From the junction with Seven Mile Road of NFD3200/NF3100 after my scavenger hunt to find Seven Mile Guard Station and Seven Mile Marsh Trailhead this Monday late afternoon, I had to check the map how to get to Klamath Falls. I chose the east side route, so took a left back northeast toward Fort Klamath, a bit confused again by the rounded curves of the designated main-drag disguising a series of right and left turns at four-way intersections shown on Delorme's map, but managed to recognize the junction of hwy 62 heading south along the east side of Upper klamath Lake.
A few miles south of the Fort Klamath junction I saw an RV campground, The Waterwheel. Stopped to take a shower, and fill up my 6 gallon water jug. "$5 for the shower, and um, the water tastes bad, but go ahead, there's a sink in the laundry room." OK. Took my shower (the water smelled bad) and I filled up one bottle of water just in case, then asked if I could use the laundry and did they have WiFi. Yes, yes. OK! Started writing my first post about my last loop bike/hike between Fish Lake/hwy 140 and Howard Prairie Lake, combined with my first draft of the Seven Mile/Fort Klamath post. It was dark by the time I sent that post, and luckily I remembered my wash was still in the drier before I left.
Before I drove on I looked at the map to find some possibilities to camp. Winema National Forest land bordered the road to the east, so it was just a matter of finding a road into that area. I missed the first such access south of Lobert Junction, but saw the sign to Hagelstein Park which coincided with a road back up the Modoc Rim into the Forest land. I thought I almost missed the turn in the dark, saw a glimpse of a road just as I was passing, did a semi-U-turn back into it. The gravel road switchbacked up the ridge , signs of hunter's at the turnouts I inspected, finally found a nice grassy spot by a small turnout, camped there.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Seven Mile Guard Station, Fort Klamath
During my hike I had already decided I would postpone fetching my bike and instead first drive east then north to "ground-truth" a possible "midpoint" PCT access between hwy 140 and Crater lake via a spur trail from Seven Mile Marsh Campground west of the Seven Mile Guard Station west of Fort Klamath, that would offer a two-loop alternative to the single loop involving what would be a long bicycle ride down hwy 62 from Crater Lake then south along the west side of the marshy upper Klamath Lake basin to hwy 140 then a long climb west up hwy 140 to the PCT trailhead parking (where I just finished hiking north to) between Lake Of The Woods and Fish Lake.
Specifically, my plans, hatched out based on my smoke-escape motivated northbound scouting-drive last summer, assisted by my Delorme Oregon Road Atlas, was to take NFD 3231 (according to Delorme) off of hwy 62 just south of that southern "finger" of the National Park Boundary along route 62. According to Delorme, NFD 3231 becomes NFD 3200 which passes Seven Mile Guard Station (west of Fort Klamath. (At that Guard station is a road 3334 west along seven mile creek to the Seven Mile Marsh Campground with the spur trail to the PCT. Continuing south on NFD 3200 according to Delorme brings you to a three-way junction (with eastbound Seven Mile Road.) The southern branch of that Y is Primary Forest Route 34 AKA Westside Road which terminates at hwy 140. But last year coming from hwy 140 I had missed the left turn at what I expected to be that "Y" junction to Seven Mile Guard Station, and I just drove on past Ft Klamath to Crater lake.
I Figured this time I could leave food and water at the Seven Mile Marsh Campground, if that turned out to be feasible, then return to Howard Prairie Lk by way of Klamath Falls, lingering there long enough to do my laundry, update this blog, get more food & water. Except, I already didn't have enough water (the 6 gallon jug I had along was empty, and two of three additional gallon jugs were empty, the last was half-full, but I was thirsty, so that would go fast. I assumed I'd find water in Fort Klamath (I thought I remembered blowing past a small store there last year on my way to Crater lake.)
This time, driving eastbound down hwy 140 I noticed that while the eastbound paved shoulder was a comfortable 3ft wide, the uphill westbound side it was a mere 1ft! WTF! Another strike against a bicycle climb up 140!
Approaching the "maze" around Fort Klamath, I again missed the turn to the Seven Mile Guard Station, instead blowing through a high-speed curve to the right as Westside Road becomes Seven mile Road. Again blew through Fort Klamath not sure if I remembered noticing a store. Found myself entering the little southern extension of Crater Lake Park before I slowed down. No problem, turn around and look for the right turn I'd take onto NFD 3231 on my potential two-loop bicycle ride from Crater lake to the Seven Mile Guard Station. Couldn't find it! Found a gravel road labeled NF350 opposite a snow park at the approximate location, which might correspond to the eastern part of Delorme's NFD 3213. Maybe NFD 3231 connects to NF350?
But I didn't bother driving down NF350 to find out, unfortunately. Instead decided to approach it from the other end. Drove back to Fort Klamath and did find the west turn onto Nicholson Road that led to the Guard Station. Again noticed a high speed curve directing traffic onto southbound Hackler Road rather than continuing west no Nicholsen Road to the Guard Station. But I was now onto them now! The same people keep taking down the signs to the secretive community of Bodega Bay at the south end of Point Reyes National Seashore! (Not sure why that would be in this case though - to keep people away from the Seven Mile Creek maybe? Rest of the valley plain is cattle pasture.)
The paved Nicholson Road extension curved north becoming NFD 3200 at the Guard Station intersection. I decided to save for later exploring the northern end of NFD 3200 becoming NFD3231 then maybe NF350 before hitting Crater lake hwy 32. First priority was to check out that road NFD 3334 alongside Seven Mile Creek to the Seven Mile Marsh campground/PCT spur trail trailhead. That was the left turn at the "traffic-diversion curve" onto a gravel road, which passed by a driveway to a set of buildings that must be the Guard Station, followed shortly by a "Y" split with the right turn northward labeled as heading to the Seven Mile Marsh trailhead. Yay! Upward ho! It started off pretty level, becoming gradually steeper as it curved west. Only problem, it was rather course, sharp-edged crushed gravel. Not good for road-bike tires. But still doable aerobically in my lowest gear. And slow speed in this setting beats slow speed on high-speed hwy 140 psychologically. Continuing on, there's an equestrian trailhead on the left, and straight ahead a sign promising a hiker's trailhead. The road becomes very steep - I would definitely be walking my bike at that point, so would definitely be taking the equestrian trail if I even made it that far. No place to turn around my car, so continued on about two miles to the trailheaad, having a sign saying PCT 1 1/3 miles. Rather steep terrain well above the creek No sign of a marsh or campground, as the Delorme map would suggest. Back down to the Equestrian Trailhead. Sign says PCT 3 1/2 miles. So the signs at least are consistent.
Back down to the Guard Station intersection. Now for that Crater lake hwy 32 junction. Started heading north on the paved NFD 3200, noticed a sight saying Seven Mile Guard station at a driveway to those buildings, with two cars parked. looked at the time - 4:45, maybe they're still open. Backed up and drove in, arked in front of the first building. Young lady pops out the door says "Hello! I'm Eva, Who are you?" "I'm a hiker, I guess. Was just checking out the Seven Mile PCT trailhead here, seeing if I could bicycle to it. I'm now trying to check out the connection to here with the Crater lake hwy." Couldn't find the connection from the hwy. Does this road connect to hwy 62?" "I think so." "Good. Do you Have water?" "Mmm... I have some..." "Mmmm, I'm trying to fill a 6 gallon jug." Oh no, I get my drinking water delivered in bottles" (points to the cooler-water jugs on the porch. There is non-potable water from the hose, tastes bad, has lots of iron." "Is there a grocery store near by?" "Mmmm no, there a very small store in Fort Klamath." "So the closest really is Klamath Falls?" "Yes." "Well, I was heading there anyway to use the library." "Could I ask you more about your PCT hiking, if you don't mind?
We had a long conversation, She was stationed there for three months, she said. She was still going to college, at Green... (something or other - I recognized the name, but now am blanking) in Washington. Agriculture, but her interest is more gardening than large scale ag. Would like to hike the PCT, but also taking several years. Also into birding, she said. Mentioned some fledgeling robins in that tree over there. Learning bird songs. Wee had a discussion on our lack of understanding of their language. "Yes, scientists are beginning to discover that they don't know much about bird communication" she said.
The conversation could have been longer, except I had my agenda to complete. In retrospect I _should_ have stayed longer, she seemed very lonely there (what with all the roads diverting people away.) I did ask her if she gets many visitors. She gets some. "There were some people yesterday asking about what what kind of birding was around." I could have asked more about what the Guard Station was all about. I've now learnt more here:
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/Pacific_Northwest/Sevenmile/index.shtml
I note that this page has directions mentioning NF3300 as the road heading south from here to connect with Westside Road. Delorme's calls this NFD 3200. Now I'm not sure what I actually saw on the signs here, especially since at the West side road end, it's signed as NF3100! Haven't yet double-checked Google maps, though I remember seeing differences, and being confused.
