Saved by the shade

Our Craigs Creek lunch spot. (The Daily Triplicate/Richard Wiens)

As Craigs Creek Trail heats up, trees provide more than scenery on trip to creek-river confluence

A challenging hike through varied landscape?

Check.

Great views of the South Fork of the Smith River?

Check.

A scenic, secluded swimming hole/picnic spot at the turnaround point?

Check.

Adequate preparation for the inland heat?

Uhh, maybe Laura and I have spent too much of our Del Norte time with sand between our toes. Because only after hiking Craigs Creek last Saturday do we have a proper appreciation of just how hot it can get a few miles east of our cool coastal climate when walking long uphill stretches.

Our only excuse for not being more savvy about the environs east of the redwood parks is that this was only our second hike in them (driving to a swimming hole to beat the heat doesn’t count), and the first was a shorty on the Myrtle Creek Trail. Sure, we’d noticed the Craigs Creek trailhead sign while driving the bridge over the South Fork of the Smith. But this trail isn’t mentioned in either of our hiking books, and I had to spend a few minutes on the Six Rivers National Park Web site to unpeel one paragraph of information about it.

South Fork of the Smith River. The Daily Triplicate/Richard Wiens)

Perhaps negating that excuse, we did read the newspaper’s weather forecast calling for an inland high of 93-103 degrees. Looking out on the ocean as we sipped our morning coffee, those numbers just didn’t seem real. We didn’t lollygag, but we didn’t exactly load up our packs at dawn, either. Instead, we pulled off of South Fork Road just before the second bridge in from U.S. Highway 199 and hit the trail about 11 a.m.

Not more than 50 feet from the bridge-side trailhead, we came to a fork. Since the path to the right was downhill, we followed it and were rewarded with a nearby ledge from which to view the river below. Alas, this was not the main trail, so we retraced our steps, took the other fork and started climbing.

A slithery resident of the South Fork of the Smith River. (The Daily Triplicate/Richard Wiens)

Through a series of ascents and descents, we passed a variety of trees, including old growth redwoods, Douglas firs, pines and madrones. The trail was cushioned with leaves and generally shaded — a feature we’d deeply appreciate on the afternoon’s return trip. It went generally east for the first couple of miles, with the South Fork of the Smith sometimes visible far below. When the river suddenly bent south, the trail basically missed the sharp curve and continued inland for almost a mile before switching back onto a westward stretch that followed Craigs Creek.

By the time we started hearing, then seeing, the creek, we were heavily into a downhill mode that had us thinking about the walk back up. We knew the trail ended at the river, and the map showed no bridge across it at that point. Nevertheless, we speculated about the possibility of crossing the water and walking back to our car on South Fork Road instead of retracing the trail.

The waters. (The Daily Triplicate/Richard Wiens)

Not that the rising heat was filling us with dread. The final stretch above the creek was especially smooth and still mostly shaded. We took care to stay in the center of the trail, with what looked like occasional poison oak to our right and a steep drop-off to our left.

At the end of the descent, we knew we were near the confluence of creek and river. We took a path to the left that led to an idyllic setting at creekside, complete with babbling rapids and a backdrop of early fall colors. It was lunchtime.

After eating, we contemplated cooling off in the creek, but decided instead to finish the trail. This turned out to involve only a few hundred more feet of walking to the confluence.

Sure enough, there was no bridge across the South Fork, although it was placid enough to swim if we hadn’t been packing a camera. Resigned to the reality of an eventual return trip up the trail, we enjoyed the riverside setting complete with tiny frogs, a floating snake, and a couple of groups of people on the other side of the river – the side with the road access. They were the only humans we encountered on the journey, and they were well off in the distance.

We took off our shoes and socks and soaked in the water, fortifying ourselves with an inner cool. By the time we got out and slathered on more sunscreen, it was about 2 p.m. and the heat was on for the 3.7-mile return trip.

That lingering “inner cool” actually helped for the first mile or so. What aided us even more as we rationed our third and final bottle of water was the near-constant shade. On the rare exposed stretches, the temperature soared.

It occurred to me that maybe we should have refilled our bottles with river water. After all, the Smith is supposed to be one of the West’s most pristine rivers, right? By then, however, we were high above the water. At that point it was our VW Jetta or bust, and we got a final boost from a couple of apples we’d forgotten about in the bottom of a backpack.

Craigs Creek Trail, all 7.4 miles of it, is a worthy hike, scenic and strenuous with a glorious turnaround point. Start early, pack extra water, and you’ll be two steps ahead of us.

Trail notes

THE HIKE: A 7.4-mile round-trip from the bridge over the South Fork of the Smith River to its confluence with Craigs Creek.

HIGHLIGHTS: A variety of trees, including old-growth redwoods and madrones. Great views looking down at the South Fork of the Smith, and later, Craigs Creek. Near the turnaround point, veer left for an idyllic creekside setting, or veer right as the trail ends at the confluence.

SWEAT LEVEL: There are several long uphill and downhill stretches. Keep in mind the afternoon heat, and the fact that the return trip is more ascent than descent.

GETTING THERE: If you’re westbound on U.S.Highway 199, turn right on South Fork Road, cross the first bridge, and then park on the side of the road just before the second bridge. The trailhead is just across the road. There’s more parking available if you continue around the corner and follow the signs.