Cottonwood Creek

This morning we drove to Cottonwood Main logging road near the town of Youbou on Cowichan Lake. Cottonwood Main leads to Lomas Lake and El Capitan Mountain. We explored this route because someday we want to backpack to Lomas Lake.

The logging road gate was locked. We had walked five kilometers when we arrived where the road crosses Cottonwood Creek. Many logging roads are deactivated after use. On Cottonwood Main the bridge over the creek was removed.

Someone had fallen a tree across the creek, cut a flat surface on the tree trunk and installed a rope. Renee crossed to the other side by walking the tree. But I did not. Too slippery for me and my hiking boots. She returned by wading through the creek. Wet feet and boots after that. But better than falling off the wet tree trunk into the creek, which was shallow. But boulders formed the creek bed.

Ten kilometer round trip walking in the rainforest. Low cloud and some drizzle. Majestic maple trees along the creek, moss and more moss, ferns. We saw an elk at the beginning of the hike.