The
trails starts out in the valley bottom by crossing the Carbondale River over one
of the few remaining bridges and then climbs gently on a dirt 4 WD road for
about 3 km. Next it moves to a flatter section with lots of water and the
remnants of bridges, after effects of the 1995 flood. As the road begins to
deteriorate into washouts and mudholes the trail becomes a fun maze of crossing
back and forth across Gardiner Creek and dodging the the middle of hub deep
mudholes. Next come the alder tunnels and its time to blast through the bushes.
The alder tunnels go on for about 4 km of poor visibility. The last section,
about 2 km in length, comes into view as you finish blasting through the bushes
to see the trail head straight uphill into a lush sub-alpine meadow.