[KarlK]

I've long had the recurring thought that it would be interesting to see Big Beaver Creek in flood stage, and the thought recurred yet again this past Friday. Given the soggy penalties involved in such a venture, I fought the thought, but the thought won. The hike up the West Bank trail on Saturday was an exercise in stubborn perserverance on account of the trail being a series of near knee-deep Cascade Slop slogs linked by myriad sections of ankle deep water flowing along the snow free sections. The many usually-minor streams flowing across the trail were relative torrents requiring shin deep committments to forward progress. The snow sections deepend as I got further in, and a trip that would normally take two hours required three and a half. Big Beaver Creek turned out to be pretty unspectacular vis-a-vis the flood stage thing. Does this mean I'll have to go back soon? Probably, if it keeps raining at the pace promised by Cliff Mass.

Big Beaver Bridge, 02.04.18

Big Beaver Creek (Not Flooding, Dadgummit), 02.04.18

Pierce Creek Falls, 02.04.18

Camp Soggy Bottom, 02.03.18

View From Camp Soggy Bottom, 02.03.18

Looking N to Rainbow Point, 02.04.18

Lotsa Slop on West Bank Trail Near Pierce Mtn Junction, 02.04.18

Ross Dam With Water Level at Minus 45', 02.04.18

[puzzlr]

Ross Lake updates are way more interesting than Cable Line minutiae. You must really like that place. Thanks for the report.

[KarlK]

Yeah puzzlr, I've got a thing for Ross Lake dating back to extended fishing trips in the 1960s. I would probably make a good tour guide for the place: "Now ladies and gentlemen, if you look to our right you'll see the boat-in campsite named for John McMillan, the pioneer who came to prominence in the 1880s as a result of his participation in the Ruby Creek gold rush, and his sprawling ranch near the mouth of the Big Beaver Creek across the lake to our left. Less well known, however, is that John abandoned his indian wife and their children when he returned from an extended trip to Everett with a replacement wife in tow, one Emma Love".