Horsetail Creek - Rock of Ages Loop 11-19-16

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bobcat
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Horsetail Creek - Rock of Ages Loop 11-19-16

Post by bobcat » November 22nd, 2016, 8:11 pm

This loop was being blitzed by hikers on these forums a few years ago, but I haven't seen a recent post, so I thought I'd send one in for old time's sake.

I took a couple of young lads and their dad up the Russ Jolley to the shelters and then the Mindolovitch to the Rock of Ages Trail. The weather treated us well - nary a sprinkle - and it was a fine time to be up in those parts. Steven Shelter is now a sorry sight but 6 Camp offers a dry roof although you would be trespassing if you took advantage of it.
At Horsetail Falls, Columbia Gorge.jpg
First part, Russ Jolley Trail.jpg
Above Horsetail Creek, Russ Jolley Trail.jpg
Lobster mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum), Russ Jolley Trail.jpg
Steven Shelter, Russ Jolley Trail.jpg
Ruben, Ezra at Steven Shelter, Russ Jolley Trail.jpg
Crossing Horsetail Creek, Russ Jolley Trail.jpg
Horsetail Creek, Russ Jolley Trail.jpg
The pole-rail crossing, Horsetail Creek, Russ Jolley Trail.jpg
Snack break, Grove of the Patriarchs, Russ Jolley Trail.jpg
Mindolovich crossing, Mindolovich Trail.jpg
Artist's conk (Ganoderma applanatum), 6 Camp Trail.jpg
Cedar snag, 6 Camp Trail.jpg
6 Camp Shelter, 6 Camp Trail.jpg
At 6 Camp Shelter, 6 Camp Trail.jpg
No Trespassing, 6 Camp Shelter.jpg
Heading up the Mindolovich Trail.jpg
Coming down Rock of Ages, the wind picked up. We passed through the destruction of last winter below the Devil's Backbone, but it didn't affect the trail much. Down at the arch, we were treated to a bald eagle soaring up the cliffs and over our heads. The boys had much fun grappling with the steep slopes and were appropriately but contentedly exhausted by the end of it.
White russula (Russula brevipes), Rock of Ages Trail.jpg
Ezra, Archer Mt., Prindle Cliffs from the Devil's Backbone, Rock of Ages Trail.jpg
Last winter's destruction, Rock of Ages Trail.jpg
View to Archer Mt., Rock of Ages Trail.jpg
Cliffs above Ainsworth, Rock of Ages Trail.jpg
Ezra at the arch, Rock of Ages Trail.jpg

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Peder
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Re: Horsetail Creek - Rock of Ages Loop 11-19-16

Post by Peder » November 22nd, 2016, 10:12 pm

Great outing for the two kids!
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Bosterson
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Re: Horsetail Creek - Rock of Ages Loop 11-19-16

Post by Bosterson » November 23rd, 2016, 12:03 am

Whoa, when did the roof of Steven Shelter totally collapse? I feel like it was still somewhat intact last time I was up there, though I could be wrong and I don't even remember when exactly that was (2 yrs?).

How is the destruction below Devil's Backbone? Does it seem like any work clearing the logs has been done? (I recall someone saying it had, but I haven't been up there since April or so.)
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Chip Down
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Re: Horsetail Creek - Rock of Ages Loop 11-19-16

Post by Chip Down » November 23rd, 2016, 5:28 am

Another question about Steven Shelter: What's that box? It wasn't there when I was.

I haven't found that other shelter yet. Looked around a little. Where did you pick up the "6 Camp" name?

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bobcat
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Re: Horsetail Creek - Rock of Ages Loop 11-19-16

Post by bobcat » November 23rd, 2016, 1:20 pm

Bosterson wrote:Whoa, when did the roof of Steven Shelter totally collapse?
Yes, I think two years ago it was still a roof, but I passed by there last year and it had fallen in. Now the beams seem to have more or less disintegrated.
Bosterson wrote:How is the destruction below Devil's Backbone?
Not really an issue on the trail any more. That section in my picture (4th from bottom) has a rough trail passing through it - that's about the worst of it.
Chip Down wrote:Another question about Steven Shelter: What's that box? It wasn't there when I was.


You mean the rusty little wood stove (sometimes known as a "wilderness shanty stove")? That's been there all along and was once connected to the stove pipe of course.
Chip Down wrote:Where did you pick up the "6 Camp" name?
Haha. All the nomenclature I have for this area came from threads on this site. At some point, some of the people actually involved with the trail building weighed in and I'm pretty sure that's where "6 Camp" comes from. If I recall, Russ Jolley decided to move the shelter from lower down, possibly from the Grove of the Patriarchs (That's a Don Nelson name) site, because it was getting some negative attention.

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bobcat
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Re: Horsetail Creek - Rock of Ages Loop 11-19-16

Post by bobcat » November 23rd, 2016, 8:00 pm

O.K., here's the complete post by Gray Jay in the 2011 Russ Jolly Trail History thread:

"Brian Stenberg, who began climbing with Russ Jolley in 1961, sent me this history of what is now called by many the "Russ Jolley Trail" but which Brian and Russ called the Horsetail Creek Trail when they built it. (There are, indeed, many "Russ Jolley Trails" and camps on the landscape of the Columbia Gorge and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, but I don't know of anyone who has a complete inventory.)

Brian wrote to me: " I found the part about the Horsetail Creek trail especially interesting as I was a member of the original group that cut this trail starting in 1964. The original first camp was built approximately .75 miles from the upper falls. A 3 sided shelter with a large rock fire pit was constructed. We built a log bridge across the creek and rigged a large rope that crossed the creek at approximately 30 feet above the water. To this rope we attached a pulley and rope sling which allowed for several high speed crossings. We also built several rock pools and got 500 trout fingerlings from the ODFW hatchery at Eagle Creek to stock the creek. Imagine getting the cooperation to do this without an feasibility study today! In 1967, we began to push the trail further and at one time, it actually connected with a trail on Nesmith Lookout but this was later abandoned. The first camp was deconstructed in 1968 due to its location being used by others who did not share in the same ideals that Russ believed in. The second cabin was constructed on what was referred to as “6 Camp” as this was the sixth campsite constructed on this drainage. This cabin still exists and I visited it late last fall and found it to be in excellent repair."

So I'm inferring that 6 Camp is that upper cabin. . .

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Guy
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Re: Horsetail Creek - Rock of Ages Loop 11-19-16

Post by Guy » November 24th, 2016, 8:11 am

Thanks for the update Bobcat,

Also surprised to see the seemingly sudden if inevitable demise of the Steven Shelter.
hiking log & photos.
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Chip Down
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Re: Horsetail Creek - Rock of Ages Loop 11-19-16

Post by Chip Down » November 25th, 2016, 1:13 pm

Regarding the box/stove discussed above: I suppose it's possible I overlooked it. May have been buried under the collapse. Here's my visit earlier this year:
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