Trip Notes

It was an amazing day at Deep Creek. The weather was perfect for hiking, low 80s, light breeze, and mostly sunshine. We arrived mid morning. Rose had to leave around 2 to get to a conference, but Skit stayed until about 5:30 or when a light, short rain (really just refreshing sprinkles) started to fall. So between us we got in most of the day.

On the hike down we only passed two groups coming up. We did see fresh graffiti in three places (boo!), but very little trash. The “middle” trail from the trailhead has some rough spots and large grooves toward the bottom, probably due to the winter rains. But it is manageable. The goat trail is in great shape. In fact, the tough rocky spot that was so hard to pass has been improved—looks like someone worked on creating steps where we used to have to almost slide down the small patch.

The crowd on Saturday was relatively small for a weekend—maybe 60 to 70 people, mostly folks who had come in from Bowen Ranch or the Campgrounds. Very few from the Bradford Ridge trail, as far as we could tell.

The winter storms have filled the waterways and the water level is still high—probably five feet at its shallowest but mostly over our heads. To get across the creek, someone has brought in a two-person inflatable boat. A rope mechanism is secured to the boat and both sides of the creek. We simply sat in the boat and pulled the ropes to get across the creek to the pools.

On this particular Saturday there were more females than males (including one large group of seven or eight college coeds), and we saw only two families with children. The families mostly stayed on the trail side of the creek, though the beach there has almost disappeared.

We didn’t see any of the regulars we know or anyone cleaning the creek or pools, but the pools seemed clear enough. (Someone may have been there when we hiked up creek for awhile, but we didn’t see the cleaners as we have in the past.) Oh, and the stone footbridge is completely under water right now.

In the pools, a good number of people (maybe half) went topless or naked. The vibe was extremely peaceful and respectful. Lots of friendly conversations. No gawkers and no loud music. Even the geese in the creek calmly tarried.

As I (Skit) drove down Bowen Ranch Road my way home I noticed that the road is smoother—seems that the few large rock patches are either covered with dirt or have been graded. Didn’t have to dodge them to avoid damaging my truck. Seems Bowen Ranch Road is more passable than ever.

This was the perfect Saturday at Deep Creek—like it was in days gone by. Families and big crowds will likely pack the place next weekend. But there is still hope that Deep Creek can remain an amazing retreat into nature, with a peaceful, inviting vibe.