While waiting for the snow to melt in the mountains this was a nice June hike. And the plus side of doing it this early in the season is that the creek isn't dry yet! The forest was lush and green and beautiful. 

I only went as far as Bourbon Creek, which does not have a bridge. 

This was my first hike of the year with a new pack, needless to say the hike out was harder than the hike back. That being said, it was an easy hike, perfect weather. The trail had seen some recent maintenance and was in very good shape.

This hike shares a TH with the Trapper Creek trail. We had hiked this entire trail on 6-29-12 and returned today to check on the growth of the group of fringed pinesap we had seen on that day. Today most of the plants' individual blossoms had opened. They are a very pretty and interesting plant. This mostly flat trail follows Dry Creek through a lush green old growth forest sometimes above the creek, but most of the time beside the creek. It is in the Bourbon Roadless Area. Today we passed 2 areas with the activity of recently fledged winter wrens. They were so fun to watch!

Directions to the TH are excellent in Craig Romano's book, Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge. It shares a large parking area with the Trapper Creek Trail. The trail is mostly level gaining only 350 feet in 4 miles. The trail enters a lush green forest of moss covered maples, firs, vine maple, with a carpet of moss, ferns, lichens and other green plants. Near the crossing of Bourbon Creek there is a beautiful grove of very large old growth Douglas Firs. We had lunch beside the creek and then retraced our steps to the TH. The creek could have been crossed without getting our feet too wet, but the trail ends 0.1 mile after the crossing. This is a very beautiful and peaceful trail. We met no other hikers all day. 3 phantom orchids, yellow monkey flowers, wild ginger, inside-out flowers, Mertens' coral root, spotted coral root, foam flower were some of the flowers seen. There were several varieties of fungus.

The goal for this weekend was a loop though the Trapper Creek Wilderness that I didn't complete in July. I got a later start than I hoped for, hitting the trail at noon under slightly sunny skies. I hiked up the Trapper Creek trail, passing a couple of small pack goat parties out on training walks, to the junction with the Soda Peaks Lake trail, where I dumped my pack, crossed Trapper Creek, and started up. The Soda Peaks Lake Trail 133 climbs steeply up the ridge edge about 1000' in a about a mile. From there, the trail mellows, but still climbs up the ridge edge, gaining the lake at about 3800'. Soda Peaks Lake is a small, tree-lined lake, with a good campsite on the northeast shore. The trail continues around the north side of the lake and over the ridge to the west, which was lost in the clouds. By now, the rain had begun, so I headed back down. I picked up my pack at the creek and returned to the Trapper Creek Trail 192, heading up valley to the northwest. I took the Deer Cutoff, which maintains its elevation better than the main trail, which drops to the creek and follows it for a half-mile before climbing back up. Deer Cutoff is shorter, but the slopes are steep and offer no campsites. The creek-bottom route has a couple of fine campsites and very pretty woods. In fact, the large trees and lush growth in this very steep-sided valley are a main attraction of this whole area. I crossed the bridge onto the west bank of Trapper Creek, as the terrain gets steeper, nearing the end of the canyon-like valley. The trail here is very steep and I was slowed by fatigue, the rain, and overheating in my raingear. Near the top of the climb, at about 3000', there is a fine view of an impressive waterfall of perhaps 100'. Soon after, the climb ends abruptly as you pass 3200' and enter a broad plateau. In a quarter mile or so, the trail crosses Trapper Creek. Watch here for the trail, it can be lost in the brush. The afternoon I was there, the brush also finished the job of soaking me to the skin. I camped by the side of the trail about 100' from the creek crossing. The next day, I continued north and east to the ridge between Sister Rocks and Observation Peak. About 100' past my camp, the trail is obliterated by a massive blow-down. I found it in a couple hundred yards by heading northeast. I recommend searching more to the north at the blow-down. I suspect it turns under the piles of duff. The trail climbs gently to the ridge through mature, if not ancient, woods of hemlock and Douglas fir. At the ridge top, you leave the Wilderness Area and meet Trail 132, which traverses the ridge top. About 100' to the left on this trail, you'll find Berry Camp, a small camp along the trail. You'll also find Big Hollow Trail 158, which I followed down to the east. This trail follows a gentle descent into Big Hollow Creek valley, through some big woods and some evidence of a fire early in the last century – the young trees aren't that young. The terrain along the upper stretch offers the possibility of camps. At the bottom of the descent, Trail 158 joins Dry Creek Trail 194, which follows Dry Creek south, dropping only 300' in 3.8 miles, to the Trapper Creek trailhead. This trail makes a crossing of Bourbon Creek within a quarter-mile and then is dry thereafter. The woods at the north end reminded me of an Olympics rainforest valley, though the maples aren't as big and there are no spruce trees. Still, it was very green, with big second-growth. The trail is very pleasant, with excellent bridges further south. It follows an old logging track for long stretches – you can see the cuts and fills and there are stretches that are quite straight. About half-way down this trail, the rain, which had been steady since early afternoon the day before, finally slacked off and quit. About a mile from the trailhead, you learn why Dry Creek has that name: the river bed is dry, though it had been running with water just a little earlier. I gained the trailhead, passing a couple of mountain bikers and a couple of pairs of day hikers, just short of 24 hours after I'd left. It had rained for 20 of those hours. Still, this is a fine area, with beautiful woods, interesting terrain, a big waterfall, and a variety of trails, from hard to easy. It's worth a visit.