Everything backpacking: our gear, trip write-ups, and individual pictures.
Ooh! I found a well-maintained and clear trail. This bodes well for my plans for this trip. Although this trail is in excellent condition, I’ve still got a mile or so of Bushwhacking to look forward to, to get to the end of the ridge I want to camp on.
Open woodland — Exploring south of the Whites Creek Trail South Loop. Irish Wilderness, April 2025.
I found a pond — exactly where I expected one to be. Exploring south of the Whites Creek Trail South Loop. 1
Looking back down the trail to Fiddler Spring — This is the start of the ‘Social’ trail heading down to Fiddler Spring. I was camped on the ridge in the distance to the right last night. This bit of trail is very steep, so steep that you can’t see the rest of the trail from this point.
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.
Camped overlooking Whites Creek near Fiddler Spring.
Whites Creek had been running hard a couple of days earlier — The trail was buried in debris and had been submerged under many feet of water. 2
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.
New trailhead signage at Camp Five Pond — And a rant about apparent illiteracy/lack of care. 3
Gary at the Camp Five Pond Trailhead — It’s time for another visit to Irish Wilderness. This trip I’m going to abandon the main, Whites Creek Trail, and see if I can find some of the older trails, south of the Whites Creek Trail South Loop.
Journal: Berryman Trail Revisited, March 2024. I had some health issues on my last hike of the Berryman Trail, and the same problem canceled my next planned trip there. Finally, it’s time to ‘get it done.’ Journal: 25 21
View from my Day Three camp — The trail runs along the bottom of the hollow, and there was water in the creek too. Very annoying after carrying a full load here from Beecher Spring.
Ready to move on — The sun is shining at last after nearly twelve hours of rain, huge thunderstorms, and lots of wind. I was snug and dry. It’s a late start because I fell asleep reading my book while waiting for the rain to stop.
Hunkering down for the night. — Rain, thunderstorms, and wind are heading this way. So, I picked this spot on the northwest side of a ridge, which should provide shelter from the weather.
Beecher Spring — It looks like an effort has been made to tidy the area up. Originally, I was going to camp near here. Instead, I’m going to carry on and find a nice spot in the lee of a ridge for the night and the forecast rain and wind.
The forest has been ‘thinned’ in places
Rejoining the Berryman Trail from Little Brazil Creek.
Ready for Day Three’s hike — Today’s hike should be a lot shorter than yesterday’s ten-plus miles. All the running I do and I’m still looking flabby.
Camped above Little Brazil Creek — Even two to three hundred yards from the creek, it is still scrubby. It took me far too long to find somewhere to hang my hammock yesterday.