This trip is for the dogs

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

By Jake Nichols

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Dog Creek makes for a perfect early season hike because of its mild elevation gain. Three miles into the drainage, and hikers will have climbed only 1,200 feet. With much of the valley’s trails still covered by snow above 7,500 feet or so, staying low and on south-facing aspects is key.

Dog Creek is fed mainly by snowmelt off Wolf Mountain (9,483 ft.). Last weekend it was raging. After getting fueled by Little Dog and Pup Creek, Dog Creek meanders through a tight drainage and empties into Pritchard Pond and eventually under the highway in to the Snake River. This spring, the creek has smashed through beaver dams and jumped her banks in most places.

The trail begins at Pritchard Pond about five miles south of Hoback Junction on Highway 26/89. The turnoff is on the right. It is possible to drive into a trailhead parking area that doubles as a fall hunt camp, but high water has all but washed out the road currently.

The well maintained single-track is suitable for mountain biking, but few are ever seen in here. The first option to get off the main trail comes one mile in. The left split wanders into Beaver Dam Canyon and eventually swings back to the southeast to hook up with Cabin Creek. Choosing this loop will put hikers back out on to the highway after 5.5 miles, where a second shuttle car is necessary. Watch for sheep in Cabin Creek during late summer. They are grazed there by permit.

Continuing west on Dog Creek trail, travelers can choose to explore a couple of unnamed trails to the north. Elk and ranch cattle are often found in this area between Coburn, Fall and Dog creeks. Keep an eye out for moose down in the willows.

At 2.2 miles, hikers will come to the first crossing of Dog Creek. It is usually an easy combination of log balancing and rock hopping but with the water up and fast, hip-deep wading will be required. Don’t wring out your socks just yet. Hikers will be required to cross Dog again at the confluence of Dog and Little Dog Creeks. Look to your left, behind the fat fir tree. That’s the best place for long-legged leapers to try and clear the creek in one jump.

At 2.4 miles, the trail splits again with options to continue on Dog Creek (left) or head to Little Dog and Pup creeks (right). Following the Dog Creek leads hikers up 2,200 feet in 4.25 miles to the headwaters of Dog Creek near Indian Peak. Travel from there could continue into Lake Basin and eventually down the south fork of Indian Creek, which spills into the Palisades Reservoir. The total distance from Pritchard Pond to the Palisades via Dog Creek would be 19 miles; a hump best left for pack horses.

Staying right at the Dog Creek ‘Y’ will find hikers encountering another split after 0.3 miles. Little Dog Creek is to the left. Horseback travelers use this fork often to top out after 2.45 miles on to a well-traveled, ridge-topping pack trail, which leads into the heart of the Snake River Range.

Pup Creek eventually tops out after 4.4 miles from the Pritchard Pond trailhead at a small hunt camp. Meat-drying rails, a fire ring and a few empty cans designate the spot. The GPS coordinates are N43, 19.127; W110, 50.831. Looking back down the drainage from here will give hikers a great sense of how far they’ve come.

As the name might suggest, Dog Creek is a popular hike for dog-owners on hot summer days. Hikers will never be more than a hundred yards from water. It is often overlooked for more glamorous trails once the snow clears but with snow still hanging on in the high country, it might make Dog Creek a bit more popular for another month or so.

Courtesy photo
Four-legged friend in his creek.
Four-legged friend in his creek.

PERMALINK:
This trip is for the dogs | Planet JH News Article: Sports & Recreation

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