Established primitive campsite near Fiddler Spring — Someone has been able to clear this site up. The left behind tarps and crates have gone. With the wildflowers the site was looking much better. I was just passing through to climb my way up the ridge on the right.
Fiddler Spring, Irish Wilderness, April 2025.
Whites Creek on the Whites Creek Trail South Loop — Looking upstream
Whites Creek on the Whites Creek Trail South Loop — The trail at the bottom of the descent down to Whites Creek had been washed out, and parts of the trail were knee-deep in water. Nothing unexpected after all the rain we have had.
Dogwoods on the Whites Creek Trail South Loop.
Rain-cleared trail — In many places, the recent rains had cleared the leaves off the trail.
Trail-side Dogwood. Whites Creek Trail, South Loop, Irish Wilderness, April 2025.
Journal: Four days hiking the Whites Creek Trail, Irish Wilderness. December 2024. There’s a break in the weather and I’m going to hike the Whites Creek Trail counter-clockwise, taking a leisurely four days to do it. -10 min | x36
End of hike selfie — I’ve not taken an end of hike self-portrait in a while. Here I am all ready for the drive home. Trip over, four days, three nights, 21 miles, and 1800ft. climbed. Two-minute read.
Camp Five Pond, Irish Wilderness. From the western side looking towards the trailhead and parking lot. Once more, ours is the only vehicle present.
Whites Creek Trail, loop complete. +1
The Whites Creek Trail South Loop is much easier going — As I’ve mentioned this before. If you don’t like hiking through oak woodland, this is not the trail for you.
Whites Creek — there was water running where I camped, but I’d filled up at Fiddler Spring.
Spring — This spring pool was almost empty when I arrived, but it filled up overnight. The rain must have done some good. I’ve never taken water from this spring, for some odd reason I have never trusted it.
Mist after rain — After yesterday’s rain last night and this morning were very misty.
Day Four — Misty, damp morning. I was planning on spending the night at Fiddler Spring, but there was a hunting camp set up there (no one was at home). I grabbed three liters of water from the much slower than usual spring and decided I’d head away from the hunters to this established primitive campsite around three quarters of a mile away.
Dry – Looking up Whites Creek. Now to get to my campsite for the night. Two-minute read, +1
Dry — Whites Creek was dry. The hike here was good, taking me and hour and fifteen minutes to get to Whites Creek. The rain had eased off, and I used a compass bearing to get me from where I’d camped overnight back to the trail. As is usual for this section of the Whites Creek Trail, I lost the trail often, +1
Dry — Whites Creek was dry. The hike here was good, taking me and hour and fifteen minutes to get to Whites Creek. The rain had eased off, and I used a compass bearing to get me from where I’d camped overnight back to the trail. As is usual for this section of the Whites Creek Trail, I lost the trail often, +1
Day Three — View from my hammock, rain and more rain.
Gary at the Eleven Point River Scenic Overlook, Irish Wilderness, December 2024.
Eleven Point River Scenic Overlook, December 2024 — I had a lot of fun getting here. The Whites Creek Trail North Loop was tough to follow, and the downed trees across the trail made for many diversions. Two-minute read
Hammock Camping in Irish Wilderness. If you don’t like this view of the trees, then Irish Wilderness is probably not for you. The view of 90% of the Whites Creek Trail looks just like this. +1
Day Two — Breakfast. As usual, I’m heating my water on my Fancee Feest alcohol stove. And I’m using my boxed Firebox Nano wood stove to keep the alcohol burner off of the ground. +1