Anyway, I headed off north on Delorme's NFD 3200 confirmed in the above directions. It did come to a "Y" at the point Delorme labels as a straight continuation of NFD3200 and an angled right onto NFD 3231. The sign said hwy 62 Crater Lk was to the right. Took it, still paved, to another intersection with a gravel road signed NF 390. (No mention of hwy 62 or Crater Lake.) I continued straight. After a few more angled intersections with dirt roads, the paved straight-ahead split into two very little used dirt, not gravel, roads. At an obvoius dead end, I turned around, back to the last signed intersection, turned left northeast onto NF390, that wound along for "quite a long while" with no hwy 32 appearing within my sense of space & time should have occurred, so I was lost, turned around, back past the guard station. Wanted to stop and ask again, but also felt a bit foolish, so I passed by and continued south on NFD 3300 or whatever it was. This skirted the edge of a series of marshes, and finally "J'd" left to intersect West Side Road. The road I was on was signed NF3100 (visible only after one has entered the road.) The intersection with high speed West Side Road was an inconspicuous forest road to "nowhere". No signed mention of the guard station, or Seven Mile Marsh Campground/Trailhead, or anything! Still not sure why this seemingly systematic, de-emphasis of or diversion from an interesting point of interest! Likewise Fort Klamath itelf. Why this ghost town in a location that could be a strategic shopping point to fleece visitors to Crater Lake? Somebody should investigate further!
Specifically, my plans, hatched out based on my smoke-escape motivated northbound scouting-drive last summer, assisted by my Delorme Oregon Road Atlas, was to take NFD 3231 (according to Delorme) off of hwy 62 just south of that southern "finger" of the National Park Boundary along route 62. According to Delorme, NFD 3231 becomes NFD 3200 which passes Seven Mile Guard Station (west of Fort Klamath. (At that Guard station is a road 3334 west along seven mile creek to the Seven Mile Marsh Campground with the spur trail to the PCT. Continuing south on NFD 3200 according to Delorme brings you to a three-way junction (with eastbound Seven Mile Road.) The southern branch of that Y is Primary Forest Route 34 AKA Westside Road which terminates at hwy 140. But last year coming from hwy 140 I had missed the left turn at what I expected to be that "Y" junction to Seven Mile Guard Station, and I just drove on past Ft Klamath to Crater lake.
I Figured this time I could leave food and water at the Seven Mile Marsh Campground, if that turned out to be feasible, then return to Howard Prairie Lk by way of Klamath Falls, lingering there long enough to do my laundry, update this blog, get more food & water. Except, I already didn't have enough water (the 6 gallon jug I had along was empty, and two of three additional gallon jugs were empty, the last was half-full, but I was thirsty, so that would go fast. I assumed I'd find water in Fort Klamath (I thought I remembered blowing past a small store there last year on my way to Crater lake.)
This time, driving eastbound down hwy 140 I noticed that while the eastbound paved shoulder was a comfortable 3ft wide, the uphill westbound side it was a mere 1ft! WTF! Another strike against a bicycle climb up 140!
Approaching the "maze" around Fort Klamath, I again missed the turn to the Seven Mile Guard Station, instead blowing through a high-speed curve to the right as Westside Road becomes Seven mile Road. Again blew through Fort Klamath not sure if I remembered noticing a store. Found myself entering the little southern extension of Crater Lake Park before I slowed down. No problem, turn around and look for the right turn I'd take onto NFD 3231 on my potential two-loop bicycle ride from Crater lake to the Seven Mile Guard Station. Couldn't find it! Found a gravel road labeled NF350 opposite a snow park at the approximate location, which might correspond to the eastern part of Delorme's NFD 3213. Maybe NFD 3231 connects to NF350?
But I didn't bother driving down NF350 to find out, unfortunately. Instead decided to approach it from the other end. Drove back to Fort Klamath and did find the west turn onto Nicholson Road that led to the Guard Station. Again noticed a high speed curve directing traffic onto southbound Hackler Road rather than continuing west no Nicholsen Road to the Guard Station. But I was now onto them now! The same people keep taking down the signs to the secretive community of Bodega Bay at the south end of Point Reyes National Seashore! (Not sure why that would be in this case though - to keep people away from the Seven Mile Creek maybe? Rest of the valley plain is cattle pasture.)
The paved Nicholson Road extension curved north becoming NFD 3200 at the Guard Station intersection. I decided to save for later exploring the northern end of NFD 3200 becoming NFD3231 then maybe NF350 before hitting Crater lake hwy 32. First priority was to check out that road NFD 3334 alongside Seven Mile Creek to the Seven Mile Marsh campground/PCT spur trail trailhead. That was the left turn at the "traffic-diversion curve" onto a gravel road, which passed by a driveway to a set of buildings that must be the Guard Station, followed shortly by a "Y" split with the right turn northward labeled as heading to the Seven Mile Marsh trailhead. Yay! Upward ho! It started off pretty level, becoming gradually steeper as it curved west. Only problem, it was rather course, sharp-edged crushed gravel. Not good for road-bike tires. But still doable aerobically in my lowest gear. And slow speed in this setting beats slow speed on high-speed hwy 140 psychologically. Continuing on, there's an equestrian trailhead on the left, and straight ahead a sign promising a hiker's trailhead. The road becomes very steep - I would definitely be walking my bike at that point, so would definitely be taking the equestrian trail if I even made it that far. No place to turn around my car, so continued on about two miles to the trailheaad, having a sign saying PCT 1 1/3 miles. Rather steep terrain well above the creek No sign of a marsh or campground, as the Delorme map would suggest. Back down to the Equestrian Trailhead. Sign says PCT 3 1/2 miles. So the signs at least are consistent.
Back down to the Guard Station intersection. Now for that Crater lake hwy 32 junction. Started heading north on the paved NFD 3200, noticed a sight saying Seven Mile Guard station at a driveway to those buildings, with two cars parked. looked at the time - 4:45, maybe they're still open. Backed up and drove in, arked in front of the first building. Young lady pops out the door says "Hello! I'm Eva, Who are you?" "I'm a hiker, I guess. Was just checking out the Seven Mile PCT trailhead here, seeing if I could bicycle to it. I'm now trying to check out the connection to here with the Crater lake hwy." Couldn't find the connection from the hwy. Does this road connect to hwy 62?" "I think so." "Good. Do you Have water?" "Mmm... I have some..." "Mmmm, I'm trying to fill a 6 gallon jug." Oh no, I get my drinking water delivered in bottles" (points to the cooler-water jugs on the porch. There is non-potable water from the hose, tastes bad, has lots of iron." "Is there a grocery store near by?" "Mmmm no, there a very small store in Fort Klamath." "So the closest really is Klamath Falls?" "Yes." "Well, I was heading there anyway to use the library." "Could I ask you more about your PCT hiking, if you don't mind?
We had a long conversation, She was stationed there for three months, she said. She was still going to college, at Green... (something or other - I recognized the name, but now am blanking) in Washington. Agriculture, but her interest is more gardening than large scale ag. Would like to hike the PCT, but also taking several years. Also into birding, she said. Mentioned some fledgeling robins in that tree over there. Learning bird songs. Wee had a discussion on our lack of understanding of their language. "Yes, scientists are beginning to discover that they don't know much about bird communication" she said.
The conversation could have been longer, except I had my agenda to complete. In retrospect I _should_ have stayed longer, she seemed very lonely there (what with all the roads diverting people away.) I did ask her if she gets many visitors. She gets some. "There were some people yesterday asking about what what kind of birding was around." I could have asked more about what the Guard Station was all about. I've now learnt more here:
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/Pacific_Northwest/Sevenmile/index.shtml
I note that this page has directions mentioning NF3300 as the road heading south from here to connect with Westside Road. Delorme's calls this NFD 3200. Now I'm not sure what I actually saw on the signs here, especially since at the West side road end, it's signed as NF3100! Haven't yet double-checked Google maps, though I remember seeing differences, and being confused.
