February temps were an unseasonably sunny 65°F/18°C. I took the day off work and ventured back to Townsend Mountain for another try at the old forest service road, where we had exited on a past hike. It was easy hiking down to the creek. Unfortunately, the topographic maps in wide circulation show the road ending rather than leading back to the trailhead. Guess we didn't have to scale that mountain after all.
The path didn't have any exceptional points of note, beyond some large rocks covered in ferns. But it was certainly quiet and rarely visited. Deer hooves and raccoon prints lined the shores of the creek. I didn't see a raccoon, but I saw deer, tiny fish, salamanders, butterflies, and several varieties of birds.
The path didn't have any exceptional points of note, beyond some large rocks covered in ferns. But it was certainly quiet and rarely visited. Deer hooves and raccoon prints lined the shores of the creek. I didn't see a raccoon, but I saw deer, tiny fish, salamanders, butterflies, and several varieties of birds.
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| Walking from the ridgeline down to the valley |
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| First wildflower bloom of the year! |
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| Some of the old road bed remains |
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| Several Painted Lady butterflies were enjoying themselves. |
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| Around the side are a number of old oil production ruins |
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| One of the enormous boulders along the creek |
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| Close-up of the ferns & moss on the rock above. |
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| First daffodil blooms I've seen in 2017. |
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| Interesting formations on the enormous boulders |
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| Raccoons at the creek |
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| White's Branch Creek |
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| Fallen trees mark the end of the old road |
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