Moose Creek
Date Walked: 18th February 2014
Distance: 5 miles (8.2km)
Actual Ascent: 751 ft (229m)
Time Taken: 2 hours
With the temperature still hovering around zero and the sun shining down I set out to find a bit of snowshoeing for the day, I'd considered returning to Cox Hill but having been there twice already I decided to look elsewhere. A little shorter distance on the same highway (highway 68 - The Sibbald Creek Trail) there is a road sign that simply states 'Demonstration Forest Loop'. I've driven past the sign countless times and often wondered what was down there, so today was the day to explore it.
After 4 km on a snowy road I find a car park and small picnic area with views out across the foothills toward Moose Mountain, theres a trailhead leading down toward a wide creek below and I decide to get the gear on and go explore this area.
After 4 km on a snowy road I find a car park and small picnic area with views out across the foothills toward Moose Mountain, theres a trailhead leading down toward a wide creek below and I decide to get the gear on and go explore this area.
The trail starts with a well constructed set of steps down to the creek, though mostly covered in snow and ice today the 40 metre descent is made easier by its presence.
At the bottom of the descent I can see a footbridge stranded in a muddle of trees washed down by the flood, the tangle of trees and other clutter form an effective barrier and I walk downstream a little way before crossing on a compacted trail, so well trodden that snowshoes are not yet required.
Once around the flood detritus the footbridge is clearly visible, yet another victim of the floods in June 2013 it may be some time before it is repaired and returned to its foundation, if at all.
The following couple of km are easily made on a reasonable trail through the forest where snowshoes are still not required, on reaching another creek crossing I drop down the bank onto thin creaking ice and scamper across to the opening on the other bank.
In no time at all I need the snowshoes, it seems this is as far as anyone has been which seems a bit odd, after putting on the snowshoes I head out along an opening in the forest with deep untrodden snow. The very best part of snowshoeing is making the first mile or so on deep untrodden snow.
I'm not sure exactly when it happened but at some point I wandered off trail and made my own way through the forest which was a tangle of fallen trees hiding under deep snow, it was bloody hard work and I was glad to come across an opening where a gas line has gone through. In the distance a small hump with a cutblock on it suggested the possibility of views so I decided to walk along the gas line in that direction.
The initial descent and early stages were great, compacted snow kept me riding high and the going was easy.....but that was only the early stages, after that huge drifts, a marsh and a couple of creek crossings made hard work of the journey.
The short ascent out of the valley was a good grunt until reaching a clear section where I could remove the snowshoes and hike up to the top, as soon as I got there the snowshoes were needed again to plod to the summit of the little plateau.
There was a great view of Moose Mountain from the top and I could see the sky greying out in preparation for a snow shower, the logged areas of forest between here and Moose made a patchwork quilt of green and white darkening under the clouds.
The snow on the top was a bit strange, not the usual powder but instead tiny crystals of ice, each one moving individually even under the snowshoes, it was nice to be going downhill for a short while though.
I followed my own footprints for a while before making a direct line across the open ground to the north hoping to meet up with my initial route in (though it was some way off yet)
Eventually I needed to drop down back into the forest, unfortunately for me a near vertical drop of about 30 metres prevented me doing so, I stopped for a while and took off the snowshoes again. Searching the ridge I found a gully with a couple of fallen trees in it that would assist me on the descent, after resting a while I strapped the gear on and scrambled my way down the gully, after a lot of hard work, slipping and swearing I made the forest floor and got back into the snowshoes. I found Moose Creek and hoped to follow it back to Jumpingpound Creek but even this was bloody hard work, fallen trees, thin ice and flood boulders conspired to make it a grueling 2 km
Eventually, head down and plodding on straight down the middle of the creek I cross my own footprints that I'd made on the way in, I turned and followed them back through the forest to the damaged bridge and back up to the waiting truck.
A good lesson for me today, going 'off road' and randomly wandering around the woods in the middle of winter is not a good idea, with no idea at all of terrain or route you can end up with some incredibly hard work. I still really enjoyed the day and may return here in early season to see the place without snow on the ground.