Sulphur Creek - 9.13.2010
We did the Sulphur Creek Route as a thru-hike... leaving a bicycle at the Chimney Rock trailhead and then driving to the Visitor Center... where the hike starts behind the Visitor Center.
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The hike starts behind the Visitor Center, but there is no signage... so if it is confusing where to start the hike, ask for directions inside the Visitor Center.
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Sulphur Creek is very tame near the Visitor Center and we just started following the creek upstream.
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Denali Girl hiking along Sulphur Creek near the Visitor Center.
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Heading upstream.
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The terrain demands that the creek be crossed many times.
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The first major obstacle... and we couldn't get through the gap.
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We had to back track about 100 feet where we found a hiker's path that took us up and around the waterfall.
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Denali Girl coming back down to Sulphur Creek after bypassing the waterfall.
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Back down to Sulphur Creek.
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Heading up Sulphur Creek.
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Whatever it takes.
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The canyon narrows.
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Heading up Sulphur Creek.
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Denali Girl coming up Sulphur Creek.
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At each turn in the canyon water has undercut the canyon wall.
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Denali Girl makes one of the many creek crossings.
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Crossing again.
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Heading upstream... very slow going.
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Still coming upstream.
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Two small waterfalls.
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Heading upstream.
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Looking back down Sulphur Creek.
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A very tight fit here... what to do?
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Did I say a tight fit?
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We can pass this spot from above.
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Continuing upstream.
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The canyon walls are spectacular.
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Looking downstream.
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Only one option here if we are to continue upstream.
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Denali Girl wading in Sulphur Creek.
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Denali Girl and her boot necklace.
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It won't get any easier for awhile.
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The canyon walls are closing in.
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Heading upstream.
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Denali Girl has gone back to the boots.
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Wading again.
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No where to hide here.
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We weren't good enough to deal with this waterfall...
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so we back tracked a few yards and found the Class 2 route that leads through the leaning rock above.
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Denali Girl coming up through the leaning rock.
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Above the roaring waterfall.
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Looking downstream.
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Along Sulphur Creek.
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Overhangs.
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Overhangs.
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Ugh... another waterfall obstacle.
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We backtracked a bit and found a Class 2 route that got us above the waterfall.
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We were very glad we weren't here when this tree got wedged in the canyon.
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Canyon walls.
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The fun continues.
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At last the canyon widens again.
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We have branched out into a side canyon... and there is no water to deal with anymore.
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Winding our way to where we stashed the bicycle.
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Yee-haw... it took us 6.5 hours to travel 5 miles... gaining 900 feet of elevation... now I get to do a 3 mile bike ride to the Visitor Center to retrieve our car.
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