Opal Creek North Ridge up to Tanner Butte 6-16-12

[Eric Peterson]

Guy, Don, Peder, Bosterson and myself set out for a little off trailing up to Tanner Butte
by way of the major ridge just north of Opal Creek but a bit south of 4.5 Mile Bridge
on the Eagle Creek trail.

Met the group at about 5:50 am at the historic bathrooms @ Eagle Creek.

Spirits were high, everyone smiling and laughing at each other before 6:00 am!

See - here is Guy all giddy and happy to be hiking with DN and Bosterson:



And Bos also showing his good side:



Walking up the pavement to the real Eagle Creek TH I spotted a flat snake that provided a bit of
a meal for a slug:



TH group shots of Don, Peder and Guy on the move (had the feeling not to stop the guys for
a proper group TH shot this day) -





Guy was already somewhat off trailing it to get a better angle on ? Falls:





Actually, I'm kind of glad I don't know all the falls names along Eagle Creek, that way I can
pretend I haven't hiked there!

I also don't know the name of this wildflower but tried to take a picture of them with the
depth of EC canyon below:



Just before High Bridge, Bosterson said he wanted to off trail it up this area to the Platter and
I agree:



Guy @ High Bridge:



Hiked over to 4.5 mile bridge where the legends discussed our options for gaining the
desired ridge north of Opal Creek. I think Don suggested we could cross 4.5 MB and
wade across Eagle Creek closer to Opal Creek but we all decided against that and
just started our 'schwack cross country -



Shortly there after we came to a little bowl where I believe Tenas Creek dumps into and
we had to cross a nice double log system and root ball deal. I vidded, yes I just made that
word up, the guys crossing and went last. I have to say going last sometimes can be
problematic as proved here, the root ball got pretty loosened up and I was afforded
a very nice dirt shower and wonk on the head as I was getting down onto the timber.
I also lost my 16oz coconut water



Heading up the ridge we got some views of the Eagle Creek canyon that not many would
normally see.



We could also just barely make out 4.5 Mile Bridge from this vantage point as well, I'm sure
Guy has a much better quality picture of this as well -



Peder just being rad as usual -



Guy taking super high quality pictures of the day in progress -



The first dicey obstacle ahead -



Don approaching the first sketchy area -





The first mile or so of this ridge 'schwack isn't too brushy but kept us on our toesies for sure
what with a few dicey sections of razor thin crumbly exposure. Bosterson manned it up
as it were and skedaddled right over the top of the sketchiest ridge burst while the
four of us skirted on the exposure. Well, we named this ridge scared shitless ridge.

A short video -



And some stills of the obstacle -



I got almost up to the top and decided to join the other guys on the skirt around. My pack
for the say was just overly dumb, upwards of 25 #'s and didn't feel comfortable possibly
falling backwards or sideways with the old Buick strapped on my back

Here is Guy inching back down as well -



Things calmed down a bit after this area and found this little guy just sitting very still for me -



Peder got this one of me with the Buick in tow -



Not sure of the exact order of events at this point but we got to our next major
obstacle which has been dubbed 10 Minute Rock with a stick maneuver.

Prior to this small mossy rock climb Bosterson had done a very impressive sheer
rock climb of 10 or 15' which I thought I was vidding while dodging his pebbles,
but alas I was only holding the camera while in pause mode and only got about 2
seconds of him clearing it at the top. Sorry Nat

A short video of Don and Guy climbing up 10 Minute Rock -



I think it took me 5 to 8 minutes of hemming and hawing up the slippery moss covered rock
before finally Don said just something like 'let's go just grab the stick'.

Quote of the day was also here at 10 Minute Rock, I told Don I was afraid I would pull
him off with me and he assured me I wouldn't because he would let go!
Then we started talking about the flick 'Touching The Void' which didn't help to
speed up me up. All I know is good thing I'm not too afraid of heights even
though this section wasn't terribly exposed but a slip would have been fatal
before hitting the trees below. Special thanks again to Don!

We continued on the last of the nicer open spots of the ridge before we got to
the really brushy stuff -



And a picture of the High Bridge Ridge that we off trailed last week -



A shot of some other fun looking ridges that head up to the Platter -



And continuing on before the brushy sections -





The newly dubbed Stick Master checking his unit -







Mayhem couldn't be with us today so I took this picture of some scat for him -



Beargrass and rhodie blooms -



Help me here guys, I thought this was a old blaze?



And we were not the first, well of course we weren't, a cairn as we got closer to the 401 -



Bear claw marks -



Legends on the rocks -



Looking over at our new target as we bailed on the original Opal Creek Falls plan and
just decided we would get up to 401 then TB -



On the move -





Future ridge hikes, maybe -



The last little bit of EG before hitting the slopes to get down to the 401 trail -



Nice open area before parting ways with Don down on the 401 -



Don bails -



We continue on to Tanner Butte, low on water, I had just under a liter and was getting
just a tad nervous as we decided not to divert down to Tanner Spring as there should
be enough snow on TB to at least get something for the hike back.

Near the top I grabbed some snow, not sure there would be very much directly on top.

While on top we met up with another fellow PH'r, Andre aka Sloth. He was basking in the
sun and views and offered us some of his training weight water! Thanks again Sloth!!
You really saved our butts today!

Guy broke out the Pinot Grigio that had some bubbles, very good stuff for under 5 bucks too!

