Trip Report
Naturalist Trip - Upper Gold Creek Valley
Trip to observe & ID various fungi. Best habitat is north of Alpine Lakes Wilderness boundary but a challenge to get there cuz there's lots to find/see in the forest before then.
Roseanne Lorenzana
- Sat, Oct 12, 2024
- Naturalist Trip - Upper Gold Creek Valley
- Gold Creek Basin
- Naturalist
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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While the overall elevation gain for this trip is not great, the route passes through an area of downed trees and the need to go over them or around them - which involved trudging through wet brush. The trail also included creeks to cross but, for this trip, had little water. The most water was in Silver Creek, but was an easy step-across-on-rocks traverse with good balance. In higher water, the stepping stones would be underwater. In the forest, trail surface is often soft needles but in open areas going through tall shrubbery, it is rocky and uneven. Several small log bridges to cross. Only a couple of these had water beneath, but in wet weather there is probably flowing water below.
Northbound from parking lot to Heli's Pond is 1.5 miles, passing through subdivision of recreation homes. It's about 2.5 miles from Gold Creek Pond TH at the parking lot to the boundary of Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Then, another approx. 2.5 miles to the intersection with trail to Alaska Lake.
Starting Spring 2025, this area is scheduled to be closed for several years for an extensive restoration project.
Our group mostly wanted to observe and identify various fungi while enjoying the blue sky & autumn colors. Total success. Judging by the fungi detritus strewn amongst the needles & leaves, it was obvious many others had been there before us. The autumn colors were vivid. Because we wanted to get back to the TH before sunset at 6:15pm, we turned around about 0.5 miles south of the junction with trail to Alaska Lake. It was an all-day trip because there was so many fungi to see along the trail. 9.5 miles r/t total time 7.5hours (time shows how much we enjoyed stopping to search, then discuss what we found - a fine time was had by all)
Back at the TH at 5:30pm, the parking lot was overflowing, kids/people/dogs moseying thru the lot and cars parked along the road almost to FR4832. For all this crowd around Gold Creek Pond; in contrast, we passed perhaps 6-8 others on the Gold Creek trail north of Heli's Pond. The vault toilet conditions were disgusting including piles of trash.
