Walk with me to Slick Creek Cave
On the first day of autumn...
I plunged naked into Fall Creek. The water remembered the cold mountain nights. A perfect ending to a hot and dusty family hike, and a proper send off to a summer departing.
@thingtwo rocking the stunna shades
Today we trekked along a mostly flat section of the Fall Creek Trail just upstream from the section of trail we hiked in May.
We were headed for Slick Creek cave, a rock shelter in the side of a prominent basalt outcropping overlooking Slick Creek as it joins Fall Creek.
Slick Creek rock outcropping
The trail follows a cliff edge above Fall Creek, in places quite close to a vertical drop and in others blocked by fallen trees that have to be clambered over or under. This entire section is in the burn zone of the 2003 Clark Fire.
This fallen tree was no match for @thingone
The approach to Slick Creek cave is guarded by an impressive standing stone column that appears to have cracked into an upper and lower section which still balance precariously.
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A wooden bridge used to cross Slick Creek canyon at the base of this rock spire, but that was destroyed last summer in the Jones Fire along with the wooden stairs to the cave and the interpretative signage detailing the use of Slick Creek cave by the Kalapuya Indians. A plaque bolted onto a boulder declaring this the "Slick Creek Cave Interpretative Site" is all that remains.
The remnants of the bridge.
We were hot, sweaty and dusty by the time we gratefully stepped into the shade of the cave and had lunch. @thingone and @thingtwo had a lot of fun climbing around with me and exploring the small cave (more of an overhanging rock shelter, really).
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After lunch we hiked back the way we came toward a nice swimming hole. We stopped to examine some ladybugs posing dramatically on seedpods.
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Everyone was ready to cool off in the water by the time we made it back to the swimming hole by the trailhead. I went for a swim and @thingone and @thingtwo waded in the shallows and threw rocks for @yeti-the-dog to chase.
Hello Crawdad
As we left I snapped a picture of the graffiti underneath the Bedrock Campground bridge, and then I snapped a picture of the swimming holes from on top of the bridge.
Whoa! @carlgnash I didn’t know we were from the same neck of the world ... and you were the first person to curate me!! 😲
I thought I recognized “Clark fire” and then “Jones fire” but Slick Creek wasn’t familiar, so I followed your links to see where they were located. Not far from where I grew up in Southern Oregon! And for awhile I worked for a private wildland firefighting company. Not during either of those fires, but I still remember the Clark fire. The Biscuit fire was the year before and it was devastating.
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Yeah we are in the Eugene/Springfield area but this hike is about an hour south and east of where we live. Those big fires are memorable, for sure. I bet you have some stories if you worked for a private wildland firefighting company! What an intense job. Cheers
Thankfully I wasn’t on the fire line, just admin. But I did take supplies to the crews at their base camp ... some memorable times.
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Sweet trip, looks like that fire was really evident.
Nice place to take the young ones to learn about our planet... I was about the same age when I first got out exploring with Dad
Looks like it was a top day - Thanks for sharing
Thanks M'lord :) Yeah they are the perfect age to start marveling at the wonder of nature. They had a blast.
oh what a wonderful day ! thingone and thingtwo seems intrepid adventurers, and dad is facilitator of thingone and thingtwo's adventures :D
great photos!!! love the text, and the humour <3
thank you for sharing this, sir alien eye !!!
Thanks we had a wonderful time. And a very cold swim at the end was sooooo refreshing :)
Heartwarming stuff, especially, the smiling kiddies. Thanks, for the vicarious hike—nice to travel to parts unknown (to me) of America the Beautiful from the comfort of my bed 🛏
Wishing you & fam many more happy adventures & a fun weekend❤️
Yeah their grins as they made their way through that little cave opening - priceless!
Probably, my favorite pics :D
Hiya, just swinging by to let you know that this post made the Honorable mentions list in today's Travel Digest #328. Please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider upvoting the Travel Digest if you like what we're doing.
Cool thanks for the honorable mention! :)
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