Sun, Apr 24 2011 - Wildcat Tract - Dawson Forest (View Original Event Details)
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The carpool arrived at the campsite where the hike was to begin at 11:24 AM and we set out on the trial about 11:30 - only slightly behind our scheduled departure time. We began the hike on a trail that closely followed Wildcat creek for over a mile. This section of the hike was quite beautiful with the sound of the creek nearby, the thick cushion of pine needles underfoot, and a nice green canopy of tree cover. Before too long we crossed a bridge over the creek and hiked down an old logging road for a bit before setting off on a seemingly endless climb for two and a half miles that would take us to an elevation of 2,987 feet. On the steepest part of this ascent we gained almost 1,200 feet of elevation in just 1.5 miles. On our first "wadding" creek crossing, about 1/3 of the way up the climb, a hiking boot decided to take off on its own down a series of long water slides and small falls. Thanks to the efforts of several in the group for spotting, tracking, running, and wadding, the boot was finally recovered about a quarter mile downstream. A great save to a potentially hike ending occurrence!
After reaching the summit and walking along the ridge for a while, we came to the next trail which would take us down the other side of the ridge and begin our waterfall sightings. After arriving at the base of the first waterfall, which was about 75 feet high, we took a break to rehydrate, eat a little lunch, play in the water, take some photos, and enjoy the surroundings. We then set off down the trail for less than a mile before reaching the point where we would venture off into the woods in search of more waterfalls. The next 1.5 to 2 miles of hiking was off-trail, strenuous, "through the bush" stuff, with numerous creek crossings. However, it was a ton of fun and we were rewarded with being able to see 4 more sizable waterfalls along the way. We then made our way to an unmarked trail which eventually led us back to the Wildcat creek trail by which we returned to the campground.
When we finished the hike, we had gone 12 miles, had a total ascent of 2,700 feet, visited at least 5 waterfalls, and crossed creeks more times than I can count. Needless to say, everyone was quite hungry, so, we all decided to go to the nearby Mexican restaurant to replenish all those calories we burned and polish off a great day in nature.
I really enjoyed the event and look forward to hiking with each of you in the near future!
Mark
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