Anyway, I headed off north on Delorme's NFD 3200 confirmed in the above directions. It did come to a "Y" at the point Delorme labels as a straight continuation of NFD3200 and an angled right onto NFD 3231. The sign said hwy 62 Crater Lk was to the right. Took it, still paved, to another intersection with a gravel road signed NF 390. (No mention of hwy 62 or Crater Lake.) I continued straight. After a few more angled intersections with dirt roads, the paved straight-ahead split into two very little used dirt, not gravel, roads. At an obvoius dead end, I turned around, back to the last signed intersection, turned left northeast onto NF390, that wound along for "quite a long while" with no hwy 32 appearing within my sense of space & time should have occurred, so I was lost, turned around, back past the guard station. Wanted to stop and ask again, but also felt a bit foolish, so I passed by and continued south on NFD 3300 or whatever it was. This skirted the edge of a series of marshes, and finally "J'd" left to intersect West Side Road. The road I was on was signed NF3100 (visible only after one has entered the road.) The intersection with high speed West Side Road was an inconspicuous forest road to "nowhere". No signed mention of the guard station, or Seven Mile Marsh Campground/Trailhead, or anything! Still not sure why this seemingly systematic, de-emphasis of or diversion from an interesting point of interest! Likewise Fort Klamath itelf. Why this ghost town in a location that could be a strategic shopping point to fleece visitors to Crater Lake? Somebody should investigate further!
back at hwy 140, a day sooner than planned
Returned from Ashland via I5 to Medford then 140 east, longer but much easier at night than the more direct route from Ashland on curvy Dead Indian Road that I had taken down. Made it to the trailhead parking by 1:30am. Camped along a powerline access road (didn't realize at night that this is what it was - normally try to minimize my time near powerlines.) Pitched my tent right next to the car, asleep by 2pm. Up again 6:30 to birdsong (I guess my hearing isn't good enough to hear that when indide. Remind me to set up a bird-song sound for my smartphone alarm.songNeed )
Took me a while to sort things out - had a checklist but things still located in the order I packed them rather than logical places while travelling. Finally got rolling by 11am I think - funny in the last minute rush I don't look at the time. I did remember to turn on the GPS logger though, so I can go back and check my start & stop times, my pace, etc.. Hope at some time to find or develop an app that will crunch that tracklog data then use the stat's to "reconstruct" photo-locations for trips I don't have tracklogs for. (Would be a good Git-Hub project, IMO.)
My route was a fast four mile downhill on hwy 140 (hitting my brakes for picts at a large lava-flow-clearing with nice views of Brown Mt McGloughlin to the southeast, blowing past the Fish lake Resort turnoff, taking the left onto poorly marked (I've missed the turn in my car both times) onto "Primary Forest Route 37", AKA Big Elk Road. This is a pleasantly winding six mile roller coaster along the west edge of the Brown Mt lava flow. I stopped for picts at nicely flowing North Fork Butte Creek coming from Fish Lake. This road comes to a T at Dead Indian Memorial Road (which runs between Ashland and Lake Of the Woods.) A left takes you across a large meadow with nice views of Mt McGloughlin to the north, and I stopped for picts and finished off the grapes I had at the top of my pack. Up a small rise then down past Keno Access Road across the meadow north end of Howard Prairie Lake, (regretting having passed by a flowery blues & reds & yellows bicyclist-only photo-op with no car-turnouts nearby,) Up another hill then a left (after 4 miles on Dead Indian Memorial Rd) onto Hyatt Prairie Road, another curvy four mile rollercoaster that skirts the west side of the lake, A final left onto Howard Prairie Dam Road takes me southeast three miles to where it parallels the PCT at the south end of the lake, about a mile short of the dam.
I got to my stashed bear canister at 2pm, Took a long break to cool down on this very hot day, and then to transfer water and food from the canister to my backpack - amazed myself that it all fit (after some strategic munching.) placed my bike gear (pump, patch kit, tool kit, yellow vest, and garbage) into the canister, hid that, and hid my bike. I generally choose a clump of pines with low branches to slide my bike beneath, inspecting visibility from all angles, camouflaging shiny chrome spokes & rims with sticks & pine needles.) Off hiking by three pm.
I felt I was really dragging in the heat and a full pack (it's actually a small "ultralite" no-frills pack - no belt strap, in particular, that I got this year at that unmentionable department store for a fraction of REI prices, so it may fall apart quickly, I assume. The pack I've used these past three years, an Osprey Atmos 60, has fallen apart in various ways, finally ripping at the waist band which ended it's useful life for me (although I'm prepared to sew it up in an emergency if my alternative fails.)
I wasn't taking as many picts as usual, due to the extra exertion that takes to do "deep knee bends" every few steps. (At home in this temperature (high 80's?) I'd be sprawled out like a limp rag.) Didn't botehr going to the spring a half mile off trail about 6 miles of hiking, still had plenty I rationalized, though that does violate my policy of never passing up water or photo-ops. Also missed an opportunity to take a half mile side trip to Vulture Rock, that I then regretted. I did stop at the Brown Mt shelter, which had an old fashioned water pump nonoperable because the handle was missing. read some of the log book entries, last visitor yesterday. Left my own mark as muddyknees. I felt I was ahead of schedule despite the heat but wasn't checking my map, so was surprised to find myself at Dead Indian Road where I had stashed a gallon of water, now 12 miles into my hike. It was 7pm, so I just grabbed the gallon, crossed the road, continued about an 1/8 mile further to a nice soft spot of mostly Doug-Fir and I think sugar pine litter and set up camp (a groundcloth consisting of a cut open large garbage bag, to protect my sleeping bag from pine pitch. I also brought along a new roll of painter's sheeting that I've been using during thunderstorms. Dumped everything else from my pack and sorted things into logical order after having packed things randomly back at the trailhead. After settling down, still dusk, hearing some rodent noises, I placed my food into a garbage bagand used it as a pillow, so I might wake to any rodent munching sounds. Put on my bug net, as my mosquito spray from last year seemed to have lost it's potency. (Despite the dry conditions, there still are a few around.) A fly or maybe a native bee? buzzed me all night, and it took me a while to finally sleep.
Woke up to birdsong as usual, but dozed for another hour til 7:30 before getting up to pee and have my usual breakfast of oatmeal, raisins & walnuts. (I guess I was consuming some portion of California water in those nuts.) Discovered I had mistook a small baggie of Ibuprophen from last year's first aid kit as no-doze while I was packing at the car, (used my loupe to read the markings on the pill, )so substituted some extra fig bars for a sugar-rush coffee substitute. Sat there for a longer while listening to the birds waiting for the sugar rush to kick in. Walked back to the road to stash my empty gallon jug to pick up after I got to the car. Got going north by 9am Hiked the 12 miles to hwy 140 my 2pm.
The first part of that hike, like the preceding day's miles, was mostly Doug Fir forest - hence my dearth of picture taking, I guess. (There was only one panoramic view of the horizon yesterday.) But the last couple of miles on the lava-boulder-strewn northeast slope of Brown Mt offered great views of Mt McGloghlin (I mis-wrote Mt Thielsen before this edit) just north of hwy 140. Just a few snow fields visible from this side. There is a trail to the top of that volcano and I was considering making that a day-hike, maybe my next hike before starting the loop to Crater Lake.. But there are thunderstorms forecast for the next few days, so I'm not sure of the timing.
I thought it was just a short few steps beyond hwy 10 to get to my car at the trailhead parking, so instead of following the trail angled northeast then a spur trail to the parking lot southeast, I started a cross-country trajectory directly east paralleling the road, following the power line clearing underneath which I'd slept a few days before. But soon the powerline went up a steep hill, and I realized that the scale of that triangular trail configuration between the PCT, the Road, and the parking spur trail, was much larger than I had assumed, and detoured that hill. I think that hill was the backside of the large lava flow clearing that I had stopped at on my bicycle to take picts of views south of Brown Mountain. I remember that there was a large basalt-rubble "cliff" looking north at that spot. Baktracked.. So it was 3pm when I finally got to my car.
Took me a while to sort things out - had a checklist but things still located in the order I packed them rather than logical places while travelling. Finally got rolling by 11am I think - funny in the last minute rush I don't look at the time. I did remember to turn on the GPS logger though, so I can go back and check my start & stop times, my pace, etc.. Hope at some time to find or develop an app that will crunch that tracklog data then use the stat's to "reconstruct" photo-locations for trips I don't have tracklogs for. (Would be a good Git-Hub project, IMO.)
