[Sore Feet]

I'm sure there are a few people out there who are more than interested in what happened along Van Trump Creek after last year's debris flows. Well, you'll have to wait a week or two for my pictures to come back (still in the camera, didn't get to finish the roll) So, you'll just have to live with the text for now. Weather was perfect, clear enough for great views of the mountain, yet enough clouds that my pictures ought to be pretty good (knock on wood). Just enough wind to keep the bugs away (not that there were many in the first place), and temperatures of around 65-70 degrees. Couldn't have asked for anything better. Vitals for the trail, in case someone out there doesn't know, 1.8 miles to Comet Falls, 1400 feet gain, another mile and 700' to Van Trump Park (bridge is still out above the falls). From the parking lot, the trail climbs quickly to get above the top of Christine Falls, and crosses Van Trump Creek about 1/4 mile from the trailhead. This is where you'll first see the damage. Actually, not much was disturbed here. The flows ripped out some of the foliage around the gorge, and gave the bedrock and the gorge walls a good scrubbin', leaving them free of dirt, bushes, etc, and opened up the views of a pair of small waterfalls. After crossing the trail starts the steady climb. Just beyond the bridge, you can scramble out to the creek to see piles 'o rocks and dirt left along the banks (though there are better places to observe the destruction). At 1/2 mile, the trail swings around a sharp bend in the creek at a shallow slot gorge, which was previously very difficult to see. Thanks to the flow, the gorge is fully visible now, both upstream and downstream, studded with 5-15 foot waterfalls (the creek is really a big long waterfall with occasional gravel bars ). Views downstream are great from on the trail, looking upstream is a little trickier without scrambling a few feet off trail. Around 3/4 mile, the trail is climbing above the gorge containing Lower Van Trump Falls, which is, unless you possess a strong pair of wings, 150% impossible to see. Not terribly much evidence of the flows in the gorge, though I'm sure that if you could actually see the gorge, it would be scoured out, just like everything else. 1 mile puts you at the brief flat(er) spot in the valley where the creek is calmer. Parts of the hillside on the far side of the creek have slid into the stream, but not too much evidence of blockage was visible (likely washed away). 1 1/4 miles is Middle Van Trump Falls (page). This is where stuff starts to get cool. The lower half of the falls can easily be seen from the trail through the trees. I was able to get a good picture of the top half (of the lower part of the falls) before the flows, but the streambed below the falls (picture looking downstream after the flows) was too wide to get an adequate picture without fording. However, now, there is a massive pile of rocks and sand and silt at the base of the falls, which works perfectly as a viewing platform (scrambling down to it is an entirely different question). While the lower half of the falls had serious evidence of the flows, the upper half (much less often seen by people), aside from the scoured streambed above the falls' brink, didn't appear to be too effected. Though, not having seen the upper half before, I can't say for sure. (pictures of all of this coming). 1 1/2 miles is Falls Creek and Bloucher Falls (page). Flows did not come down Falls Creek, so it's still in pristine condition for photo studies. Just below the Falls Creek bridge is the confluence of Falls and Van Trump Creeks, in the form of a pair of small falls. The falls on Van Trump Creek (before - not my picture), which was formerly rather photogenic, was drastically altered (this was the only thing I could see that was physically changed). I'll post before and after pictures when I get the roll developed. Comet (page) comes into view just past Falls Creek, though the base of the falls is another .1 - .2 mile (which is a little short of the 1.8 miles given on the milage signs at the trailhead). The falls themselves look normal and impressive as ever. However, studying the surrounding landscape would reveal the thick mud caked onto trees near the creek, dead, splintered branches which have had their leaves ripped clear off, looking like a mini version of Mt. St. Helens, the heavily scoured streambed (which doesn't have the nice glacial blue tint to it anymore), banks which were undercut and slid into the creek, etc. It certainly wasn't as destructive as I thought it would be (I though for sure a section of the trail would have been washed out), but I guess that's for the better, cause it's all so gorgeous up there, I'd really hate to see any (more) of it destroyed.

[Otter]

sounds great.. looing forward to the pics

[Sore Feet]

*bump* (see original post for pics)