Sunday, July 13, 2025
End: Bastille Creek
Kilometers: 33.1
Approach Total: 79.7
A Painful Start
As I mentioned in my journal, I started the day in some pain, and it got more sharp as the morning wore on. Sadly this ended up being the only real story of the day, as I made the decision to put the hike on pause when I arrived at Bastille Creek and saw the condition of my feet. The lesson I learned was that I need to take better care of myself. On the Eastern Continental Trail, I didn’t need to take as much care of myself, because there was infrastructure all around to take a break if needed. Out here on the Walker Creek FSR, there is nothing and nobody to help, besides someone that you call out to help you.
A Wet Day
The first three hours of the hike were under threatening clouds, and the rain started after that. It wasn’t too heavy, but rain on a roadwalk is a problem because there is never any cover for yourself or the ground you are walking, which becomes mud.
No Traffic
There was not a single vehicle or person of any kind on this portion of the road. I had already passed the logging camp, and no one was driving on the overgrown portion of the Walker Creek Forest Service Road.
Bastille Creek
The person who picked me up has experience with this area, and when he saw the water level of Bastille Creek, told me that the Buchanan Creek crossing would be questionable. So I suppose that if you see the Bastille Creek level submerging the rocks on both banks, be aware that the Buchanan Creek crossing, which I actually think has the potential to be the toughest water crossing a hiker encounters, could be difficult.