From the files of Donald R. Kirk…
The Great Gray Owl: Part 1. Hiking East Creek Canyon
Upstream about 50 yards the steep, rocky sides of the canyon appear to come together. I’ve been here before, and I know that’s just a sharp bend in this small gorge. The high lava walls are fractured, broken, jagged, with many large cracks. The canyon floor is littered with sharp–edged rocks among which grow grass, shrubs and aspen. Through all this, East Creek makes music on the downhill course.
It is early summer. The water is low enough that I can hike through here without getting wet. Among the rocks deep pools hold big trout that cruise in wide circles. Last year I caught five fish here, the legal limit. Taken together, those fish totaled 62 inches of rainbow trout. Today I just enjoy an outdoor hike.
The cliffs on both sides of the creek hold occasional coves with grass, willows, chokecherries, blue elderberries, aspen, and pine. One cove, on the opposite side of the creek, contains a substantial rock that fell from above. Sprawled on the rock is a large, yellow–bellied marmot. The marmot pays me no attention until I stop to look at the fat rodent. It raises its head to return the favor. The critter is not far away. The distance across the creek and into the cove is about 25 feet. I shout and flap my arms. A piercing whistle is the only response from the marmot. But, when I raise my binoculars, another shrill whistle fills the air and the big rodent dives out of sight over the back of the rock. I’m sure that behind the rock is a marmot–sized hole in the ground.
I resume my slow progress up the canyon. The rough ground demands a constant watch on my step. Often I stop to gaze in all directions at the scenery to see what I have missed.
The canyon floor grows wider and less steep. Fewer rocks make for a more relaxed walk. The lava rock walls are much lower here, and blend into the forested, sloped hillsides. Ahead, in a small basin, I see a beaver dam, one of my goals for this hike. When I was here last year, close inspection of the dam and nearby aspen trees showed no current beaver activity. This time, as I approach from downstream, I see work has been done on the dam. Lots of closely bundled willow sticks are spread over both sides of the dam and are plastered with fresh mud. The dam is higher than before, the pond is larger, deeper, and covers a good half acre. An old beaver lodge, about eight feet from shore, bears signs of recent repair…to be continued.