The Dry Creek Trail always is a good choice for solitude. It fits Robert Louis Stevenson's quote: " I travel not to go anywhere, but to go."
Since the trail doesn't have a destination like a waterfall or view, most hikers choose the other trails in the adjacent Trapper Creek Wilderness. The Dry Creek Trail does have the distinction of being the location of the very first WTA trail maintenance work party nearly 30 years ago.
Our goal and turnaround point was the trail ford at Bourbon Creek where to continue onward requires wet feet. We didn't get quite to Bourbon Creek due to a tangle of deadfall trees blocking the trail in the Big Hollow Burn. The 2020 Big Hollow Fire burned across the north end of the Dry Creek Trail. The tangle was too challenging for us to get through so we turned around.
The Forest Service crew had logged out the trail since the previous trip report, so the fire-killed trees must have come down later, and there were a few other fallen trees along the trail that were easily ducked under or stepped over.
We hiked back to where we had seen some nice trailside logs that would make good lunch seats. We had started out our hike in rain showers but by now the sky was clearing and the sun shone to dry us off. Our clothes were wet from the trailside vegetation -- the upper end of the trail is in serious need of brushing.
We met one other hiking party during the entire day, and one mountain biker on our return hike where the trail follows the old logging railroad grade.
Dry Creek lived up to its name: it was dry in the lower reach but still had flowing water at about the 2 mile point on the hike and from there upstream. We also could see water flowing in Big Hollow Creek near our turnaround point.
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