Jeru Creek and the Jammed Wrist

When it's hot in the evening, go to the mountains where it's cool and pretty.  That's what we did last night.

This time we drove up the Jeru Creek drainage which takes off from the main road at Upper Pack River.  I learned this morning from a website called "Ultimate Idaho," that if we had taken off earlier in the evening, we could have seen some nice falls:

Jeru Creek Falls
Turning northwest at Samuels off US Highway 2/95, merge onto Pack River Road and proceed 9 miles to Jeru Creek’s north side where an unmarked parking area is located.


At an elevation of 3,060 feet, Jeru Creek rushes down 100 to 150 feet on land that is likely private property. Although offering a spectacular scene, this destination requires a moderate hike on an undeveloped trail. 

All visitors are urged to wear sturdy hiking boots, and the site is not recommended for young children or those with any physical limitations. Leaving the parking area, hike for 1 mile along a rarely used four-wheel drive road that soon becomes a primitive trail. 

When it seems that the trail has ended, keep walking as the descent to the falls will shortly appear.
  

I may have been up the Jeru Creek road one other time in my life, but everything all seemed new, and that always makes for a good drive.  Plus, it was fairly open and brimming with lush but low foliage-----surely great settings for wildlife. 

Having missed a great cinnamon bear photo last week up Caribou Creek, most of the way up the somewhat steep but well-maintained Jeru Creek Road I kept my camera cocked and ready for a good shot of something.   

We never did see any wildlife on the road, not even on our trip down, which was at dusk.

And, like the Caribou Creek drive last week, our views of the jagged and beautiful Selkirk peaks to the north were not the best.  In this case, tall trees obstructed some rather spectacular sights. 

The wildflowers, though, were abundant, and this drive allowed me to snap a few shots of tiger lilies in the forest-----always a pleasing experience to me. 

I asked Bill where the Jeru Creek road goes.  He said it just goes on and on toward Jeru Peak. We reached a junction where a natural speed bump in the main road looked a bit iffy for the pickup.  

So, we parked and walked almost a mile up the road with parts of Jeru Peak in our sights and the creek below putting out enough sound for us to think we were close. 

Eventually, though, Bill's characterization of on and on with no really good views led to a turnaround and walk back to the pickup.

I was wearing tennis shoes and watching out to avoid twigs sticking up in the road.  Well, at one point, I don't think it was a twig but something caught me with a bad step and down I went, catching myself with my left wrist as the camera, still cocked and ready, in my right hand went flying. 

Twas excruciating pain in the wrist as I lay there for a minute to "assess," as Bill calls it.  I don't know if I was more worried about myself or the camera, but I did take time to ponder before getting up-----without using my left hand. 

The wrist is a bit jammed up, scraped up and stiff and sore this morning.  The camera survived with just a little dirt on the rim around the lens. Thank God. 

Bill and I both agreed about how times have changed with old bodies.  In the past, we just jumped up, dusted ourselves off and said, "I'm okay," even if we were really dying. 

These days, we do a lot of assessing----first to know we're breathing, then to see just how bad it's gonna be for a while. 

We definitely escaped a warm house last night and enjoyed a pretty drive and hike, but not without a few battle scars. 

Now that I know Jeru Creek has falls, we'll have to return sometime---at which I'll do my best to avoid the falls---my own, that is. 

Happy Wednesday!