Holmes Creek Hike

     This is a tale of why you should do your research before you hike. I read one little post saying they were going to do an easy hike and end up at the bottom of Holmes Creek.  For some reason I thought they were hiking along the creek and I had passed over it many times while doing the BST and thought it would be fun to explore it further.  I talked Bryan into it and we got up early and off we went. We were okay for the first 100 yards.  There is a little dammed up portion that my kids used to visit, a little further looked like we should cross the stream but got over there and didn't really see anything so crossed back, came to a huge rock outcropping next to a very steep slope. Took turns crawling up since the falling rocks were a little hazardous.  We went up quite a ways before deciding this wasn't really a trail but we could see a faint trail on the other side so we went back down to the river crossing, climbed up a scree slope and followed a trail (I guess it was a trail).  Anyway we went on steep slopes, scree slopes, slippery slopes and did find one nice grove of trees.  Managed to usually find the trail after a little searching but the last time Bryan climbed up a scree slope he was gone for awhile.  I called and called but no answer so I started to climb up thinking something has happened to him.  I got a bee sting and started into the string of negative thoughts.
     Last year I got stung by hornets twice -1 week apart- and the second time my whole calf was quite swollen so I started thinking maybe I am really allergic now.  I'm going to die of anaphylaxis, Bryan's had a heart attack, they will find us both dead up here if they ever find us at all on this god-forsaken hillside. Needless to say none of this happened but when I did find Bryan and found out it had taken about an hour to go 1/2 a mile and I was totally miserable I told him we were going home.

Bryan on a part of the trail where you could see Holmes Creek.

A view into the valley

       I still don't know what the start of the creek looks like but I did get a hole in my pants, lots of scratches, a bee sting, sore muscles in my hands from trying to hold on to rocks and branches and a few glimpses of creek which looked like it would be pretty if you could get a little closer.  I feel no need to repeat it although it is always hard not to reach a real ending to your hike.