Hiking up James Creek

Today started out foggy here in the valley, but you could see blue skies above, so I knew it was going to be a nice day for a hike with the dogs. Yesterday we walked down the Chiwawa River snowbanks to the Phelps Creek campground, the snow is hardpacked enough you don't need snowshoes or have to worry about punching through and post holing. These are the conditions usually not seen until late Mar, early April after the snow basically has stopped falling but before the melt out. It's the time to go snowmobiling and not have to worry about getting stuck, you can go up hills and all normally impassable because the snow snow is so soft and deep POW.
Once we stared out we walked up the river until we found an area to cross on snow, not a downed tree and then we walked as far up the west side of the river as far as we could without going up the mountain just yet. The dogs had a great time chasing snowshoe hares, squirrels, and the martens across the snow. Since last Easter when some friends and I hiked up there in white out conditions so they could ski while walking the ridge above the creek and looking down on the creek I've wanted to hike it. It is almost impossible in the summer because of the mountain alder being so thick only deer and small creatures and my dogs can get around through it, I haven't tried but know those that have to their painful regret.


Today was perfect but almost dangerous, it was 18 when we started out, the hoar frost looked like diamonds, you could see how high the river had been running because of the mud on the ice & snowbanks, and the alder were buried and held down by the hard packed snow that is almost ice due to wet snow and rain last week and the 20 degree temp swings each day, warming to 40 and down to 18-20 overnight. I didn't have to worry though I had my ice traction studs on , they are great best I've had or needed being here. Today though we walked up the creek from the bottom up either walking beside or right up the middle on the snowpack. We found several small snow sides not big but slides none the less and because they are basically frozen now made nice stairs for climbing up once we got to the bottom of the waterfall, the dogs and I investigated as much as felt safe. We actually were standing right below where Grant, Ivan & I took a breather last year just before they skied down, one of the slides was at 3 Dog Run which we named last year after the dogs took off and ran to the bottom and back up again. These are just a few of the photos to show how gorgeous it was there today, you can see more on the web album online. Today's hike was a blast temp was 25 when we returned 2 hours later, the snow was just starting to get soft enough to see where we had been. The only thing that would have made today better would have been to have someone to share it with.

We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too. Peace