My route was a fast four mile downhill on hwy 140 (hitting my brakes for picts at a large lava-flow-clearing with nice views of Brown Mt McGloughlin to the southeast, blowing past the Fish lake Resort turnoff, taking the left onto poorly marked (I've missed the turn in my car both times) onto "Primary Forest Route 37", AKA Big Elk Road. This is a pleasantly winding six mile roller coaster along the west edge of the Brown Mt lava flow. I stopped for picts at nicely flowing North Fork Butte Creek coming from Fish Lake. This road comes to a T at Dead Indian Memorial Road (which runs between Ashland and Lake Of the Woods.) A left takes you across a large meadow with nice views of Mt McGloughlin to the north, and I stopped for picts and finished off the grapes I had at the top of my pack. Up a small rise then down past Keno Access Road across the meadow north end of Howard Prairie Lake, (regretting having passed by a flowery blues & reds & yellows bicyclist-only photo-op with no car-turnouts nearby,) Up another hill then a left (after 4 miles on Dead Indian Memorial Rd) onto Hyatt Prairie Road, another curvy four mile rollercoaster that skirts the west side of the lake, A final left onto Howard Prairie Dam Road takes me southeast three miles to where it parallels the PCT at the south end of the lake, about a mile short of the dam.
I got to my stashed bear canister at 2pm, Took a long break to cool down on this very hot day, and then to transfer water and food from the canister to my backpack - amazed myself that it all fit (after some strategic munching.) placed my bike gear (pump, patch kit, tool kit, yellow vest, and garbage) into the canister, hid that, and hid my bike. I generally choose a clump of pines with low branches to slide my bike beneath, inspecting visibility from all angles, camouflaging shiny chrome spokes & rims with sticks & pine needles.) Off hiking by three pm.
I felt I was really dragging in the heat and a full pack (it's actually a small "ultralite" no-frills pack - no belt strap, in particular, that I got this year at that unmentionable department store for a fraction of REI prices, so it may fall apart quickly, I assume. The pack I've used these past three years, an Osprey Atmos 60, has fallen apart in various ways, finally ripping at the waist band which ended it's useful life for me (although I'm prepared to sew it up in an emergency if my alternative fails.)
I wasn't taking as many picts as usual, due to the extra exertion that takes to do "deep knee bends" every few steps. (At home in this temperature (high 80's?) I'd be sprawled out like a limp rag.) Didn't botehr going to the spring a half mile off trail about 6 miles of hiking, still had plenty I rationalized, though that does violate my policy of never passing up water or photo-ops. Also missed an opportunity to take a half mile side trip to Vulture Rock, that I then regretted. I did stop at the Brown Mt shelter, which had an old fashioned water pump nonoperable because the handle was missing. read some of the log book entries, last visitor yesterday. Left my own mark as muddyknees. I felt I was ahead of schedule despite the heat but wasn't checking my map, so was surprised to find myself at Dead Indian Road where I had stashed a gallon of water, now 12 miles into my hike. It was 7pm, so I just grabbed the gallon, crossed the road, continued about an 1/8 mile further to a nice soft spot of mostly Doug-Fir and I think sugar pine litter and set up camp (a groundcloth consisting of a cut open large garbage bag, to protect my sleeping bag from pine pitch. I also brought along a new roll of painter's sheeting that I've been using during thunderstorms. Dumped everything else from my pack and sorted things into logical order after having packed things randomly back at the trailhead. After settling down, still dusk, hearing some rodent noises, I placed my food into a garbage bagand used it as a pillow, so I might wake to any rodent munching sounds. Put on my bug net, as my mosquito spray from last year seemed to have lost it's potency. (Despite the dry conditions, there still are a few around.) A fly or maybe a native bee? buzzed me all night, and it took me a while to finally sleep.
Woke up to birdsong as usual, but dozed for another hour til 7:30 before getting up to pee and have my usual breakfast of oatmeal, raisins & walnuts. (I guess I was consuming some portion of California water in those nuts.) Discovered I had mistook a small baggie of Ibuprophen from last year's first aid kit as no-doze while I was packing at the car, (used my loupe to read the markings on the pill, )so substituted some extra fig bars for a sugar-rush coffee substitute. Sat there for a longer while listening to the birds waiting for the sugar rush to kick in. Walked back to the road to stash my empty gallon jug to pick up after I got to the car. Got going north by 9am Hiked the 12 miles to hwy 140 my 2pm.
The first part of that hike, like the preceding day's miles, was mostly Doug Fir forest - hence my dearth of picture taking, I guess. (There was only one panoramic view of the horizon yesterday.) But the last couple of miles on the lava-boulder-strewn northeast slope of Brown Mt offered great views of Mt McGloghlin (I mis-wrote Mt Thielsen before this edit) just north of hwy 140. Just a few snow fields visible from this side. There is a trail to the top of that volcano and I was considering making that a day-hike, maybe my next hike before starting the loop to Crater Lake.. But there are thunderstorms forecast for the next few days, so I'm not sure of the timing.
I thought it was just a short few steps beyond hwy 10 to get to my car at the trailhead parking, so instead of following the trail angled northeast then a spur trail to the parking lot southeast, I started a cross-country trajectory directly east paralleling the road, following the power line clearing underneath which I'd slept a few days before. But soon the powerline went up a steep hill, and I realized that the scale of that triangular trail configuration between the PCT, the Road, and the parking spur trail, was much larger than I had assumed, and detoured that hill. I think that hill was the backside of the large lava flow clearing that I had stopped at on my bicycle to take picts of views south of Brown Mountain. I remember that there was a large basalt-rubble "cliff" looking north at that spot. Baktracked.. So it was 3pm when I finally got to my car.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
TwoPCT Day-hikes done, set up for three day hike tomorrow
I'm a day ahead of schedule.
Last Thursday it was of course a last minute scramble to tie up as many of the many remaining loose ends before leaving Betsy's granny that I had called home for the last two winters, Oregon-bound
I think I managed to tidy up the place for the new tenant reasonably well, even gave the new tenant a walkthrough, though it was about two hours later than ideal. Then I still had to make another trip to my storage to drop off vacuum clraner etc. that I didn't want to carry to Oregon. That set me behind another hour.
So I didn't get to Pepperwood Preserve til 11AM. Had planned to do three things while there, one my normal Herbarium Data Entry session, 2nd the Phenology Monitoring on the Serpentine Trail that I was scheduled to do tomorrow. Third, I wanted to upload all my Phenology Photos from this spring. Decided to forget about the Herbarium stuff. Did my monitoring, then brought my laptop in to upload those picts, and thought I could add those to the batch before "exporing" them all from Lightroom then upload them to the server. About 4:30 I noticed the time and realized I wouldn't have time before teh place closed, to even finish processing that day's photos. A well. Sorry Pralahda. Now I could maybe find time to upload them to my muddyknees site, then use Smugmug's feature to create a zip file of the gallery, that Pralahda can download. Or, wait till I get back.
Anyway, in the car again. Drove east on Franz Valley road, taking some shots of the brewing thunderstorm over Mt St Helena. Got rained on just as I got to Tubbs Lane in Calastoga, but the road up to the saddle was dry, as was the rest of the way. Passed the Walker Ridge turnoff still way to early to overnight, and figured I could make it to Castle Crags by just after nightfall. Passed Lake Shasta still just as half-empty as last year (thought I might see the bottom this year!) Stopped for gas just south of Redding. Got to the Castella exit at dusk. Two miles beyong the Castle Crags campground, just past the National Forest sign, I knew there was a turnout where I would overnight. flat plot for a tent.
Woke to birdsong at 6:15. Oatmeal breakfast. Was ready to move on by 7, expecting to buy a coffee at the gas station mart at the I5 interchange, but it was closed. Onwards to the other side of I5 to the tunnel "connector" between the two campgrounds (so east side campers could access showers on the main west side grounds, I guess. Last year a hitchhiker I had picked up nearby told me about that "opportunity" to take a shower - I'm always asking people where I can find a public shower.) But this morning 7am the gate at the tunnel was locked: "Open 9am to 6pm said the sign. Onwards. Got my coffee at the gas station mart at north end of Dunsmuir. Kept driving all the way to Ashland. Got some groceries at the Albertsons just off the exit. Onwards east on Green Springs Hwy 66 to the Green Springs Inn where I wanted to check out the spurr trail access to the PCT, and ask permission to stash my bicycle there later today or tomorrow. Stopped at a turnout at the Green Springs reservoir just before the Inn, where the access trail crossed the dam to reach the trail just west of there. Took a few photos, then drove the final quarter mile to the Inn, realizing at that point that I didn't need to ask at the inn, since it was downhill from the inn to the reserviur. Stopped t the inn anyway, and asked anyway, and bought a breakfast, then took a walk behind the inn with my camera to check out the access trail. Took some photos of a flock of chickens I met on the trail near the inn. I went back inside and asked the cook whetehr they used eggs rom those free-range hens. Yes indeed, he said proudly. It was about 11am, I still hadd time to do the first of my planned day-hikes today.
