Pole Creek Trail

October 27, 2015

Bust out the warm clothes, gloves and beanies.  It's finally blustery enough out there to need all your expensive gear, and I love it!  Being outside in tough conditions can be fun, it lets you find your tolerable limits, put's your clothing and gadgets to the test, and really opens your eyes to how animals cope with and adapt to the elements.   You can learn a lot from challenging yourself and when you tackle things that are difficult, the rewards can be much sweeter.   This is my last hiking article until next spring and I hope cold temps and snow on the ground doesn't imprison you indoors all winter.  When the snow gets too deep to hike in,  then it's time to glide over it on skis, a sled, or a snowmobile.   Boy, we have such great season's here in Utah, and by "flying south" like to St. George, or driving to lower elevations, it's possible to find hikable weather all year round!   

This week's hike is fairly low elevation and is accessed by paved roads, which is nice in case it snows.  It also goes up a south facing canyon which can be drier and sunnier as winter conditions become more likely.  Trail #044 is called Pole Creek trail and heads north from the Clear Creek Canyon road.  It goes for miles and miles up onto the Fillmore District of Fishlake National Forest and intersects four other hiking trails,  but I have personally not seen beyond the first two miles.  Drive north from Beaver on I-15 for 19 miles and then head east on I-70.  Leave I-70 at exit 7 and turn left onto Clear Creek Canyon road.  Drive downhill to mile post 6 and on the north side of Clear Creek Cyn. road, you'll park here and there are signs saying "Pole Canyon".  It is only 35 minute drive!  From the parking area, the trail heads north and crosses the stream almost immediately.  Then there's a brand new fork in the trail because of a recent rock fall.  The rocks on the trail aren't a big deal for hikers, so stay nearer the stream and you'll soon see a rock field with some 4-5 foot diameter boulders on the tread.  They are easy to hike around, but are possibly unstable so use caution.  Horsemen on the other hand are wise to use the new trail section which climbs east out of the canyon bottom to bypass the problem spot.  The detour is about 1/3 of a mile and climbs about 150 feet out of the canyon before slowly weaving it's way back down to stream just prior to the second stream crossing.  There are some small beaver dams in the area and I smelled the sulphurous stink of mineral springs but could't detect the source.  You'll notice the incredible plant diversity along the riparian zone (adjacent to water) in contrast to the arid pinion juniper forest that plasters the sandstone canyon walls above you.  Many large and majestic ponderosa pines jut skyward alongside beefy cottonwoods.  After one mile you arrive at the ruins of a pioneer era cabin where two forks of this drainage meet.  The left fork goes to three creeks dam, but the trail follows the right fork, towards tributaries named Grass, Skunk, and Pole Creek itself.  The second mile of trail 044 is cool because the forest closes in over head, Doug firs join the ponderosa's and the creek drops off boulders into plunge pools below.  The sound of the water alongside this trail is one of my favorite parts.  These first two miles took me just over one hour and total elev. gain was only 600 feet with 8 stream crossings, so not grueling, but great exercise none the less.  Double your time for round trip and remember how early it gets dark nowaday, and pack a headlamp!  

I'd like to thank the Beaver Journal for publishing these hikes and I hope you'll get out to enjoy all the hiking opportunities we have right in our backyards!  You may contact me with any questions or concerns at 801-243-0095.  I've got many more hikes to share with you next season so stay tuned as I now go "Ski Into the Tushars".