Trip Report September 5th

Went down to DCHS on Saturday, via Bradford Ridge Trail. One other car already at Bradford Ridge trail head at 6:45am. I got down to the springs just before 8am. The water in Deep Creek is very low, and quite warm. The hot pools were in pretty good condition, especially the Anniversary Pool - despite the low water level in the creek, this pool was crystal clear and pretty clean. The Anniversary pool looks like it hasn't been cleaned out in a while. There was a bunch of rotting gunk in the deep part, right where the water runs in. The womb was great.

It looks like DCHS has been heavily used recently (although the numbers were pretty light when I was there). There are lots of bits and pieces of clothing and camping equipment left behind and little bits of trash just about everywhere. However, it wouldn't take more than an hour to clean it all up.

The crowd was small and eclectic. It was much smaller than I expected. I was down there last Labor Day weekend and it was like being in Santa Monica. There were 7 campers and 5 day trippers when I arrived. A family of Eastern European origin arrived shortly afterward - two young boys, a man and two women. I couldn't tell what their language was, but it wasn't familiar, and I spend a lot of time in Europe.

A few people trickled in between 10 and 11 am, via Bowen Ranch.

I left shortly after 11. Bradford Ridge trail is in pretty poor condition.

I wonder if the recent trouble with cars on the Freedom trail and the rangers ticketing campers has scared some people away?