Drove the two miles uphill to the Hyatt lake PCT crossing, parked my car, got my bike out, got my stuff together. A southbound hiker passed by on the road, said he had to go get some food. Finlly ready I passed him on the road, then my front wheel went flat. That shouldn't happen because it was a tube filled with goop. pumped it up while the hiker passed me, then went on & passed him again. Air seemed to hold this time.
Stashed my bike at the reservoir, changed my amera lans (I had tried to use the fisheye to take video of my ride, but the way I tried rigging it up didn't work, so I just dumped the camera into my backpack. Now I was trying changing back into my regoular lens. I normal lens-changing routine is to hold one lens with my left elbow Somehow, the lens at my elbow slipped after I had removed the cap, and it fell onto the gravel roadway, exposed back-side glass down! Uogh! Looked, and indeed, an obvious scratch, right in the center of the back lense! Uogh! Mounted the lens on the camera, got an error msg, saying cant communicate with the lens. Removed the lens, wiped the contacts on my shirt, tried again. this time it worked. Took a shot. Zoomed in. Hard to tell - nothing obvious. Oh well. This isn;t the first time I've dropped it. It's been occasionally, randomly, getting error msgs of various sorts.
Nine miles of wonderfully blooming scenery later, back at the car, drove back to fetch my bike, then drove on to "groundtruth" tomorrow's logistics. Decided to park car in same place, biciycle north around Hyatt Lk down to Howard Prairyie Lake, This was a slightly longer bike ride but a shorter hike, only 7 miles. Finished that by 3pm this afternoon, wend back to fetch my bike, stayed there to hide my bear-canister full of food and water for tomorrow's hike. This will be a three-day hike to Hwy 140 near Fish Lake. Aboout 25 miles total, Probably about 6 miles first day after the longish bike ride with some more significant uphill sections. Left another gallon of water at the trail crossing at Dead Indian Road, which is about mid-way. I was low on gas, and had a few hrs daylight left, so decided this might be good time to head to town. Now of course it's way past daylight, and haev to stop, about an hours drive on windy roads back to the trailhead on 140 near fish lake.
Last Thursday it was of course a last minute scramble to tie up as many of the many remaining loose ends before leaving Betsy's granny that I had called home for the last two winters, Oregon-bound
I think I managed to tidy up the place for the new tenant reasonably well, even gave the new tenant a walkthrough, though it was about two hours later than ideal. Then I still had to make another trip to my storage to drop off vacuum clraner etc. that I didn't want to carry to Oregon. That set me behind another hour.
So I didn't get to Pepperwood Preserve til 11AM. Had planned to do three things while there, one my normal Herbarium Data Entry session, 2nd the Phenology Monitoring on the Serpentine Trail that I was scheduled to do tomorrow. Third, I wanted to upload all my Phenology Photos from this spring. Decided to forget about the Herbarium stuff. Did my monitoring, then brought my laptop in to upload those picts, and thought I could add those to the batch before "exporing" them all from Lightroom then upload them to the server. About 4:30 I noticed the time and realized I wouldn't have time before teh place closed, to even finish processing that day's photos. A well. Sorry Pralahda. Now I could maybe find time to upload them to my muddyknees site, then use Smugmug's feature to create a zip file of the gallery, that Pralahda can download. Or, wait till I get back.
Anyway, in the car again. Drove east on Franz Valley road, taking some shots of the brewing thunderstorm over Mt St Helena. Got rained on just as I got to Tubbs Lane in Calastoga, but the road up to the saddle was dry, as was the rest of the way. Passed the Walker Ridge turnoff still way to early to overnight, and figured I could make it to Castle Crags by just after nightfall. Passed Lake Shasta still just as half-empty as last year (thought I might see the bottom this year!) Stopped for gas just south of Redding. Got to the Castella exit at dusk. Two miles beyong the Castle Crags campground, just past the National Forest sign, I knew there was a turnout where I would overnight. flat plot for a tent.
Woke to birdsong at 6:15. Oatmeal breakfast. Was ready to move on by 7, expecting to buy a coffee at the gas station mart at the I5 interchange, but it was closed. Onwards to the other side of I5 to the tunnel "connector" between the two campgrounds (so east side campers could access showers on the main west side grounds, I guess. Last year a hitchhiker I had picked up nearby told me about that "opportunity" to take a shower - I'm always asking people where I can find a public shower.) But this morning 7am the gate at the tunnel was locked: "Open 9am to 6pm said the sign. Onwards. Got my coffee at the gas station mart at north end of Dunsmuir. Kept driving all the way to Ashland. Got some groceries at the Albertsons just off the exit. Onwards east on Green Springs Hwy 66 to the Green Springs Inn where I wanted to check out the spurr trail access to the PCT, and ask permission to stash my bicycle there later today or tomorrow. Stopped at a turnout at the Green Springs reservoir just before the Inn, where the access trail crossed the dam to reach the trail just west of there. Took a few photos, then drove the final quarter mile to the Inn, realizing at that point that I didn't need to ask at the inn, since it was downhill from the inn to the reserviur. Stopped t the inn anyway, and asked anyway, and bought a breakfast, then took a walk behind the inn with my camera to check out the access trail. Took some photos of a flock of chickens I met on the trail near the inn. I went back inside and asked the cook whetehr they used eggs rom those free-range hens. Yes indeed, he said proudly. It was about 11am, I still hadd time to do the first of my planned day-hikes today.
Drove the two miles uphill to the Hyatt lake PCT crossing, parked my car, got my bike out, got my stuff together. A southbound hiker passed by on the road, said he had to go get some food. Finlly ready I passed him on the road, then my front wheel went flat. That shouldn't happen because it was a tube filled with goop. pumped it up while the hiker passed me, then went on & passed him again. Air seemed to hold this time.
Stashed my bike at the reservoir, changed my amera lans (I had tried to use the fisheye to take video of my ride, but the way I tried rigging it up didn't work, so I just dumped the camera into my backpack. Now I was trying changing back into my regoular lens. I normal lens-changing routine is to hold one lens with my left elbow Somehow, the lens at my elbow slipped after I had removed the cap, and it fell onto the gravel roadway, exposed back-side glass down! Uogh! Looked, and indeed, an obvious scratch, right in the center of the back lense! Uogh! Mounted the lens on the camera, got an error msg, saying cant communicate with the lens. Removed the lens, wiped the contacts on my shirt, tried again. this time it worked. Took a shot. Zoomed in. Hard to tell - nothing obvious. Oh well. This isn;t the first time I've dropped it. It's been occasionally, randomly, getting error msgs of various sorts.
Nine miles of wonderfully blooming scenery later, back at the car, drove back to fetch my bike, then drove on to "groundtruth" tomorrow's logistics. Decided to park car in same place, biciycle north around Hyatt Lk down to Howard Prairyie Lake, This was a slightly longer bike ride but a shorter hike, only 7 miles. Finished that by 3pm this afternoon, wend back to fetch my bike, stayed there to hide my bear-canister full of food and water for tomorrow's hike. This will be a three-day hike to Hwy 140 near Fish Lake. Aboout 25 miles total, Probably about 6 miles first day after the longish bike ride with some more significant uphill sections. Left another gallon of water at the trail crossing at Dead Indian Road, which is about mid-way. I was low on gas, and had a few hrs daylight left, so decided this might be good time to head to town. Now of course it's way past daylight, and haev to stop, about an hours drive on windy roads back to the trailhead on 140 near fish lake.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Passing through Seattle
I've written lots of notes in my little notebook since my last post here, but of course no time now to transcribe... so just a brief catch-up:
I did take the plunge and continue onto the trail at the Sauk river trailhead, to clearing skies though still soggy ground and underbrush, of course. Took me a day to climb out of the mushroom-sprouting forest to the crest at White Pass, but what an exhilerating contrast with spectacular views especially crossing the crest at red pass, getting first glimpses of Glacier Peak though the to me anonymous lesser peaks were at least equally worthy of gigabytes of repeated snapshots and panoramas from ever-changing perspectives.
The trail did it's usual alternation between river crossings at 3000ft and ridge-passes at 6000+ft, as I passed by the other trailheads that aI would have preferred entering this section from, which, as mentioned in my last post, were closed from slides now several years old. Some, such as the White Chuck trail junction, seemed passable from the PCT end, others, such as the Milk Creek trail that had been my first choice, was obviously completely overgrouwn just a few yards from the junction. The Suiattle River trail, which from the west end was still closed due to unfinished road construction, but due to open this fall, seemed to be well maintained at the PCT trail junction. I suspect I could have walked the road past the construction, as someone in Darrington had suggested I could do.
