Getting ready to cross Hurricane Creek
Hope these folks camping are not trying to sleep!!
Crossing Rock Creek
Even before we get started, Heidi and Elizebeth
begin climbing.....
Glad John Courtway is not here to see this....!
(We really do wish he was here to take care of
HIS daughter!!!!!)
Paula is suppose to be in charge of Heidi?
And I guess she was?
.JPG)
I have a feeling we are going to have to watch
these two today!
Us at the "Cookie Monster Rock"
First hill to climb....
New rock climbing fixtures!
(Hope Heidi, Elizebeth and Paula don't see this!)
Trekking along the bottom of the bluffs
Only 20 minutes into our hike and it was
beginning to get warm.....hard to believe in the
middle of February.
More large grottos than just about anywhere we
have been in the past.
More rock climbing evidence on
this bluff.
We couldn't quite reach this one!
Oh no, it's starting again!
That's far enough....thank you.
Kip was watching...but she wanted no part of it.
More grottos
Heading for the good stuff....but it was all good!
Amazing area.....and this is not even on
Rock Creek......Rock Creek is amazing too.
(The bluffs above Rock Creek)
Heading down and around to
Rock Creek Bluff Falls
But yet another grotto to explore.
Arriving at Rock Creek Bluffs Falls and
looking for water!
We found water, but not much.
Kip found the water and Heidi was wanting to
put on her bathing suit, which she brought, and
go swimming. Really!
So now up and out and on....
Rodger making sure we were not lost.
.....and another grotto.
That pedestal rock looks like it could be climbed?
Spoke too quick!
Elizebeth and Heidi....
soon to follow would be Paula.
Ed and Mike
Cindy said she would like to have this
cedar root at her cabin....
no one volunteered to carry it.
This is how some of us get down a
steep hillside.
And some use their hiking poles.
We later found out this spot was not a good place
for a loose rock and the top of Jon's head!
This is where the shelf rock was located on
the roof of a shelter.....
....and this is the shelf rock that landed on
Jon's head......not pretty!
Jon was escorted back out by Ray, David and
Paula while the rest of us continued on and UP!
Grabbing the trees on the way up helped!
This is where we were headed for lunch.
The Potbelly Rock
You can possibly see why they call
it The Potbelly Rock.
(Named by John Moore)
Michael was ready for lunch
They were all setting on a log.....
or what used to be a log!
Judy was just ready to lay down and rest!
....and while some of us ate
Some were out playing.....
This was Elizebeth's view from on top
Elizebeth
Heidi
Mark even managed to get on up there!
This is how you come down!
OK, play time is over....well almost!
But it is important to make sure your boot
strings are tight and secure.
(Some folks need help with this)
Judy finally got to her feet and was ready to go again.
Jamie never complained....
will she come back and hike with us?
This is how Ed and Cindy spent their
Valentine's Day.....hiking!
Now on around the corner to
The Wedged Rock
Amazing place inside
If you continue on inside...
you come to the Slot Rock Falls
Looking back out from Slot Rock Falls
Yuko climbing up and into the slot.
If there was water today, we would not be
doing this in Slot Rock Falls.
Exit and now on to Rock Creek Cave
Entrance to Rock Creek Cave
Looking from the inside out
Pretty big room and a tunnel goes back
pretty far ..... no bats!
Now on around to an enormous grotto...
This grotto is huge!
Now it was time to decide how to get out of here
and back to our vehicles?
We knew we first had to go back downhill....
....and so we did just that.
....and once we got down to the first bench....
.... we found an old logging road....
And that was GOOD!
....and after a while we realized
the logging road was getting us farther
from our vehicles.
And that was NOT GOOD!
But after a few extra miles, we found the main road.
And that was GOOD!
We made it back to Rock Creek just in time to
watch Michael fall in the creek.....
And that was NOT GOOD!
Slowly but surely they all begin
to show up....
We finally accounted for everyone.....
And that was GOOD!
We even found Jon feeling OK and in good spirits.
And that was REALLY GOOD!
Kip was Dog Tired....
And that was OK.
So were we!
TAKAHIK heading home....
Crossing Hurricane Creek
OK, imagine Yuko standing just to the left
of this.......and she was.
And this was NOT GOOD!