Fadeaway Spring is well named.  It was completely empty, but there was a definite line where the water surface is when it's full.  It must be four to five feet deep when it's flowing.

Donovan,  is the trail you called Rho Meadow Trail the same one Paul refers to as Hunter Creek Trail in his October 2010 trip report  -  "Looks like there is something left of Hunter Creek Trail, followed it for a bit – someone has been working on it. The following is the junction with Rho Creek and Hunter Creek Trails."

On another (but maybe related) subject, have any of you ever found or looked for any pieces of the Fawn Creek Trail?  I noticed it on the Mt Jefferson 1/250,000 map from 1930.

I have looked in vain for Fawn Ck.  It is either lost at the road by the creek at a big clearcut, or is further up the ridge/road.  It was a way trail regardless so it probably wasn't substantial.

It is a real funny spring. Full in the hottest heat, dry at Christmas. Course it is a little unusual to be able to walk up there at this time, tho it has certainly been this free of snow this time of the year before at 4000'. It's best when ice cold brewskies are floating in it waiting for hikers. The finest Hamms' I've ever had have been slow chilled by an old recipe in that spring.

Yes, the meadow trail would have been the Hunter Creek trail.

The pieces of Fawn I have found are along the south edge of the meadow, small but adorable but growing in. (Needs a fire.) Then, below there there is one blaze suggesting the route below the road. There is rather funky camp at that location.

I suspect a trail blitz might be able to locate the remnants.

D. 2.

Here is a photo of the third post on this trail.  It's the one that Donovan says marks the junction with the Jim Meadows trail.  I followed the Jim Meadows trail for a ways a few years ago, until the rhodies got too thick.  There is a spring just below the trail, not too far from the junction. 

Hmmm, I don't remember seeing that post.  Maybe we missed it, or maybe we didn't hit that part of the trail.  I can see that I'm going to be doing more exploring on this trail this year, especially around Rho Meadow.  I would love to see what that looks like in late summer or fall when it is drier.

Some of those side trails deserve exploration as well.  That one post just didn't look like a trail junction at all.  I guess it is a very old trail, so...

Very interesting area to explore for sure.