We decided to take a break from working on homestead projects this weekend to get out in the woods on an adventure. Snowshoeing was the original plan, but with all the rain making snow conditions less than ideal, we opted for hiking a favorite nearby trail, French Pete Creek. This trail was where we had gone on our first hike together when we began dating, so it seemed like a fitting getaway location to me.
All that rain I mentioned had made for some spectacular, lush moss up the French Pete Creek drainage. Walking through the bright green woods in the drizzling rain was just about as soothing and relaxing as it gets after a hectic week and working hard Friday snaking the drainage culvert under our driveway in the mud (which was a success, by the way, and worthy of celebration!)
All that rainfall also meant some spectacular hydrology to witness in the creek and it’s tributaries.
The creek was raging, and the sound of rushing water was both rejuvenating and exhilarating. Watching logs bounce around on the current, I was reminded just how powerful a force water is.
And all this volume of water meant spectacular waterfalls.
There are few places where the trail crosses the tributary streams, but this was still easy to accomplish with some rock hopping and minor wading in waterproof hiking boots.
One day I would be curious to follow a tributary up and see where it would take me. Sometimes it’s nice to get off the beaten path a little.
Aside from the beauty of flowing water, we also spied some other beauties, like the first Trillium of spring!
Another exciting find were these hedgehog mushrooms peeking up through the moss. We managed to picked just enough for the next morning’s breakfast omelet. I think I’ve told this story before in a blog post, but on our first hike together, here at French Pete Creek, I was surprised when I found a patch of magnificent White Chanterelles
growing along the trail in the thick moss even though it was wintertime.
He ran back to the car to get a bag we could fill with them, and as we
gathered them up, I remarked, “What can I say, the mushrooms love me!”
His reply to this was, “Then I must be a mushroom!”
growing along the trail in the thick moss even though it was wintertime.
He ran back to the car to get a bag we could fill with them, and as we
gathered them up, I remarked, “What can I say, the mushrooms love me!”
His reply to this was, “Then I must be a mushroom!”
It’s always a good feeling to get out in nature and unwind a little, and even better to share it with someone you love.
The French Pete Creek Trail is a versatile one, and makes for a great hike almost year round depending on snow levels. I would recommend it for an afternoon jaunt, with kids or without, in solitude or with a buddy, and even for a longer summer or fall backpacking excursion if you cross the river where the old bridge is washed out and follow the river or the old trail beyond. With the ease of the trail, and the nice campsites along the creek not far in at all, this would be a great spot to take kids on an easy overnight backpacking trip or just take yourself on a quick backpacking getaway.
Here is a link to the USFS website:
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