John Guilford's Hikes

Date: 2026-01-20

Location: Indian, Shy Bear, Quarry Loop

People: (including myself): Happy Hikers

		  		Miles
Start:			10:00	0
Junction Shy Bear Trail 	0.8
Far Country Falls Trail		1.0
Quarry Trail 	  		1.7
Coal Creek Falls Trail        	2.2
Finish:			1:15	6.2

We took the loop clockwise, Indian Trail -> Quarry Trail -> Shy Bear Trail back to the beginning of the loop. 

About a mile in from the start, a 0.1 mile side trail leads to Far Country Falls. 

After visiting the falls we continued, turning onto Quarry Trail.  About 2.2 miles from the start a 0.2 mile side trail leads to Coal Creek Falls. 

After a right on Fred's Railroad Trail for a short way, we took another right onto Shy Bear Trail.  This was about the highest point in the loop.  After this we started descending. 

After stopping for lunch we finished the loop then headed back to the cars the way we had come in. 

Along the way we saw a number of examples of some rather exotic looking ice.  It was white, fluffy, and only on isolated sticks in the forst.  Initially we thought it must be some kind of fungus, but it turns out it was ice.  It was "Hair Ice" which can form on wet deciduous sticks that have a particular kind of fungus if the weather conditions are just right.  Water gets pushed out the pores of the wood and then freeze into very thin strands of ice.  These strands do not refreeze together but form a very strange looking tuft that sort of resembles cotton candy. 

Far Country Falls. 

Another view of Far Country Falls. 

Closeup of Hair Ice we saw along the trail.