington Dept of Geology and Earth Resources.
South of Kendall, WA
South of Kendall, WA
The landslide scoured out much of the creek's canyon. It was pretty weird to see. That's some drastic environmental change!
where the old trail to Racehorse Falls used to be
where the old trail to Racehorse Falls used to be
looking downstream from Racehorse Falls after the Big Blowout
looking downstream from Racehorse Falls after the Big Blowout
Racehorse Falls after the Big Blowout
Racehorse Falls after the Big Blowout
Racehorse Falls after the Big Blowout
Racehorse Falls after the Big Blowout
The falls is easier to access now. The Big Blowout even scoured the moss off the rocks. It looks like a glacier stream river valley now. It'll grow back in and get thick and green like it used to be. Racehorse Creek's water is not as clear and clean as it used to be. A little suspended sediment is still apparent. After this quick detour to Racehorse Falls, it was up the hill to Slide Mountain's higher elevations.

"I aint jokin woman, I got to ramble...We gonna go walkin through the park every day." - Led Zeppelin
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Karen²
A Real Canadian Girl



Joined: 25 Jul 2002
Posts: 1367 | TRs | Pics
Location: Behind the Lens
Karen²
A Real Canadian Girl
PostFri Jun 19, 2009 8:03 am 
eek.gif WOW! I remember that waterfall being lush and green and everything around it slick with moss. What a change. Thanks for posting yew.

I leave only footprints...and lens caps. http://weekendswithmarmots.zenfolio.com
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