Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

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kepPNW
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Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

Post by kepPNW » December 1st, 2013, 4:59 pm

Needed to walk off the turkey, and didn't have too many inspiring ideas. Not sure how this comes to be, but it seems that often when I have that mental block, I tend to end up at Eagle Creek. It was a nice day for that trail. Arrived about 8:30, needed to be back to the trailhead by around 3:00. Had some fun watching the salmon down by the suspension bridge before heading up the trail. Hoped to find some cool ice, and wasn't disappointed. :)


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Spawned Out. No idea how this guy ended up in a tree! Dropped by a bird, maybe?


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Dippers (I believe?) were busy scavenging underwater.


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Lots of salmon struggling to make any headway at all, despite the nearly slack water.


I was virtually alone on the way in. I think there were three, maybe four, other cars at the trailhead. Just a glorious way to start Black Friday!

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New sign (top)? Looks like they really aren't very interested in saving anymore diving fools.


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I'd hoped to see some of the ice Guy reported last weekend. It was everywhere that was wet!


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An extremely heavy frost left some areas looking like it'd snowed overnight.


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Icicles came in all shapes and sizes.


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The build-up along the trail took on all sorts of interesting forms.


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Maybe an under-appreciated view of Highbridge Falls? One of my favorites.


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I'd never found this viewpoint of Skoonichuck Falls before, either. Didn't even realize it was a double-drop. Lovely!


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Unbelievable ice buildup on the wispiest of grass tufts.


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Awesome icicles. In many places, they grew to 4-6 feet long!


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Below the icicles, ice stalagmites.


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Most dramatic ice was probably just above 4.5 mile bridge.


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Here, an entire hillside was draped in icicles!


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Perhaps a better notion of scale? Huge icicles over the Potholes.


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Worst walking all day, at bend just past Tunnel Falls. Never did feel the need to put on the spikes, though.


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Getting past Twister Falls required a bit of careful attention as well!


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I got to 7.5 mile camp around 12:15. Since I wanted to be back at the jeep by 3-ish, I decided this would be a fine turnaround point. Stopped for a few minutes to dig into my pack for the first time, to fish out a sandwich. Pretty much just "marched" back to the trailhead from here. Very few stops. As I went downhill, an ever-increasing number of jeans-clad folks were slowly coming up. Probably saw a dozen before 4.5 mile bridge, and by the time I was below Punchbowl I was passing that many each half mile.

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Lots of ferns gave of themselves for someone to rest marginally better one night here.


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I did still "pull over" for unusual ice formations. How much can a single grass strand hold?


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I do enjoy this view down over the top of Twister Falls.


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The Vertigo Mile section was totally ice free.


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Surprisingly little ice immediately around Tunnel Falls, too!


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Cave Spiders! :lol:


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Back at the trailhead, the salmon are still trying hard to do what they gotta do.


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I watched this guy (attempt to) swim upstream for maybe three minutes. He lost about two feet for this efforts.


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These guys were incredibly busy, still. What fun they were to watch!

All in all, I guess I did about 16 fun miles, every one of them quite enjoyable. It was a positively excellent way to spend Black Friday!
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

pdxgene
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Re: Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

Post by pdxgene » December 1st, 2013, 5:32 pm

That hillside of icicles is amazing!

raftingdog
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Re: Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

Post by raftingdog » December 1st, 2013, 6:39 pm

great photos and report....I think salmon was thrown by hatchery....they want to return to area the salmon for plants and animals....trail looks way slippery for this old guy

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Sean Thomas
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Re: Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

Post by Sean Thomas » December 1st, 2013, 7:12 pm

Looks nice up there, Karl. How lucky are to we live in a place where a mental block can land one in such a beautiful place? :)


Looks like the fish are doing really well this year too:


http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/sep/ ... bia-river/

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Get Out Backpacking
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Re: Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

Post by Get Out Backpacking » December 1st, 2013, 10:14 pm

Great icicle shots!

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Splintercat
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Re: Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

Post by Splintercat » December 1st, 2013, 10:56 pm

Worst walking all day, at bend just past Tunnel Falls. Never did feel the need to put on the spikes, though.
Hmm.... yep, I'm wearing CRAMPONS for that...! :lol:

Nice post & photos, Karl!

Tom :)

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romann
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Re: Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

Post by romann » December 1st, 2013, 11:40 pm

Great icicle shots! At least it wasn't icy on the trail around Tunnel Falls? It's interesting how the same trail can be so different time after time hiking it (not only Eagle Creek, almost any trail).

The person who spent so much time tearing the ferns for shelter needs to learn about sleeping pads :?

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kepPNW
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Re: Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

Post by kepPNW » December 2nd, 2013, 6:36 am

Thanks for all the kind words! :)
raftingdog wrote:I think salmon was thrown by hatchery....they want to return to area the salmon for plants and animals....
Wow, really? That I wouldn't have guessed. I didn't mention it above, but there was also a definite "dead fish" smell alongside that lower stretch of stream!
Sean Thomas wrote:Looks like the fish are doing really well this year too
That's very good news, indeed, Sean! I hadn't caught wind of that. I hear you, too, on how blessed we are to live in such a place. To be able to do that, and be home well before dinner is astounding. (I've heard from folks who don't live here, that think those photos are from a place that hobbits roam! :lol:)
Splintercat wrote:Hmm.... yep, I'm wearing CRAMPONS for that...! :lol:
:) I did run into one pair of women who were sharing a set of yaktraks (didn't ask), but it really wasn't quite as bad as it looked. Paying attention almost always turned up a solid (or at least ice-rubble) foot spot.
romann wrote:At least it wasn't icy on the trail around Tunnel Falls? It's interesting how the same trail can be so different time after time hiking it (not only Eagle Creek, almost any trail).
True. Not sure why there was so little right around Tunnel, but that was okay by me. I walked through there carrying the camera in one hand and poles in the other, trying to get some movie footage. (Haven't gotten around to stitching it all together yet.)
romann wrote:The person who spent so much time tearing the ferns for shelter needs to learn about sleeping pads :?
This sight was rather disturbing to me, as well. I mean, I know they'll grow back. But that's an incredibly heavily used area, and if everyone going up there pulled a stunt like this... Wow! Ignorance on parade! :evil:
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

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drm
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Re: Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

Post by drm » December 2nd, 2013, 9:42 am

As to the ice chunks started by a single blade of grass, once it gets going, whether it started with the grass, or pure ice (of which there also were many) may not matter. But it also shows that in nature, the tiniest thing of almost no consequence can really trigger something much bigger - that completely outgrows any influence from the thing that started it.

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Grannyhiker
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Re: Icy Eagle Creek, 29-Nov-2013

Post by Grannyhiker » December 2nd, 2013, 5:33 pm

Glad to see that they now have a written version of the "Dogs on Leash Only" sign, not just the picture of a dog on a leash!

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