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Trip Report    

Day Hike - Big Creek Loop

Two days after the end of near-constant rain for two weeks and a wind storm, I was a bit apprehensive about road and trail conditions for this hike. I shouldn't have worried - things were in great shape!

Becky Andrade Becky Andrade
November 17, 2021
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • The trail was in fantastic shape given all the rain and wind we've had recently.  Hiking the loop clockwise led us to cross 5 to 7 trees down across the trail within the first couple of miles, but getting over them was handled easily by all hikers.  I had anticipated water running across the trail in numerous places given all the rain we've had, but the trail was relatively dry, and we didn't even encounter any mud or puddles.

Seven hikers arrived at the Big Creek trailhead on a Wednesday for a 9:00 a.m. start where parking was plentiful in the lot.  The campground bathroom closest to the Campground Host spot was unlocked.  Two other hikers were starting their hike as we were getting prepped.  We hiked the loop clockwise and continued on the Ellinor Extension trail to the overlook which added about 2 miles round trip and 800 feet of elevation gain.  The weather was great and the skies clear, so everyone in the group agreed that they wanted to extend the hike.  We were rewarded for our efforts with beautiful views (see picture) and the entertainment of Gray Jays trying to get our lunch.  Heading down the trail and continuing on the loop, I anticipated the water in the creeks to be much higher, but it wasn't much higher than what I might expect to see in the winter months.  We enjoyed all the recent trail work thanks to the Mount Rose Trail Crew - bridges, reinforced edging of the trail, and drainage work were all noted and appreciated.  My GAIA logged 7.7 miles and 1795 feet of elevation gain with
a total time of 5 hours and 5 minutes that included generous breaks and lunch at the overlook.  Our overall average pace was 1.5 mph and our moving pace was 2.0 mph.