Drift Creek Wilderness

Yesterday, after looking at our Siuslaw National Forest Map, we decided to see if we could make it up to a trailhead that would take us into the wilderness.  We drove east of Waldport along the Alsea River, and then up a national forest road to the Harris Ranch trailhead.  The trail was a descent of about 1,100 feet to Drift Creek through some old growth forest.  The map says it rains about 120 inches a year here. It was quite rain foresty.  We had lunch on some beautiful open rock slabs along the shore.  There were numerous potholes in the rock filled with water and containing a number of Rough-skinned Newts.

  No other cars at the trailhead and not one other person seen all day.  Definitely not Southern California!

 This forest has a great mix of  kinds of trees and ages of trees. 

 We recognized this plant from Alaska - Devil's Club.  It is covered with spines, even its leaves.

 A good example of a nursery log now straddled by this large hemlock.

 Drift Creek was a very pleasant surprise, and a great place for lunch.

 We had lunch on some beautiful open rock slabs along the shore.  There were numerous potholes in the rock filled with water and containing a number of Rough-skinned Newts.

 There were some calm, deeper pools, too.  This is a very important creek for coho and chinook salmon.

 Moss covered tree.

 The trail up the creek was very overgrown.  We were trying to find where it connected to a trail coming from the north down to the other side of the creek, but finally gave up.

 Hiking back out, we saw this garter snake cross the trail and try to hide.

 This sighting by the amazing eagle-eye Gail, was one for the books! A Coastal Giant Salamander consuming a banana slug.  It seemed comatose, possibly from the slugs chemical slime.

 Although this one is about 7 1/2 inches long, Coastal Giants can reach 13 inches in length, making them North America's largest terrestrial salamander. They have been known to eat mice, fish, and just about anything they can fit in their mouths. They can also bark like a dog!

We didn't see the salamander or the slug move in any detectable way.  I wonder how this ended.