I was staying at Big Creek Campground and had some free time and great weather Saturday evening so I decided to see what was up the trailhead behind the campground. The trail is labelled #250 - Osborne Mountain, but appears on WTA under Big Creek and Upper Big Creek as well.
This trail is well-groomed but pretty narrow. It is a multi-use trail and I saw what appeared to be pretty fresh dirt bike tracks, though I did not encounter anyone the whole time I was out.
The first half-mile or so is fairly flat as you work your way through the swampy wetlands between the campground and the base of Osborne Mountain. Once you reach the first bend and re-enter Forest Service land, you will immediately be greeted by the first of an endless series of switchbacks up to the ridge. This is where I busted out my trekking poles and really went for it, since it was my first solo hike in a while and I wanted to see how far I could get before turning back for dinner.
As you ascend through the forest, you really get the chance to see how the foliage changes. Through the first third there is a wide variety of shrubs and ferns surrounding the creeks and down through the gorge. Soon, only the ferns and trees remain. By the time you are approaching the ridge, the ferns give up giving way to only the dust and the trees.
I made it up the ridgeline, ~3,800' for ~2,000' of gain, where the trail doubles back and splits. It's marked with a sign here, but it's kinda unclear which way to go. It looks like the south fork heads back to an access road on the south face of the ridge, while the north fork will bring you towards the peak along the ridge line, and eventually to the lakes beyond. For what it's worth, there was no snow through this point, but maybe some along the ridge further towards the lakes.
Overall, this was a fun but difficult hike I would recommend if you're staying at Big Creek and feeling up for a challenge. I would not recommend with children due to the narrow trail and challenging ascent; there was a family setting out around the same time as me and I don't think they made it past the wetlands at the start.
Comments