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Temple Fork Sawmill, 2 July, 2023
Twelve hikers met at the usual rendezvous of Smith’s Marketplace at 8 a.m. We carpooled in 4 vehicles to the Temple Fork turnoff and up the gravel road to park lined up on the roadside at the trail entrance. The big beaver pond with its dam and lodge looked in good condition, with slide tracks down the hillside and circular ripples in the water, but no beavers in sight and no new new tree cuttings on our side. On our way up we encountered only one couple coming down. On our return trip, there were about eight small groups of hikers heading up. We passed one large multi-age group playing in the creek on the logs and boulders. It was not nearly as busy as the last year count of 60 hikers.
The creek was running strong, and the plant life was lush and in full flower. The trail and bridges were in good condition. About 2.5 miles in, there is a single log bridge with a handrail, which was constructed sturdily enough to hold the entire group for a photo opp. It is a great improvement over the old planks that used to span the creek there. Past the meadow with the remnants of the sawmill, the entrance to the last stretch of trail is overgrown and easily missed (don't take the more obvious looking opening closer to the creek), but beyond that, the trail is quite clear up to the overgrown spring source of the creek. That stretch was cool and wet from the prior night's rain, with a few mosquitoes that kept us from dallying. We went back to the meadow and had an early lunch about 11 a.m. in the shade near the creek, and then headed back down the trail. We were back at the vehicles about 12:30pm. In Logan, we regrouped to enjoy a late lunch with beer and margaritas out on the patio at the new Tacos El Robert (formerly Panchos) at the Blue Square across from the USU stadium.
Trip Summary
- 12 trekkers: Dave P., Dan, Susan, Laurel, Brent, Ralph, Chris, Jane, Young, Mira, Monika, and Teresa (leader)
- Drove 19 miles to the Temple Fork trailhead
- Started hiking about 8:40, at the sawmill site 10:30, lunch 11:00 - 11:30, back at the trailhead about 12:30, and in town by 1:20pm
- Hiked about 5.7 miles with about 700 feet of elevation gain
- Temperature about 80 degrees with blue skies and a breeze
Thanks
to Teresa for the narrative, photos and GPS data, Dave
P and Jane for photos and Ralph for photos and GPS data
.
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| Cache Hikers
at the trailhead |
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| On the trail |
One of several bridges along the
way |
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| Looking west
toward peaks of the Bear River Range |
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| Exposed soil layers show evidence of
past erosion |
Hiking along Temple Fork |
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| The "new" bridge, not far from the sawmill site | The site of the old sawmill |
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| Lunch near the sawmill site |
An American dipper on the bridge |
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| Wild hyacinth |
Penstemon |
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| Wallflower |
Potentilla |
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| Swallowtail butterfly and scarlet
gilia |
Jacob's ladder |
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| Wild rose |
Geranium |
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Our GPS track shows about 5.7 miles
and 700 feet of ascent.
You can look at our route using Google
Earth or download our GPS
file.
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