Pink Beds Connector/Gauging Station Trail (#118A)
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Pink Beds Connector/Gauging Station Trail Map
Route map of the Pink Beds Connector (i.e. Gauging Station) Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...
Pink Beds Connector/Gauging Station Trail Map
Route map of the Pink Beds Connector (i.e. Gauging Station) Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...
Wolf Ford Camp Trailhead (F.R. 476) -- 3,160'
The trailhead is here, at the end of Forest Service Road 476. The Pink Beds Connector Trail begins from the group of campsites through the trees on the right in this shot. The South Mills River Trail also begins here, beyond the metal gate at the end of the road...
Wolf Ford Camp Trailhead (F.R. 476) -- 3,160'
Looking back from the end of Forest Service Road 476 you can see the starting point of the Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail on the left...
Normally quite popular, the road closure the year I shot these photos had the campsites at the trailhead looking very disused and overgrown...
The stone remains of the old gauging station on the South Fork Mills River sit just off the trail next to the campsites...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail -- 3,150'
The first trail marker for the trail sits inside the wood line at the far end of the campsites. It's simply marked "To Pink Beds"...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail -- 3,150'
The trail starts out through a thick stand of dog-hobble and rhododendron...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail @ Thompson Creek -- 3,150'
Within a minute you'll reach the wide crossing of Thompson Creek, just above where it empties into the South Fork Mills River. At normal water levels this crossing is a rock hop but it doesn't take too much rain to turn it into a wade...
Thompson Creek/South Fork Mills River Confluence -- 3,150'
Thompson Creek as it empties into the South Fork immediately below the crossing...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail -- 3,150'
On the far side of the crossing the trail quickly returns to the green tunnel...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail -- 3,160'
The trail gets pressed right up alongside the South Fork here...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail -- 3,150'
The next crossing the trail arrives at, of a muddy little unnamed tributary, is thankfully bridged...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail -- 3,160'
Continuing to tunnel...with a couple pines thrown in now to mix things up...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail -- 3,160'
Along the river again briefly, the trail becomes surrounded by a thick grove of ferns...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail @ Poplar Creek -- 3,160'
Arriving at the bridged crossing of Poplar Creek. I don't have the greatest of hope that this bridge will enjoy a long life...
South Fork Mills River -- 3,170'
There are some really nice views of the placid South Fork along this stretch...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station) Trail -- 3,170'
As the trail nears its junction with the Pink Beds Loop the understory, covered in a thick carpet of ferns, opens up...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station)/Pink Beds Loop Trail Junction -- 3,180'
In just under a mile the trail reaches its western terminus, at its junction with the Pink Beds Loop...
Pink Beds Connector (Gauging Station)/Pink Beds Loop Trail Junction -- 3,180'
The western terminus of the trail, as seen from the Pink Beds Loop. You can see here how the marker is labeled "Gauging Station Trail" despite official forest literature calling it the 'Pink Beds Connector'. Thus it gets both names in this album.
