Snow Creek
September 24, 2026
The summer of 2026 has surely been one for the record books! El Niño played havoc with our weather, producing record heat and a near normal monsoon season. The monsoon was on its way out when tropical storms took over, dropping over 13 inches of rain on Silver City by the end of September. After years of extreme drought, the creeks were finally flowing again, and I was jonesing for a creekside hike.
We chose the Snow Creek Trail, which drops into the Cow Creek drainage from Sheep Corral Road and eventually connects with the Continental Divide Trail.
After a short descent on an old logging road, the trail reaches a tributary of Cow Creek, and there was a healthy flow and many tiny pools and waterfalls.
This trail wanders up and down along an alluvial fan on the north slope of Tadpole Ridge, crossing over numerous creeks.
The third creek we encountered was really roaring, and the sound echoed nicely off the steep and rocky canyon walls.
October 1, 2026
We returned a week later with the Gila Hikers for a longer hike. Meanwhile, we received another two inches of rain in Silver City, bringing the yearly total to over 15 inches!
Nancy, Jill and Diane by a very fancy interpretive sign at the trailhead.
Babbling brooks were now raging torrents.
Nancy and Dennis crossing the third creek.
The trail itself was flowing. Debra and Dennis use their poles to nudge a log to release water that was pooling behind it.
We turned back about 2½ miles out. The trail joins the CDT at 3.2 miles and eventually loops back south to connect with Sheep Corral Road.
Just listen the that water roar! I know this extraordinarily wet summer is just a blip on the radar, and that the future is inevitably hotter and drier. But while it lasts, the abundance of water is heavenly, and this is a great trail to salve your soul and get your feet wet!
Wet conditions made for an incredible display of summer wildflowers and especially mushrooms!
We don't know our mushrooms, and iNaturalist wasn't of much help!