But as it turns out, many of the views of Glacier Peak from the southwest were in that section between the Sauuk river and Suiarrle river trails, and since the weatehr was good for the first few days, it was good that I got to this section during that time.
The weatehr did deteriorate after the firstt few days, so my views of Glacier from the northwest were probably fewer, although I did get some glimpses through occasional breaks in the clouds. More than half the time the trail went through forest and there would have been few views of distant peaks anyway. In fact, at some times I found myself grumbling that I had sunny skies while slogging through the creek valleys, unable to take photographic advantage of the clear skies.
Approaching the "High Bridge" junction with the bus going east to Stehekin on Lake Chelan, I had set myself up the night before to catch the 9am bus, by pushing on a bit past dark to make it to 4 miles south of the stop, setting my alarm for 5am to hopefully be walking by 6am, but it was still deep dark in the deep woods and steady drizzle at that time, and I was a bit sluggish getting myself out of my sleeping bag , packed, dressed for the rain, dripping rain fly packed, etc, and as a result I missed the bus by about 10 minutes. No big deal though, the nearby campground had a lean-to shelter and I took advantage of having the camp all to myself by hanging things out to "drip" off some of the excess weight of water - no chance things would "dry"... Did make it on the neen bus along with a few otehr hikers.
In town, recognized a few otehr hikers that had passed me in the last few days. Had a chance to chat with then over meals. They all seemed to be in ratehr reflective moods, this being towards the end of their through hikes...
There wasn't much productive work I could do there besides do my laundry - no internet, no computers to copy files, very little resupply options - no peanutbutter!!!??? (though the lady did me a speial favor by grtting some from the restaurant next door... So I ended up taking the next noon bus back to the trail. The bus was full of hikers, with a smattering of weekenders staying at the "ranch".
It was still raining at midday, though forecast called for clearing, and it did clear toward the end of the day. Made it to the junction of the spur trail to my assigned CG just after dark, and decided to plop right there in a nice camping spot at the junction, ratehr than going down to the actual campground. Technically a violation, I guess... Next morning to sunny skies I made the last 7 miles to my bicycle at Rainy Pass, took about two hours to rearrange myself onto the bicycle, and coasted down to the base of ross lake, to a campground who's name escapes me at the moment. Chatted over a fire that night with anotehr "walker" on some slightly different quest - a roadwalk encircling the continental us - he would be heading west into Iowa this winter. I did wish him to stay warm and dry when I left the next morning.
It was a strenuous peday the net day along the mostly level stretch next to the river but with an increasing headwind funneled through that valley. Spent a second night at a campground just short of Concrete.
Made it into Concrete the next morning. I had been asking around for a good place to stash my bike in that town before boarding the busses to Seattle. The Community Center came highly recommended my the girl at the gas station in Rockport. That gas station, by the way was going out of business, it was their last day, shelves were empty, pumps out of gas, a big "card" at the counter with best wishes notes from well wishers, the girl would be out of a job.
At the Community center, the response was no - sherrif's office, was their suggestion. I did, caught the sherrif as he was leaving, he was agreeable, emptied my bicycle of my baggage, left it there in his office, and promptly caught the bus going west. Managed to quickly make connections twice into Seattle, stopped at the central library, got a reservation for the Green Turtle Hostel, walked there from the libry, and here I am the next morning.
Now I need to make some arrangements to stay anotehr night or leave. More later.
I did take the plunge and continue onto the trail at the Sauk river trailhead, to clearing skies though still soggy ground and underbrush, of course. Took me a day to climb out of the mushroom-sprouting forest to the crest at White Pass, but what an exhilerating contrast with spectacular views especially crossing the crest at red pass, getting first glimpses of Glacier Peak though the to me anonymous lesser peaks were at least equally worthy of gigabytes of repeated snapshots and panoramas from ever-changing perspectives.
The trail did it's usual alternation between river crossings at 3000ft and ridge-passes at 6000+ft, as I passed by the other trailheads that aI would have preferred entering this section from, which, as mentioned in my last post, were closed from slides now several years old. Some, such as the White Chuck trail junction, seemed passable from the PCT end, others, such as the Milk Creek trail that had been my first choice, was obviously completely overgrouwn just a few yards from the junction. The Suiattle River trail, which from the west end was still closed due to unfinished road construction, but due to open this fall, seemed to be well maintained at the PCT trail junction. I suspect I could have walked the road past the construction, as someone in Darrington had suggested I could do.
But as it turns out, many of the views of Glacier Peak from the southwest were in that section between the Sauuk river and Suiarrle river trails, and since the weatehr was good for the first few days, it was good that I got to this section during that time.
The weatehr did deteriorate after the firstt few days, so my views of Glacier from the northwest were probably fewer, although I did get some glimpses through occasional breaks in the clouds. More than half the time the trail went through forest and there would have been few views of distant peaks anyway. In fact, at some times I found myself grumbling that I had sunny skies while slogging through the creek valleys, unable to take photographic advantage of the clear skies.
Approaching the "High Bridge" junction with the bus going east to Stehekin on Lake Chelan, I had set myself up the night before to catch the 9am bus, by pushing on a bit past dark to make it to 4 miles south of the stop, setting my alarm for 5am to hopefully be walking by 6am, but it was still deep dark in the deep woods and steady drizzle at that time, and I was a bit sluggish getting myself out of my sleeping bag , packed, dressed for the rain, dripping rain fly packed, etc, and as a result I missed the bus by about 10 minutes. No big deal though, the nearby campground had a lean-to shelter and I took advantage of having the camp all to myself by hanging things out to "drip" off some of the excess weight of water - no chance things would "dry"... Did make it on the neen bus along with a few otehr hikers.
In town, recognized a few otehr hikers that had passed me in the last few days. Had a chance to chat with then over meals. They all seemed to be in ratehr reflective moods, this being towards the end of their through hikes...
There wasn't much productive work I could do there besides do my laundry - no internet, no computers to copy files, very little resupply options - no peanutbutter!!!??? (though the lady did me a speial favor by grtting some from the restaurant next door... So I ended up taking the next noon bus back to the trail. The bus was full of hikers, with a smattering of weekenders staying at the "ranch".
It was still raining at midday, though forecast called for clearing, and it did clear toward the end of the day. Made it to the junction of the spur trail to my assigned CG just after dark, and decided to plop right there in a nice camping spot at the junction, ratehr than going down to the actual campground. Technically a violation, I guess... Next morning to sunny skies I made the last 7 miles to my bicycle at Rainy Pass, took about two hours to rearrange myself onto the bicycle, and coasted down to the base of ross lake, to a campground who's name escapes me at the moment. Chatted over a fire that night with anotehr "walker" on some slightly different quest - a roadwalk encircling the continental us - he would be heading west into Iowa this winter. I did wish him to stay warm and dry when I left the next morning.
It was a strenuous peday the net day along the mostly level stretch next to the river but with an increasing headwind funneled through that valley. Spent a second night at a campground just short of Concrete.
Made it into Concrete the next morning. I had been asking around for a good place to stash my bike in that town before boarding the busses to Seattle. The Community Center came highly recommended my the girl at the gas station in Rockport. That gas station, by the way was going out of business, it was their last day, shelves were empty, pumps out of gas, a big "card" at the counter with best wishes notes from well wishers, the girl would be out of a job.
At the Community center, the response was no - sherrif's office, was their suggestion. I did, caught the sherrif as he was leaving, he was agreeable, emptied my bicycle of my baggage, left it there in his office, and promptly caught the bus going west. Managed to quickly make connections twice into Seattle, stopped at the central library, got a reservation for the Green Turtle Hostel, walked there from the libry, and here I am the next morning.
Now I need to make some arrangements to stay anotehr night or leave. More later.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Rats! weather deteriorating...
I've been trying to wat for an optimal time to hike past the Glacier Peak area, which wshould have awesome photoops in clear weatehr. Looks like I would have to wait anotehr week. Maybe I should consider skipping this section for later, maybe even for next year, in which case the Suiattle TH would be open and I could do it much easier.
But I am getting very restless sitting here, again with a few sunny days and I'm not ready to do anything to take advantage of them. I'm inclined at the moment to push on, despite facing clouds and rain during most of the 6 days it will take me to get through this section. I really should reconsider. But again if I do that I'll need to fetch my bike back at Rainy Pass, research the specific logisticts of a Stevens to Snoqualmie or Chinook to Snoqualmie Pass loop, which will wast two upcoming sunny days. Hate such a dilemma!
