Walks with Moss: Big Creek Road Loop

Parallel creek

Lunch time view
bear grass and Lake Cushman

I dropped my daughter off at school and headed for Big Creek. I was sick at the end of last week, I felt dizzy and light headed. I took a few days off from hiking and decided to do something easier than Mount Rose today, just in case I was still sick.

I tried to find a road that some hikers posted about using to start their hike, but I had no luck finding it. I parked outside the gate at Big Creek camp since my forest pass is in my Jeep and I was unable to find the road. I went up the loop in the counter clock wise direction and I found it to be a much more pleasant way up, with less hiking logging roads.

I made it to the look out by 11, I spent an hour having lunch and then I decided to go up and have a look at the lower Ellinor trail, just because I love the forest up there. When I reached the junction I was startled by another hiker. He turned out to be the same man that I saw on Mount Rose two weeks ago. We had a nice conversation and he was relieved to find out that I am not always as grumpy as I was on Mount Rose Tuesday before last. He was relived because it seems like we might run into each other on the trail a lot.

On the hike down I decided to finally see where the old road or trail that leads to the right goes. I knew it went to the road I tried to drive up. As I veered off the trail onto the road the rain began to come down pretty hard, but I did not mind, since I had my raincoat on and I was pretty much done taking pictures. I was surprised to find that the road/trail almost immediately dumped me out onto the road. I felt ripped off. I did not want my hike to end so soon. Still, I walked down the road about ¼ of a mile back to my car. I won’t be taking that route again unless I am in a big hurry to get to the summit or my leg is broken.

I was back to my car around 2pm. Whatever sickness I had last week did not affect me at all today.

8 miles round trip with 1,800 feet elevation gain