(April 2, 2019 / Author: Tim Bondy) I took a hike along Wilson Creek, a tributary of Anderson Ranch Reservoir on May 13, 2014. I was unaware at the time that a flash flood had scoured at least one-half mile of that river valley. So, when I walked what used to be a trail, it appeared that bulldozers had completely flattened the creekbed in the narrow river valley. It wasn’t until later I discover a vast amount of the “scouring” was a result of the flash flood.
NOTE: This post was originally published on another one of my websites in May 2014. I decided to bring this post over to “Bondy’s Outdoor Idaho” website for the historical value. This post has been modified some but the original story remains mostly unchanged.
May 13, 2014, was the day to explore the Wilson Creek Trail off Anderson Ranch Reservoir in southwestern Idaho. The lower portions of this trail and creekbed were radically bulldozed in an effort to control the infamous Idaho Elk Complex Fire of 2013. Tim Bondy and his dog Addie painfully and slowly limped their way up this valley.
Easy Trail Turns Mean
Addie and I have been up this trail a number of times in the last 3 years. It was a close to home, easy access and just a nice “few hours out of your day” get-away. And it still is close to home and easy access. But when I decided to get some nice easy “after USAA Insured Driver hit and hurt event” exercise on Wilson Creek Trail, little did I know it had changed dramatically in the last 8 months.
The trail is gone … Wiped nearly clean by bulldozers and I suspect a few flash flood types of events at least along the Wilson Creek portion (lower) of the trail. The shady trail that followed a babbling brook type creek isn’t so shady and babbling was what came out of my mouth after seeing the extreme changes. And yes “extreme” is dramatic but also accurate in this case.
Rockhounding Wilson Creek Area
The Wilson Creek drainage is not normally a prime place to rockhound but a bulldozer sure can change things. It’s still not a “gotta go” destination to look for cool rocks, gems, and minerals but it’s better now than in the past 100 years. Your mileage may vary, however.
Smoky quartz, lots of pinkish feldspar and a smattering of tiny quartz crystal growing off some freshly unearthed rock are all there for the find. I didn’t exactly search high and low as my main objective was to not further injure my legs or those of my dog. But if you’re in the area and have a few hours to rock hound, this might be a good place to explore.
Oh, and this used to be an “ATV Allowed” trail. At this time (May 2014), mechanized travel on this trail and even up on Wilson Flats is strictly forbidden. Got to let nature try to heal this area. But it’s also elk country so by hunting season will this area will be open? Check with National Forest Service folks in Mountain Home at (208) 373-4100 for more info and details.
Links
- Land Closure Map from the Elk and Pony Fires of 2013. Still in effect as of May 2014. http://www.scribd.com/doc/224803384/Idaho-s-Elk-Pony-Fires-Closure-May-2014-Map
- Google Picasa Photo Album from this story: https://picasaweb.google.com/112532322025941965882/20140513?authuser=0&feat=directlink
- Map to Wilson Creek area: http://www.acme.com/mapper/?ll=43.38197,-115.43678&z=13&t=T&marker0=43.72794%2C-115.37312%2C43.727939%25C2%25B0\%2C%20-115.373110%25C2%25B0&marker1=43.38197%2C-115.43678%2C2.9%20km%20NxNE%20of%20Anderson%20Ranch%20Reservoir%20ID
Updates to the Story Five Years Later
I discovered not long after originally publishing this story in May 2014, that the flash flood was the cause of all the damage in the Wilson Creek drainage. The flood “scouring” damage also extended upstream further than I realized even one year later.
During the past five years, I have hiked through this canyon numerous times. I have watched as normal foot traffic had created a walkable path upstream of the reservoir. And in 2017, the USFS had begun to officially rebuild the trail. During my last hike in the area, I found the trail to be wide and quite nice. There was even an ATV driving on it even though the trail was still close to vehicle traffic.
The flash flood and the damage it did to the first one-half mile of the trail closed down the entire Wilson Flats trail system starting in either 2013 or 2014. The last time I checked, the USFS trail closure order for ATVs and smaller, ended on March 31, 2019. Once it opens, I’ll be heading up there with my mountain bike and a ride on the lollipop loop trail #606.
This is my life just off Interstate 84 in Mountain Home, Idaho
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Tim Bondy
Ending Pun: My friend’s bakery burned down last night. Now his business is toast.