Here's the current forecast,discussion, just FYI.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 900 AM PDT WED SEP 19 2014 .SYNOPSIS...A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE AREA TODAY WILL KEEP SKIES MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MORNING SHOWERS. CLOUDS WILL GRADUALLY DISSIPATE TONIGHT AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE STRONG RIDGE AND LOW LEVEL OFFSHORE FLOW WILL BRING SUNNY SKIES AND A WARMING TREND THIS WEEKEND. A WEAKENING FRONT ON MONDAY WILL BRING INCREASING CLOUDS...A FEW SHOWERS...AND COOLER TEMPERATURES. A LARGE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MAINTAIN A WETTER AND COOLER PATTERN ALL NEXT WEEK. && .SHORT TERM...A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH EMBEDDED IN WLY FLOW IS DISSIPATING ALONG THE N WA COAST THIS MORNING. MODELS SHOW NO REFLECTION AT THE SURFACE BY THIS AFTERNOON AND NOT MUCH UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT. RADAR DATA DOES SHOW A FEW RESIDUAL SHOWERS FROM THE N COAST EWD ACROSS THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AND OVER THE N INTERIOR. THESE SHOWERS WILL DECREASE THIS AFTERNOON. THE REST OF THE AREA INCLUDING THE PUGET SOUND REGION SHOULD BE DRY TODAY ALTHOUGH CLOUDS WILL HANG IN THROUGH THE AFTERNOON GIVEN THE MOIST ONSHORE FLOW. HIGHS WILL AGAIN BE COOL...AROUND 70 FOR THE SOUND AND LOW 70S ACROSS THE SW INTERIOR. THE 500 MB RIDGE RAPIDLY AMPLIFIES OVER THE REGION TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. LOW LEVEL NORTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPS TONIGHT...THEN BECOMES MORE STRONGLY OFFSHORE SATURDAY AS THERMALLY INDUCED LOW PRESSURE FORMS JUST OFF THE COAST. DRYING SHOULD TAKE PLACE TONIGHT IN THE MID/UPPER LEVELS. HOWEVER...A STRONG SUBSIDENCE INVERSION WILL TRAP SOME AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS AND FOG IN A THIN LAYER BELOW 2 KT ACCORDING TO NAM-BUFFER SOUNDINGS. ANY FOG/STRATUS SHOULD BURN OFF RATHER QUICKLY BY MID-LATE MORNING. WITH THE PICK UP IN OFFSHORE FLOW AND THE DRYING AIR MASS...HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL WARM A GOOD 4-10 DEGREES SATURDAY. THE COAST MAY SEE THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES GIVEN THE LOCATION OF THE THERMALLY INDUCED TROUGH AHEAD OF THE STRATUS SURGE. UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE WILL START TO SHIFT FURTHER INLAND SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW THE THERMALLY INDUCED TROUGH TO SHIFT INLAND OVER INTERIOR WRN WA. SUNDAY SHOULD THEREFORE BE THE WARMEST DAY OVER INLAND AREAS. HIGHS IN THE MID 85S WILL PROBABLY BE COMMON. THE NAM MOS SHOULD AGAIN DO BEST IN THIS SCENARIO BUT THE GUIDANCE IS STILL LIKELY HANDICAPPED A BIT BY CLIMATOLOGY. THE FORECAST IS ALREADY TRENDED 2-4 DEGREES ABOVE THE WARMEST MOS WHICH SEEMS REASONABLE. MERCER .LONG TERM...NO CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...ALL FACTORS ARE IN PLACE FOR A SW MARINE PUSH SUNDAY NIGHT. STRATUS SURGE UP THE COAST ON SUNDAY...UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS SHIFTING OVER W MT...AND WEAKENING COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE COAST. THE SW MARINE PUSH SUNDAY NIGHT SHOULD PUSH STRATUS UP THROUGH AT LEAST MOST OF PUGET SOUND BY MONDAY MORNING. EARLIER NAM RUNS WERE LESS EXTENSIVE WITH THE BOUNDARY LAYER RH MONDAY MORNING...BUT THE LATEST 06Z NAM COVERS ALL OF W WA. THE NAM TIME-HEIGHT SECTION SHOWS A MARINE LAYER AROUND 4000 FEET DEEP MONDAY MORNING. IF THIS WORKS OUT THEN CLOUD COVER WILL HAVE TO BE INCREASED FOR MONDAY. THE MODELS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH MONDAYS APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM. MODELS SHOW THE FRONT REMAINING INTACT UNTIL IT MOVES E OF 130W MONDAY MORNING. AT THAT POINT MODEL CROSS-SECTIONS SHOW THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SHEARING AWAY FROM THE LOW LEVEL FRONT...LEAVING IT TO STALL ALONG THE COAST. THE MODELS HAVE BEEN DRY FOR W WA ON MONDAY...BUT WITH A DEEP MARINE LAYER IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME DRIZZLE COULD DEVELOP MONDAY MORNING...CAUSED BY WEAK LIFT FROM THE UPPER TROUGH AS IT CONTINUES MOVING INLAND. BOTH GFS AND ECMWF HAVE A LONGWAVE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DEVELOPING OFFSHORE OVER THE NE PACIFIC BY TUESDAY WITH SW FLOW ALOFT OVER W WA. THE TROUGH WILL DOMINATE THE PATTERN ALL NEXT WEEK FOR PERIODS OF RAIN OR SHOWERS OVER W WA. BOTH MODELS SHOW A COLD FRONT REACHING W WA TUESDAY NIGHT OR EARLY WEDNESDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL PROBABLY SCOOP UP THE REMNANTS OF MONDAYS STALLED FRONT AS IT MOVES INLAND. KAM && .AVIATION...WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT TODAY AND TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA ON SATURDAY TURNING FLOW ALOFT TO THE SOUTHWEST. AT THE SURFACE...A WEAKENING FRONTAL SYSTEM OVER THE COASTAL WATERS THIS MORNING WILL DISSIPATE AS IT MOVES INLAND TODAY. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA ON SATURDAY GIVING INCREASING NORTHERLY FLOW AT THE LOW LEVELS. THE AIR MASS IS MOIST AND STABLE. SATELLITE IMAGERY AND PILOT REPORTS SHOW MULTIPLE CLOUD LAYERS WITH TOPS OVER 8000 FEET. FROM ABOUT KSEA SOUTHWARD IN THE INTERIOR...THE LOWER LEVELS BELOW 3000-5000 FT ARE CLEAR. MVFR CEILINGS ARE FOUND IN THE INTERIOR FROM ABOUT KSEA NORTHWARD WITH LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS OVER THE KITSAP PENINSULA. CONDITIONS N OF KHQM ALONG THE COAST ARE LOW IFR IN STRATUS...LIGHT RAIN AND FOG. CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE FROM THE SOUTH AND EAST TODAY WITH MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AFTER 22Z. CEILINGS WILL BREAK THIS EVENING AS FLOW BECOMES MORE N/NE IN THE LOWER LEVELS AND THE AIR MASS DRIES SOMEWHAT. THE LATEST NAM12 SOLUTION SHOWS A LOW STRATUS AND FOG LAYER FORMING BELOW A DEVELOPING LOW LEVEL SUBSIDENCE INVERSION IN THE INTERIOR AS LOW LEVEL NORTHERLY FLOW INCREASES AND IS PRECEDED BY RADIATIONAL COOLING. THE NAM12 MOS GUIDANCE AND TIME HEIGHT SECTIONS SHOW IFR CONDITIONS THROUGH MUCH OF THE INTERIOR FROM KPAE SOUTHWARD 08Z-20Z SAT...AND LOW IFR VIS IS POSSIBLE IN LOCATIONS WHERE THE STRATUS INTERSECTS THE GROUND. THIS IS TYPICAL FOR THE EARLY FALL SEASON AS OFFSHORE FLOW DEVELOPS BEHIND A WEAKENING FRONT. THIS CHANGE WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE 18Z TERMINAL FORECASTS FOR KPAE...KSEA...KBFI AND KOLM. THIS STRATUS AND FOG IS ALSO LIKELY TO FORM IN THE CHEHALIS VALLEY AND IMPACT THE KHQM TERMINAL DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND MORNING HOURS. ALBRECHT KSEA...CEILINGS HAVE IMPROVED TO OVER 3000 FT AT THE TERMINAL AND LOWER CEILINGS ARE LIFTING NORTH OF THE TERMINAL EXPECT CIGS TO IMPROVE TO 050-060 LATE THIS MORNING WITH CLOUDS BREAKING DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON OR EVENING HOURS. AS MENTIONED ABOVE...EXPECT LOW STRATUS WITH CIGS 003-005 TO DEVELOP AROUND AND TO THE NORTH OF THE TERMINAL ABOUT 09Z AS A SUBSIDENCE INVERSION DEVELOPS OVER THE AREA AND TRAPPED LOW LEVEL MOISTURE CONDENSES WITH RADIATIONAL COOLING. THE STRATUS WILL RAPIDLY SPREAD/DEVELOP SOUTHWARD ONCE IT FORMS. THERE IS ABOUT A 50 PERCENT CHANCE THAT VISIBILITIES AT THE TERMINAL WILL DROP TO BELOW 1/2SM FG IF THE STRATUS BASES ARE SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN CURRENTLY EXPECTED. THE STRATUS WILL LIKELY BREAK UP AROUND 20Z SAT. SOUTH WINDS TODAY 4-8 KT WILL BECOME LIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON THEN BECOME NORTH 6-8 KT AFTER 05Z THROUGH SAT MORNING. ALBRECHT && .MARINE...A WEAK AND DISSIPATING FRONT OVER THE COASTAL WATERS WILL MOVE INLAND TODAY. BEHIND THE FRONT...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP OVER SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND WILL STRENGTHEN SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL INCREASE LOW LEVEL NORTHERLY FLOW TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. FLOW WILL BECOME MORE EASTERLY LATE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY AS THE HIGH OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA MOVES SOUTHEASTWARD. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY EAST WINDS ARE LIKELY AT THE EAST ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL ZONE LATE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. A WEAKENING FRONT WILL APPROACH THE COASTAL WATERS LATE SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. THE APPROACH OF THE FRONT WILL LIKELY INDUCE A SOUTHERLY SURGE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. A MUCH STRONGER FRONTAL SYSTEM WELL OFFSHORE WILL BE APPROACHING FROM THE WEST ON TUESDAY. ALBRECHT
well... White Chuck was also closed... Hmm...
