After checking on the trail head to Sheep Lake and finding rain, dreary clouds and fog, with sloppy snow and zero views, we drove back out of the cloud bank to this our plan B hike. Just one other car in the lot, out houses decent but dark.
Temps were only in the mid 40s but we soon warmed up on the brisk climb up the short side of the loop toward the falls basin. The trail on this side of the loop is just a smooth carpet dream. Signage seems better than I remember passing the back of the Camp Shepherd amphitheater, although the left turn junction about halfway between the camp and falls is unmarked. I think if you go straight by mistake you will then be on the Buck Creek trail. No water in the falls and the creek crossing is dry but we had come for the fall color and that was overflowing just about everywhere we looked. On the far side of the dry creek we started our slow descent crossing multiple talus fields, or may be the same ones multiple times. There was one rock fall pile to climb over and then several sections of semi gnarly rocky tread, some quite soft and moving under foot after our recent rains. I finally busted out my poles on a section that seemed rudely steep only to find some rocks steps a few paces further down. That seemed to be the grand finale and then we were on the long lazy switchbacks down to the meet the White River trail on the far side of the loop. If I were doing this again I would for sure come up the long loop way as climbing up the sometimes loose rocks would be a lot easier. No blow down issues but we did step over a few things and bent under a maple that might be headed to the ground soon.
The fall display of color was certainly at peak with all sorts of colors on show from yellow through peach to burning ruby red. Many of the trees were also draped in hanging lichens as extra decorations. Blue skies, gray granite and then shadows of dark green moss under the trees rounded out the color display. Some fungi including orange coral fungus. Everything smelt so woodsy too. Just a gorgeous fall hike.
Finally back at Camp Shepherd we added on the loop around the nature trail to get a bit more mileage, bringing us to just under five. No really great place to picnic so we headed to Fed Forest state park for that. It's still open and has some lovely color too.
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