JENNY CREEK

 by  
LARRY E HECK 

Another of the many adventures of PASS PATROL

The original stagecoach road over Rollins Pass followed Jenny Creek.  When the railroad came along, a different route was selected higher up the mountainside.  After trains abandoned the Rollins Pass and Needle’s Eye railway, the rails were removed and the railroad grade became the main vehicle road.  That new road is much more level on a gentle grade and is maintained for passenger car traffic.  On the other hand, the Jenny Creek Trail has not changed much since the days of the stagecoach.  If anything, it has gotten worse.

Our group selected a warm weekend in August to make our return visit.  We started the weekend on Kingston Peak south of Jenny Creek, then wandered into the area.  There are numerous campsites on both sides of the road but we chose the one about one tenth of a mile south of the FSR502 trailhead.

Our journey up Jenny Creek began sharply at 9am ... okay so maybe it was a little past 9am.  We made the turn and the long descent to the floor of the valley.  There are two bridges to cross.  The first one is still standing, the second one is not.  On the second one, we just kinda used the decaying rubble to get across  Actually, it would be easier if that bridge would completely wash away.  Maybe this spring thaw will get it.

Just past that bridge is an intersection.  We are told the one on the right is a dead end but did not check it out.  We took the one going left which begins with a rocker-panel-eating rock climb.  In other words, it is nasty.  I have done it without a spotter, but had to get out of the vehicle several times during the process to see where everything was.

The rest of the trail is easier than that first part until you reach a washed out hill climb.  That one does not include any threatening rocks but there are only two ways to get up it.  One is to back up and take a run at it!  Programmer chose that method and momentarily experienced the sensation of having all four wheels off the ground.  He was lucky.  During his launch, the vehicle maintained a straight path and did not end up smashed into a tree.

Everyone who witnessed Programmers flight path decided to use the method I chose.  That one simply entails connecting a Warn winch cable to one of those trees and pulling the vehicle through.  My method uses a lot less adrenaline, but of course it’s not as dramatic.  No doubt, Programmer earned the macho award on that day.

The only other obstacle on the trail is a long stretch where the path follows the creek bed.  That section is under water with huge boulders that are not all visible.

It was mid-afternoon when we reached Yankee Doodle Lake.  I decided to drive to the end of the main road to Rollins Pass and hike to the trestles beyond the Needles Eye Tunnel.  Most of the rest of the outfit headed back for camp.

Rollins Pass tops out at 11,660 feet.  A small community called Corona once existed at the top of the pass and consisted of many hundreds of feet of show sheds to keep the tracks clear.  The remains of those snow sheds, a few concrete foundations and a historical marker are all that’s left of the town.

Copyright (c) 2009 Lone Writer, LLC. All rights reserved.

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