Tanner Butte party pictures -







And not to forget the super delicious moist scones Guy's wife made for the summit party!





Oh, there were some nice views as usual on a sunny day from the butte -





Returning back to the TH after the summit party -



Met up with Sloth again down at the old 401 trail head -



Someone left their sun glasses on the TH signage -



Nearing the end -



Ta-da!

Fini!





We all had differing Garmin GPS stats during the trek as well -

But... nearly 20 miles and 5400' of EG in 12 hours

Fly Like A G6

[Lurch]

Awww that looks like tons 'o fun! And boatloads of sketch

As for the blaze, it could be.. but FS usually did a dot-dash or dash-dot depending on whether it's a main trail or spur/unofficial trail, and should be marked on both sides of the tree.

[rick6003]

Thanks Eric,

We pretty much did your route but veered off at about 3200 feet to get water on the middle fork then came up below the big rock about were the E andR in the word wilderness is. There were a couple of small ponds here. I was thinking they were the ones you guys were at last week.

It was a very fun climb up but got to be a long long ways up with all the heat and climbing. I think I know where you used the stick to get around that bluff area. I opted for a chute back up to the ridge line here that worked out fine. I didn't want to put my hikers on that drop there. But one lady Andee is very comfortable and would of walked right across it. She is good!

I can't remember if we all went up and over what Guy did in the video but I think we all did it that way. Could be wrong though.

Things were getting a bit dicey for my crew, dead tired ladies who were dreading more up but they all finished pretty darn well. Lots of abrasions and bruises all around. Walking on top of brush is fun for me but I don't think they liked it too much.

We crossed the dirty log , right at the beginning.

From your log I think my Mileage and EG gut feeling is about right for us. 16 miles and over 5000 feet for the day. Quite a accomplishment for a few of us who had never done this kind of hiking. Climbing?

Believe this was alot harder than MT Hood.

[Don Nelsen]

Thanks to all for a major fun hike and glad to finally hike with Bosterson (Nat). Nat, your spidy powers are awesome and you showed us all up by climbing that first major ridge!

Sorry I had to bail and miss the summit party but I had to be back home by five - made it with a couple minutes to spare.

A few pics:

Frst, a read oddity - a Killer slug (who knew!) devouring the foreleg of an unfortunate fawn. Spotted this on top of a log across Tenas Cr. at the start of the ridge:



Nat showing his spidy powers of balance:



Here's EP just before I started poking a stick at him. Heck Eric, it's only a few hundred feet if you fall!



Once over that last crux, it didn't look to get any better, scenic, though!



Looking back from whence we came:



Interesting area of depressions that should have had small ponds in them but showed no signs of that. Nice, moss-covered areas.



The Benson Plateau looking all plateau-like:



Defiance, Greenpoint, Tomlike and Chinidere:



Eric, thanks for a great TR and again, thank to all my TFF's for a great day!

Don

[Eric Peterson]

Yeah, rick, I was going to go up one of those gulley's as well but wasn't sure of the
sketch factor once up there and Bosterson was gone from up there to inform us.

So we used the Stick Maneuver on that exposed bluff.

Forgot to mention the three learned lessons from my experience on this one:

1) Put little bottles of coconut water INSIDE the pack
2) Stop loading up the pack with 25 #'s of stuff and extra shoes!
3) Bring a little bit of rope on a scramble even if you think you won't use it!

Oops, the reason I had my backup spare shoes on this hike was because
I had just traded in last weeks pair of defective Oboz hikers for a new
pair of Ahnu's at REI the night before. Really, I'm not that shoe trade in
guy everyone thinks I am, but REI just wants to make sure I get
the right shoes! I mean, I'm not going to take back my 2 year old
worn out Asolo's but I will take back a pair of super hurty shoes
after testing them all week...

[Crusak]

wow! amazing scramble guys. looks like a ton of fun! and a bit hair-raising at times.

[Guy]

Great Report Eric, this was one of the toughest Bushwhacks I've ever done! Here are a few more pics:

The lovely little bowl area just above Tanas Falls were we crossed the creek.


As you mentioned the initial climb up to the ridge was quite easy, here looking back down Eagle Creek.


This is the spot where we regained the ridge line, Peder can be seen filming you as you hang out on 10 minute rock ..


Thinking the worst was behind us my heart did sink when we came upon this! For a couple of minutes I wondered if we had bitten off more than we could chew!


Peder's photo of us heading along the ridge!


Once at the low spot we trusted to the Animal Trails which led us up and around the cliffs.


One of 2 Talus slopes we climbed on the final third of the ridge.


And finally the Summit!




We had fun picking out landmarks from the summit here are a few:

Table Mountain with Adams behind


Hamilton looked very small!


We could even just about pick out 3 Corner Rock


Barret Spur on Hood


From the Summit we could see the rock fields we had climbed up & over on our way up the ridge.


Rest of the pics are here.

Thanks for putting this together Eric,

[Guy]

Rick, yeah I remember walking past his slot & should have walked back to it! Having seen that whole area now I would say this is definitely the safest way up & around that set of cliffs.



Eric, I was surprised to see this one cairn it was still a good ways from the Tanner Butte Trail & the only sign we saw the whole way! Definitely a simple way of saying "Hey guys you were't first to be here" though!

[Eric Peterson]

Thanks for putting this together Eric

My pleasure guys, and thanks for coming, and thanks to Don again for leading this one!

[mcds]

sounds like quite the day, and on such a hot day! nice work!