Just to account for my last few days since my last post...
So the White Chuck road looked promising but ended abruptly at a bulldozed barrier just beyond a turnabout with a campfire ring... no signs, no clue as to why it closed. Walked beyond the barrier for about a mile, no slides or washouts. Just before the closure point I had taken a right turn at a "y", so I decided to explore the left branch of that. That drive looped me back north to the Suiattle River trailhead at a point just before it's closure. {I should be more specific about the road names/numbers here - future editing task...]
Returned to Darrington library, I did find ref's on the web concerning these closures. The Suiattle River TH would be reopening later this fall. The White Chuck trailhead is being permanently de-commissioned. There was a third possible approach to the PCT from this (west) side - the Sauk River TH, although it reached the PCT only about 20 miles north of Stevens Pass, not very optimal for my intent to split the 120 mile section into shorter hikes. It being Sunday evening I decided to hang around town til the Ranger station reopened Monday morning, and just ask whetehr that was open, rather than waste more gas.. Headed for a nice FS CG just a few miles from town that would have cost me a Sr Pass discounted $4, but it was full. Wandered across the road to a FS route and overnighted at the first turnout on that just a few 100yds from the main road. Even better.
Talked to the ranger Monday morning, learning that the Sauk River TH was indeed open and the only waay to the trail from here. The Forecast called for rain within two days, and I had no other plans, so I decided to wait out the weather essentially at the Darrington library, which had ample table-space with power for me to work with my laptop. There was a decent grocery store and a nice little bookstore/coffee house, and a small RV campground with 6minute showers for $2, and a laundromat with quite inexpensive rates. Very picturesque Mts surrounded the town. A very livable small town.
Forecast gradually changed, pushing off the rain later into the week. Oh well, I was busy finally taking a close look at my tracklogs, Had found a good GPX file editor allowing me to easily split the month-long GPS log files into manageable files each covering just one day. I still do have lots of gaps in my logs, though with the two logging methods I was now using (BCNav app on my phone and the Holux track logger) fewer than I had feared. Still need to find or write a script that would allow me to inerpolate the picts taken during my log-gaps based on time/distance along Halfmile's published track of the trail.
So today the forecast called for decreasing rain and sunny weather this weekend (though then another low arriving by Tuesday. I was ready at the trailhead this morning, but it was pouring rain worse than at any time the last two days. So I decided to drive the 20 miles back into town to do this and a few other loose ends that my "packing/todo" list had revealed.
But ,I may leave that for next year, depending maybe on the weather around mid-month October. If it looks "bad" around that time, I may just decide to come back to CA in time for a family gettogether in Davis for granddaughter Kaylee's 3rd bithday party. In that case, I may just call it quits hiking for this season, and would be looking for a place to over-winter. I still have "most" of Oregon to do, but couldn't start that next year until probably mid-June assuming typical snowpack up there. But there are also some sections in the Klamaths that I will probably want to redo, because I lost at least 1000 picts representing a few days hiking I think in the Marble Mts. Depending on how my "book project" goes, I may also "redo" some other sections involving "bicycle loopbacks" in CA. But also, in the back of my mind is the notion of looking for a parttime or temp job this winter.. Lots of options I'm trying to keep open.
.
So the White Chuck road looked promising but ended abruptly at a bulldozed barrier just beyond a turnabout with a campfire ring... no signs, no clue as to why it closed. Walked beyond the barrier for about a mile, no slides or washouts. Just before the closure point I had taken a right turn at a "y", so I decided to explore the left branch of that. That drive looped me back north to the Suiattle River trailhead at a point just before it's closure. {I should be more specific about the road names/numbers here - future editing task...]
Returned to Darrington library, I did find ref's on the web concerning these closures. The Suiattle River TH would be reopening later this fall. The White Chuck trailhead is being permanently de-commissioned. There was a third possible approach to the PCT from this (west) side - the Sauk River TH, although it reached the PCT only about 20 miles north of Stevens Pass, not very optimal for my intent to split the 120 mile section into shorter hikes. It being Sunday evening I decided to hang around town til the Ranger station reopened Monday morning, and just ask whetehr that was open, rather than waste more gas.. Headed for a nice FS CG just a few miles from town that would have cost me a Sr Pass discounted $4, but it was full. Wandered across the road to a FS route and overnighted at the first turnout on that just a few 100yds from the main road. Even better.
Talked to the ranger Monday morning, learning that the Sauk River TH was indeed open and the only waay to the trail from here. The Forecast called for rain within two days, and I had no other plans, so I decided to wait out the weather essentially at the Darrington library, which had ample table-space with power for me to work with my laptop. There was a decent grocery store and a nice little bookstore/coffee house, and a small RV campground with 6minute showers for $2, and a laundromat with quite inexpensive rates. Very picturesque Mts surrounded the town. A very livable small town.
Forecast gradually changed, pushing off the rain later into the week. Oh well, I was busy finally taking a close look at my tracklogs, Had found a good GPX file editor allowing me to easily split the month-long GPS log files into manageable files each covering just one day. I still do have lots of gaps in my logs, though with the two logging methods I was now using (BCNav app on my phone and the Holux track logger) fewer than I had feared. Still need to find or write a script that would allow me to inerpolate the picts taken during my log-gaps based on time/distance along Halfmile's published track of the trail.
So today the forecast called for decreasing rain and sunny weather this weekend (though then another low arriving by Tuesday. I was ready at the trailhead this morning, but it was pouring rain worse than at any time the last two days. So I decided to drive the 20 miles back into town to do this and a few other loose ends that my "packing/todo" list had revealed.
But rain or no, I'm determined to be hiking his afternoon for a week - actually longer, a week of solid hiking, starting from the N. Fork Sauk River TH that meets the PCT after about 10 miles about 85 miles south of Rainy Pass at WA SR20. I'll hade the option to do a "layover" in Stehekin about 20 miles short of Rainy Pass, which I may do if the weather is bad. At Rainy Pass I've stashed my bicycle, and I'll have probably a full day bicycle ride west of the Pass down to the town of Concrete, where I'll catch some local buses to Seattle & then an Amtrak bus to Stevens Pass on WA SR 2, where I'll have another two maybe three day hike back to my car. This will take me into next month.
I then still hope to do the "two" sections of Stevens Pass, one to Snoqualmie Pass on I90, then from I90 to Chinook Pass on WA SR ??? northeast of Mt Rainier where I left off a few weeks ago before skipping to the "border" (Rainy Pass to the border) which I did a week ago.
That would leave about a 60 mile section just north of the Colombia Ruver Gorge to finish off Washington.
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