Sulphur Creek Falls

Day 216: My first day as a volunteer with the Invasive Plant Council was an astonishing success. I had emailed the land manager for the Swofford Pond Trail last night (he's a personal friend) to let him know that there was a large colony of Yellow Archangel at the boat ramp. As I drove past his office this morning, I noticed his truck in the lot, so I stopped to chat. At that very moment, he was loading up the prescribed chemical spray to control the infestation, and was going to be heading to the site with his crew within a few hours. Now that's what I call a fast response!

When I got to Swofford, I documented the species with photos and GPS coordinates, and then set out on the trail to see what else I might come across. Richard had mentioned the possibility of Purple Loosestrife, English Ivy and Yellow Flag Iris occuring in several spots and asked me to check on them. I did not discover any, although I did find a Holly, a "monitored" species. I stopped and reported it to Richard on the way home. It will also be listed on the survey sheet I turn in to the IPC.

When my patrol of the south shore was almost complete, I found myself juggling the idea of taking a side trip up to Sulphur Creek Falls. The only "trail" to it is one created by elk and a few hikers who try to follow them with somewhat limited success. I've been there enough times that I no longer need map and compass to find the falls, now entirely familiar with almost every root and rock en route. It's not a long hike, approximately half a mile, but it is steep and the vegetative hazards are myriad. Years ago, my first few attempts to reach the falls were stymied by Devil's-Club, dense Salmonberry thickets and prodigious nettles. It is also challenging to get down to creek level when you arrive at the falls. A fall on the steep slope would surely end in broken bones. The box-canyon walls rise a hundred feet or so above the narrow valley floor, only permitting sunlight to reach the bottom for a few hours in the afternoon.

I stayed at the falls for half an hour or so before heading down. As I neared the boat launch, I could smell the chemicals Richard and his team had applied to the Archangel. The area will require monitoring for a few years to be sure it doesn't come back, a duty which will give me an excuse to make another trip to the Falls.