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Wood Camp Waterfall, 25 June, 2023

Nine hikers met at the Smith's parking lot at 8 a.m.  After brief introductions, the group left in 3 vehicles for the Wood Camp trailhead 13 miles up Logan Canyon.  The group arrived at the trailhead at 8:30 a.m. and began their hike with temperatures in the upper 40s.

The first 0.75 miles of the hike followed the Jardine Juniper trail to the 2nd footbridge over the creek coming from Wood Camp Hollow on the left.  Here the group left the more well-known Jardine Juniper trail to start the 1.8 mile climb to the waterfall.  Vegetation was green and thick, thanks to the abundance of winter snow and the creek at the bottom of the hollow was running stronger than the group had seen in the past.  The trail up the hollow was overgrown in many places but the group was able to keep to the trail, albeit with some scrapes and scratches.

With many varieties of wildflowers and flowering shrubs to be seen, the group took a leisurely pace up the hollow - stopping often to call attention to something new, or to quiz each other on the names of the flowers and plants.

At the 2 mile marker, the group split into two.  David and Ralph opted to follow the trail a bit further, while the remaining 6 dropped down to the rocky creek-bed to continue the route to the waterfall.  David and Ralph managed to stay on the trail for only 0.25 more miles before being forced to bushwhack their way back down to join the other 6 hikers.  With about 0.4 miles remaining to the waterfall, the group encountered snow and continued the remainder of the climb on, or right at the edge of the snow.  The group was hesitant to walk on the snow directly above the creek bed because of the volume of water that was running beneath the snow and the possibility of falling through.

A very slow, but steady climb for the final 0.4 miles rewarded hikers with an up-close view of the waterfall, and beautiful vistas to the east.  At 11:15 a.m. the group stopped for lunch at the top of their climb with temperatures around 65, before packing up to make the return trip.  A few hikers explored ways of sliding down the steep snow slope on their backsides, while the others relied on careful steps or side-stepping down the slippery slope.

As the group returned to the trailhead, the temperatures climbed into the upper 70s while increasing cloud cover helped to tame the heat.  The group made it back to the trailhead at 1:36 a.m. and the 3 vehicles returned to Smith's before calling it a day.

Trip Summary:
  • Participants: David W, Michelle, Josiah, Brent L, Ralph, Susan, Dave P, Teresa, Jane
  • Drove 13 miles to Wood Camp trailhead  
  • Started hike at 8:30 a.m. with temperature of 48 degrees
  • Lunch at the waterfall at 11:15 a.m. with temperature of 65 degrees
  • Returned to trailhead at 1:36 p.m. and a temperature of 81 degrees
  • Hiked about 4.9 miles with elevation gain about 1900 feet

Thanks to David for the narrative, photos and GPS data, Dave P. and Jane for photos, and Ralph for photos and GPS data.


The Wood Camp Trailhead

Hiking up Wood Camp Hollow on an increasingly overgrown path

Interesting cloud formations

The last 0.4 miles to the waterfall was on the snow-filled drainage of Wood Camp Hollow

Avalanche debris and "watermelon snow" near the waterfall


An undercut chasm kept us from approaching the waterfall
 Our lunch spot near the waterfall


Descending on snow after lunch
 Looking down Wood Camp Hollow on our return


Jacob's ladder, Polemonium
 Stickseed, Hackelia


The elusive but lovely leopard lily, Fritilaria pudica


Jupiter buttercup, Ranunculus jovis
 Horsemint, Agastache


Glacier lily, Erythronium grandiflorum, blooming as the snow recedes

Tent caterpillar
 Caterpillar tent


Figwort, Scrophularia lanceolata
 Wild hyacinth, Tritelia grandiflora

Snowbush, Symphoricarpos oreophilus
 Senecio


Stoneseed or puccoon, Lithospermum ruderale
 Sticky geraneum, Geranium viscosissimum

Lupine
 Penstemon

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium

Our GPS track shows about 4.9 miles and 1900 feet of ascent.
You can look at our route using Google Earth or download our GPS file.