Once again, not hiking with WWW today; just out with two friends. Our plan is to hike up Little Rhododendron Creek to the Grapeyard Ridge Trail. Then go off trail to a couple spots before continuing to Injun Creek Trail.
We are treated to some very nice waterfalls along Little Rhododendron Creek. Today, the water is higher than normal but we manage the creek crossing which sometimes causes trouble. The lower part of the creek has an old roadbed along it. Once we get close to Grapeyard Ridge Trail, another old roadbed is alongside the creek but this one originates from above not below.
Once we are hiking along "the Grape", I look for the manway leading to the "stone cube" (above). This structure may not have had any purpose other than as a repository for rocks cleared from a field or pasture.
Once back on the trail, I am now looking for the Dodgen-Rayfield cemetery. The guide says to look for a pile of rocks near the headwaters of the creek. Long before the headwaters of the creek, there are 3 white stones trailside. We stop and make note of this. Then I spot a cross carved in a tree. We follow the very faint manway, occasionally blazed with carved crosses in trees. It leads up up a steep old roadbed to a cemetery (above). After rereading the guide, I do not think this is the cemetery mentioned. We do spend some time here. The oldest graves date to just after 1900.
You can't pass this spot in the trail where an old steam engine has fallen in the creek, without noticing it. It is my understanding, this engine is the genesis for the creek's name, Injun Creek.
We hike the remaining 3 miles down Injun Creek Trail to the ranger residence to end our hike. Along here, we note it is odd that the park does not officially recognize this trail but maintains it with a number of log foot bridges. We also see a large group of Pine siskins along here. We encountered a smaller group earlier on Little Rhododendron Creek.
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