We did see a dusting of snow on the north-facing slopes.
Friends of Nevada Wilderness trail crew have been working on the trail throughout the summer. They started in 2024 as part of a SNPLMA project. It was fun going farther than we had last year.
Some of the burned trees are so statuesque.
It was a partly cloudy day and the color palette was rather bland. But the walking was nice!
The tiny creek is mostly frozen over.
I stopped to photograph this very seedy scat. I think the seeds are primarily from rose hips. Not sure of the animal--fox or smaller is a quick guess.
Emma was making wild gestures to point out a couple bull elk on the opposite hillside. That was unexpected!
The trail crosses a little side canyon creek.
Finn had fun sliding on the ice.
We continued just a little bit more, than realized we needed to get home. The trail kept going, though. I can't wait to go back and see more of it. Having a trail is so much nicer than what I went through when I hiked it in 2020.
The way down was fast and steep. Before long we could see the old mining structures and the parking lot.
I walked down the road to take a closer look at the mining structures. A ponderosa pine survives nearby! We were glad to see a sprinkling of baby ponderosa pines in the drainage.
On the drive back down the canyon, we saw some mini ice waterfalls high up on the cliffs. Fun!
The 2014 fire has left some very interesting trees. The shrubs and forbs look like they are doing well.
Friends of Nevada Wilderness trail crew have been working on the trail throughout the summer. They started in 2024 as part of a SNPLMA project. It was fun going farther than we had last year.
The tiny creek is mostly frozen over.
I stopped to photograph this very seedy scat. I think the seeds are primarily from rose hips. Not sure of the animal--fox or smaller is a quick guess.
The trail crosses a little side canyon creek.
We continued just a little bit more, than realized we needed to get home. The trail kept going, though. I can't wait to go back and see more of it. Having a trail is so much nicer than what I went through when I hiked it in 2020.
The way down was fast and steep. Before long we could see the old mining structures and the parking lot.
I walked down the road to take a closer look at the mining structures. A ponderosa pine survives nearby! We were glad to see a sprinkling of baby ponderosa pines in the drainage.
I never thought I would be hiking Hampton Creek in January without any special gear, but it's another weird winter.
Happy 2026!
