Twenty-five Trailblazers, 2 canines, and 3 latecomers drove up 215 north of Mulberry on a hot and sunny day to explore Fern Gully. Unfortunately one carload from Springdale seemed to have been lost in transit, probably because it is not easy to find the elusive gully! As we turned onto the dirt road, the forest road sign was conspicuous by its absence. The road itself was actually in pretty good shape, but not the muddy, rutted dirt track to the parking area. 

After scrambling down to the creek, some with more grace than others, we all headed off in different directions to explore this scenic area with its rocky creek and towering rocks. The creek was flowing well so there were little waterfalls everywhere. Since there isn’t much of a trail, we crisscrossed the creek many times to find a place to hike with better footing. There were dogwoods in bloom, huge boulders, enormous palisades, and several slot canyons – something for everyone to enjoy. Since this is not a formal hike, people trekked as much or as little as they wanted. There was time to rest along the creek and visit with friends. 

This time we managed to find and hike out a very nice trail with a gradual ascent up through a slot canyon to reach the high bluff where the cars were parked. Usually we scramble and claw our way out on a steep, rock-covered bushwhack to the top. Hopefully we can remember where this neat exit is – after all, some of us are subject to senior moments and might not have good recall next time! It was a very enjoyable afternoon.