I did a day trip to Explorer Creek on Tuesday. Funny thing is, I never even heard of Explorer Creek until I looked at a more detailed map a day later on Wednesday. This was a trip that didn't go down as planned. My plan was to take the scenic drive to the Portage Valley and put in on one of the ponds there to do some fishing, have lunch and take some pictures.
My plan went off the rails pretty quickly, as I ate my lunch on the drive down. After turning onto the Portage valley road I pulled in at the first pond I came to. I may have never been to this pond before because I was surprised to find that it was glacial water. I'm not fond of fishing glacial water so I decided not to rig up and do some exploring instead.![IMG_9823.jpeg IMG_9823.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32567-ca065ca8ed44abc8ac8170a9feba782f.jpg?hash=ygZcqO1Eq8)
![IMG_9827.jpeg IMG_9827.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32568-d5dd1cb404e35fb09cc882ea47350d7b.jpg?hash=1d0ctATjX7)
I paddled up the valley until I found the inlet to the pond and followed it until the water spread out and turned into a grassy flat. I took that as far as I could easily go without getting out of the boat and dragging and turned around after about 3/4 of a mile to see what was downstream.![IMG_9829.jpeg IMG_9829.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32570-1f144ec346b0bd38b4f80ec9ec5b241f.jpg?hash=HxROw0awvT)
![IMG_9832.jpeg IMG_9832.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32571-f3b104c8ae70b4f7b72fb4c5de0469d5.jpg?hash=87EEyK5wtP)
I went downstream as far as I could and ran out of navigable water. There was a large volume of water in the creek and I was determined to find out where it went. I searched to the right and then to the left but didn't find an outlet. I did find some high ground at this point and got out to see if I could find the flow again by going overland. After a short bushwhack portage I found water deep enough to float my boat and found the channel shortly after that.![IMG_9880.jpeg IMG_9880.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32573-e49af7902bfce94d4d1da8ca8e161063.jpg?hash=5Jr3kCv86U)
I followed this channel for a few hundred yards until it got too narrow and fast and appeared to be choked with trees. At this point I was only about a half mile from tidewater and could see it in the distance. I was surprised to see on my gps map that the channel didn't go straight towards the highway and under the bridge with the sign on it naming it Portage Creek #2, the creek I assumed I was on. Instead, according to my map, the channel turned south and joined Skookum Creek, which then joined the Placer River before entering salt water in a totally different drainage. Someday I may go back and continue on when I have some wading shoes.![IMG_9885.jpeg IMG_9885.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32575-25a7623be5f5112d87b8909e471145a5.jpg?hash=JadiO-X1ES)
![IMG_9876.jpeg IMG_9876.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32576-733fbbf2fe182664644760972b924ab5.jpg?hash=cz-78v4YJm)
![IMG_9878.jpeg IMG_9878.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32577-ab0a59be94d65095282c2601ba000ead.jpg?hash=qwpZvpTWUJ)
All in all it was a great trip. It had good potential for silver salmon fishing in season and a nice spot that could be a comfortable campsite, although it showed no signs of previous use.
My plan went off the rails pretty quickly, as I ate my lunch on the drive down. After turning onto the Portage valley road I pulled in at the first pond I came to. I may have never been to this pond before because I was surprised to find that it was glacial water. I'm not fond of fishing glacial water so I decided not to rig up and do some exploring instead.
![IMG_9823.jpeg IMG_9823.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32567-ca065ca8ed44abc8ac8170a9feba782f.jpg?hash=ygZcqO1Eq8)
![IMG_9827.jpeg IMG_9827.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32568-d5dd1cb404e35fb09cc882ea47350d7b.jpg?hash=1d0ctATjX7)
![IMG_9828.jpeg IMG_9828.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32569-af8235f0a20c99456a9283b88b21c87f.jpg?hash=r4I18KIMmU)
![IMG_9829.jpeg IMG_9829.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32570-1f144ec346b0bd38b4f80ec9ec5b241f.jpg?hash=HxROw0awvT)
![IMG_9832.jpeg IMG_9832.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32571-f3b104c8ae70b4f7b72fb4c5de0469d5.jpg?hash=87EEyK5wtP)
![IMG_9842.jpeg IMG_9842.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32572-9f34a42140680e1909a10effaf1c5521.jpg?hash=nzSkIUBoDh)
![IMG_9880.jpeg IMG_9880.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32573-e49af7902bfce94d4d1da8ca8e161063.jpg?hash=5Jr3kCv86U)
![IMG_9883.jpeg IMG_9883.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32574-8063d646572a1c7f46df724b3041d360.jpg?hash=gGPWRlcqHH)
![IMG_9885.jpeg IMG_9885.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32575-25a7623be5f5112d87b8909e471145a5.jpg?hash=JadiO-X1ES)
![IMG_9876.jpeg IMG_9876.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32576-733fbbf2fe182664644760972b924ab5.jpg?hash=cz-78v4YJm)
![IMG_9878.jpeg IMG_9878.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32577-ab0a59be94d65095282c2601ba000ead.jpg?hash=qwpZvpTWUJ)
![IMG_9885.jpeg IMG_9885.jpeg](https://www.canoetripping.net/data/attachments/32/32578-25a7623be5f5112d87b8909e471145a5.jpg?hash=JadiO-X1ES)