What I mean by Marginally is that no car or truck had done what we did since the last snows (of this we are sure). Parts of the route had been traveled by others but not the complete route. After we passed over Mud Creek we came across a logging operation and their dog chased us a while in my 4 wheel drive truck.
But, there were a few iffy places we had to negotiate too. After we left the City of Mt. Shasta on Old McCloud Rd. we got as far as Bear Springs which is an actual springs you pass on the road with a pool likely built by the forest service in case of fires made of mud and dirt with a spring feeding it. Later you come across a part of the paved road up to Mt. Shasta Ski Park but you only stay on that about a 1/2 miles or less and you have to know the route like my friend did traveling with me in my 4 wheel drive. After that there is oiled pavement likely put in in the last 30 to 50 years which means it isn't maintained so sometimes half the road is gone and is dirt or rocks and the other half is paved like that.
After that it becomes more iffy like trees fallen across the road in various ways. So, we stopped many many times to move large branches or trees that had fallen across the 4 wheel drive road. I was most concerned that Mud Creek had been cleared since the Mud flows of 2014 which had then closed the road at Mud Creek. But, when we reach the creek I was worried it was too swift or two deep or both for the truck to pass even with a lot of ground clearance. So, when I took a video of my truck being driven by a friend across Mud creek I noticed it didn't go inside the truck cab but did reach the bottom of the truck door because the creek is both deep and swift. Also, I had crossed the creek on foot in Crocs (water shoes) above there to make sure my truck could make it by testing the depths with a large stick to make sure there weren't any 4 foot deep spots or deeper. But, I couldn't find any and I threw my truck keys across to my friend so he could drive across the creek because I realized the current was too swift and I couldn't safely get back across to my truck after checking for depths at the crossing point. Luckily, he drove the truck at the right speed in 4 wheel drive (not too fast or not to slow) each would create various potential problems but luckily it all turned out okay. Soon after that heading east, we came across a logging crew and their dog chasing my truck for 1/2 a mile too alongside.
One reason we decided not to turn back before Mud Creek was that we came down this one slope where there had been a slide at some point and the road was kind of messed up with hundreds of feet drop off on the right side. My friend didn't tell me this at the time but he was worried we were going to turn over because of this and he worried the truck was going to roll down the hill with me in it and he didn't want to be on board if that happened. So, he went ahead of the truck moving 20 pound to 100 pound rocks or more that were blocking the road. This is how I knew that no one had passed this way in a truck or car for 1 to 5 years time. So, we were the first this year and possibly the first in 5 years on this section of the road just before Mud Creek. Then we went to a place called 4 corners and headed down what might be called Widow Springs Rd or Drive or something like that back down into Mt. Shasta Forest subdivision on to Pilgrim Creek Road and finally onto Highway 89 back towards Mt. Shasta City.
Mud Creek had closed the road for several years at it's location on this road from the huge mud flows that came down in 2014.
Here are some links regarding 2014 and the mudflow year.
I drove to Pilgrim creek road after Mudflow in 201...- Here are some links to mudflow videos from 2014 on...
later:
Also, just before or after Bear Springs we found the correct numbered road up to Wagon Camp which is a meadow with a stream running through it. There is also a Tibetan Stupa there also and McGinnis Springs is also nearby. Spring flowers of many kinds were out and butterflies mostly local to the mountain were out too and water was running everywhere too. So, a really beautiful Mountain Spring time like you find in Early summers sometimes in the higher mountains above 4000 or 5000 feet in elevation. There are also still patches of snow between 5500 feet and 6000 feet and above in elevation, so watch out for those if you are driving this road in the next week or month as well.
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