Tried two ways to cross the same river in the Pasayten Wilderness... one was a total game changer

Last fall, my group hit the Phelps Creek trailhead aiming for Spider Gap. The usual route has you ford the creek right before the climb, which was running high and cold. We tried that first, nearly lost a boot, and got soaked to the waist. The next day, on the way back, we went a quarter mile upstream and found a huge, stable logjam... crossed it dry in about 90 seconds with no stress. Has anyone else found a sneaky, better crossing on a classic route?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_julia1d ago

My buddy had a similar thing happen on the Boulder River trail. His crew always forded at the usual rocky spot, always got wet. Last summer, a ranger mentioned an old footbridge was still standing if you bushwhacked maybe two hundred yards east through the salmonberry. Total game changer. They found it, a bit rickety but solid, and stayed completely dry. Makes you wonder how many of these little secrets are out there on the regular trails.

perry.nancy1d ago

Always check for old trail markers, @the_julia, they hide the best shortcuts.