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when we get around to hiking to the paddy creek cache, this is what we have
to look forward to. it should take bruceS a couple of hours, it will take
me a couple of days. :-)
glenn
Well, we, (Jeepers2, Memphis & Galphoto) reached the trailhead at 8am. It was a dreary overcast day, with the threat of showers throughout. Temperature was about 38-39 degrees. As we were entering the forest, a truck stopped us by honking his horn repeatedly. The driver wanted to know is we knew that today was the first day of youth (11 & under)hunting. Galphoto wanted to know if they were hunting with bows or firearms....GUNS! I wanted to know if there was a parent/adult with them...SUPPOSE TO BE! He bid us good luck, be careful and if we saw anyone in orange to make alot of noise so we would not end up a statistic. Good advice. The trail does not let you warm up but gets right to the gritty with a hard up hill climb and just when you think the worst has come and gone the mountain arises in front of you. About 2 miles in just as we are breeching the top we loose the trail. Now there have been trees down across the trail throughout the hike and we managed to get around and back on the trail but this time the trail seemed to disappear. After doing some orienteering we make a heading and break through the underbrush to find the trail just where it was suppose to be. Back on the trail again we come across a nice little camp site. Further along just of trail, we come across an US Bearing Marker, bearings no longer readable on the markers. Finally seeing the yucca plants we realize we have found the first of two homesteads at a two trail junction. Here we drop our backs and go to work doing what we came out here to do. By this time it is maybe 45 degrees with a light rain falling. We don our rain ponchos and decide on how we want to precede. It is about 11am and we decide to head north. After about a mile hike we come to the Little Paddy Creek, we cross and find another campsite. We drop our packs, rain is still coming down lightly but steady. We manage to get a fire going in the fire pit, hard to do with it raining all morning but we succeed and roast hot dogs for lunch. The rain doesn't seem to be letting up so I suggested to cut across country following the creek and try to get out before we really start feeling the elements. We ate and studied the topo map and decided yes we could do this. GPS pionting the way to the car, Map and Compass in hand heading off in a NE direction. The going was alot easier then we thought. At one point Memphis refused to go in the direction we were heading, to the point that he wrapped his lead around my legs so that I could not go. We were, at the point, near the foot of a rock bluff with many nooks and crannies, any of a number of animals could have been lurking about, I don't know but I trusted his instinct and changed directions by crossing the creek. We continued our journey with several creek crossings but success met us when we came out just where I said we would...in the middle of the Paddy Creek Trail...we took the left branch that brought us to several beautiful overlooks we followed the trail then followed the GPS to our vehicle. 8.54 miles and 6 hours and 45 minutes later we walked out of the forest. Memphis was exhausted as well were the 2 legged adventurers. Great hike! It will be an awesome hunt!!!
~~~~~~~~ Glenn St. Louis, Mo
