With Val we had been trying to get our first backpack trip under our belts and after much deliberation, we chose to try Quartz Creek. Part of the decision was that we knew there was some lingering snow in other more accessible places and, being a long weekend those would be full. I did this route about a year ago and I did remember that it had its challenges but I also remembered that WTA had sent work crews to the area to work on the trail. I was expecting the trail to be easier than what it was. Our plan was to hike up the Quartz Creek trail all the way to the Dark Divide and loop around the Dark Meadow before coming back down following the French Creek trail but, since it was just the two of us, I left the plan open for changes. So Saturday morning after taking the cats and the dog to their respective weekend locations, we grabbed our gear and headed north. We started our hike at around noon but were pleasantly surprised to notice there was nobody else; we had the mountain to ourselves. Weather was a bit cold and overcast with a slight promise of rain but that didn’t stop us. The first couple of miles went by pretty fast and smooth until we got to Straight Creek, the first challenge of the weekend. The creek was running a bit higher than I remembered so getting to the log pile was not possible without getting our shoes wet. The next best thing was to just take our shoes off and ford the creek. At first the rushing cold water felt nice but then after several minutes, that turned into torture. With our feet almost numb we managed to cross the creek safely only to limp to a big log where we could sit, dry our toes and put our shoes back on. From that point on, the trail got a bit harder as we had to go up, under, around or on top of big downed trees. Then we got to Snagtooth Creek, the second big challenge. To cross this creek we actually went of trail to a huge log, we climbed on it and walked across. Yes, it sounds pretty easy until you stand on the log. We did make a judgment call after that whether to continue or find a campsite nearby. Since we still had the full route in mind, we continued on an even harder trail. We found plenty of blowdown and branches on the way that only slowed us down. We did see marks on the trees indicating that they will be cut, probably this year, so maybe next year the trail may be a bit easier. And then we found snow. It was totally unexpected and at lower elevation than we thought. It wasn’t much but finding snow before we got to the Quartz Creek crossing made us think that higher up the trail would be impassable. Late in the afternoon we finally got to Quartz Creek with the intention of crossing it on a log and setting up camp on the other side. At the very moment we were crossing it started raining which made us backup and try to find a spot nearby. After a short bushwhack we found a nice, flat and almost dry site under a huge tree that gave us some protection against the rain. It was a hard first day so after dinner we just hit the sack.
On day two, we woke up to a much drier day but still, looking at the snow all around us, we knew that there was no way we would continue up or even try to cross Quartz Creek, there was no point. We decided then to take it leisurely and head back down to camp somewhere in the middle. The hike was a lot more relaxed than the first day making plenty of stops for pictures and admiring our surroundings. Just before Snagtooth Creek, we took a detour following a faint user path to the lower Snagtooth Falls. This waterfall is tucked in the forest so there’s no clear view of almost 100’ drop. After admiring the area we explored a bit with the idea of maybe spending the night there. For a while we looked for a potential site but in the end, we opted for hiking a bit further down and staying at a lower site we had seen on the way up. I guess part of it was the fire pit… or the wood sofa in front of it. Either way it was a nice spot were Val and I had a nice fire and dinner.
The following morning we woke up to a yet warmer day. Crossing Snagtooth on the big log seemed a lot easier that the day before by mid morning we were already heading back to Straight Creek. This time though, instead of fording the creek, we bushwhacked a bit to a big log pile to cross. The first part went without a problem but then we found a gap to long to jump. Looking around, I saw a big, flat piece of wood so I took my pack off and slowly pushed the trunk in position to make a bridge. We crossed and then climbed the creek embankment. That last excitement of the day left our hearts pumping fast but then we were on the trail again. From there it was an easy stroll back out. Despite the challenges, it was a perfect weekend with my love…. And we’re both ready to do it again!
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