Loowit Falls
Thought I’d take a little trip up to Tanner Butte to see how much the snow how melted in the last 3 weeks since I was up there last. The snow drifts were easily 4’ deep, then, so I didn’t expect to see it essentially all melted out. What a surprise.
The start gave me high hopes for blue skies, even though the forecast called for clouds.
Queen Anne’s Lace
Oxeye Daisy
Oregon Sunshine
The ridge trail at about 3600’
To beargrass alley where this pretty much summed up what’s left in snow.
Getting to the summit hardly had enough snow to mention, either.
No volcanoes views today, but sure could have been worse.
The high points are Mt. Defiance and Chinidere Mt.
The just passed through beargrass alley sits down below.
Tanner Lake
Headed down the south ridge that Don Nelsen mentioned some time ago.
Looking back up
Tanner Lake from half way down
Indian Paintbrush was spread out all over the hillside.
What little beargrass bloom, I saw, was here.
Bushwhacked for a short distance to intersect with the Tanner Tr., not far from the Tanner Springs junction. This was the most snow all day and it ended just around the corner.
Thrush Pond on the Eagle – Tanner Tr.
Salmonberry
Big Cedar Springs
Trail got much worse for wear nearing the creek crossing.
Didn’t really plan on doing the loop, so I didn’t bring sandals. Decided to make my way downstream to the log that’s crosses part of the creek.
Looking back
The trail is in need of some TLC on both sides of the creek.
But all the blowdown has been cleared from the Whatum Lake junction on in. Thank You trail crews!!!
Yellow Monkeyflower
Twister
Falls
Tunnel Falls
Not far to go now
High Bridge
Loowit Falls
It was a fun day on the trail. Approximately 25 miles/ 5200’ gain
Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
Last edited by Jack on June 24th, 2017, 2:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
Beautiful pictures, but is this really Queen Anne's Lace?
Re: Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
Dude, that's the best photo summary of that hike I've ever seen. Well done.
Re: Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
What Chase said! Very nice TR. Really ratchets that one back up the list again.
How deep do you suppose the ford would've been, had you just plowed through?
How deep do you suppose the ford would've been, had you just plowed through?
Karl
Back on the trail, again...
Back on the trail, again...
Re: Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
Thanks Webfoot. Looking further, I think you’re right, it looks more like cow parsnip. So much for that majestic touch. I’d better stay away from this flower identification.
Thanks Chase and Karl. As you both know, it really is a fun trail, even with a few obstacles.
Karl, I don’t think the creek is any more than 1 ½’ to 2’ deep at the ford. Seems I always manage to stub a toe or two on such crossings, though.
Thanks Chase and Karl. As you both know, it really is a fun trail, even with a few obstacles.
Karl, I don’t think the creek is any more than 1 ½’ to 2’ deep at the ford. Seems I always manage to stub a toe or two on such crossings, though.
Re: Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
I was wondering the same on another Gorge hike this weekend. So I looked up this...Webfoot wrote:Beautiful pictures, but is this really Queen Anne's Lace?
http://www.ravensroots.com/blog/2015/6/ ... hemlock-id
Hard to say. The hairs on the stalk look like Queen Anne's, but its not an edible I'm ever going to be confident about!
Re: Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
It looked like cow parsnip to me as Jack wrote just above you, but I'm not good with identification in general so I just questioned rather than spewing bad info.
By the way I've eaten wild carrot (Queen Ann's Lace root) before. The fresh root has a strong and pleasant smell of carrot, though those raised on today's "sweet" carrots might not find it quite so familiar. From what I understand poison hemlock smells nothing like this.
But after searching for a source to corroborate or refute this I found a comment on this page saying:
p.s. sorry for the derail
By the way I've eaten wild carrot (Queen Ann's Lace root) before. The fresh root has a strong and pleasant smell of carrot, though those raised on today's "sweet" carrots might not find it quite so familiar. From what I understand poison hemlock smells nothing like this.
But after searching for a source to corroborate or refute this I found a comment on this page saying:
And from the linked USDA.gov page:Donna W on August 2, 2016 at 5:13 am
Do not go by smell! This article is misleading. Water Hemlock has a carrot smell and is very poisonous. Do some research on the USDA website. Here is a link with pictures and information.
https://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=9996
However water hemlock looks quite different from wild carrot based on pictures so I don't think someone familiar with wild carrot would mistake the two. Anyway be safe out there.The toxic substance in water hemlock is cicutoxin, a highly poisonous unsaturated alcohol that has a strong carrot-like odor.
p.s. sorry for the derail
- Don Nelsen
- Posts: 4380
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
- Location: Vancouver, WA
Re: Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
Jack,
Great report and excellent photos, too! Thanks for documenting this, one of my favorite hikes.
dn
Great report and excellent photos, too! Thanks for documenting this, one of my favorite hikes.
dn
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
Re: Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
Really fun. One of the best loops around!Jack wrote:Thanks Chase and Karl. As you both know, it really is a fun trail, even with a few obstacles.
Wow, so still more than knee deep, huh? Didn't think there was still that much snow up there! Last time I crossed that, it was late-May (obviously not this year), and only just above my ankles. Thanks for the update!Jack wrote:Karl, I don’t think the creek is any more than 1 ½’ to 2’ deep at the ford. Seems I always manage to stub a toe or two on such crossings, though.
Karl
Back on the trail, again...
Back on the trail, again...
Re: Tanner Butte – Eagle Creek Loop conditions 6-11-17
I'm not sure if 1 1/2 to 2 feet counts as more than knee deep, but with the snow on Tanner ridge mostly melted, the creek level is going to be dropping pretty fast. When I went up the other way on Eagle Ck the week before, water level did not look at all intimidating for an upper creek ford.kepPNW wrote:Wow, so still more than knee deep, huh? Didn't think there was still that much snow up there! Last time I crossed that, it was late-May (obviously not this year), and only just above my ankles. Thanks for the update!