Timberline Lodge to Paradise Park 15 July
Posted: July 16th, 2017, 9:39 am
I just got back from an overnight from Timberline Lodge to Paradise Park.
Here's a run down of everything in case anyone else is looking to make that hike soon.
Trail conditions: Fine until a little past Zigzag. You will hit some snow drifts en route. Some drifts are still up to 5 or 6 feet high. But you won't lose the trail.
Crossing Zigzag is fine. There are some boards over it right now to help with crossing.
After Zigzag is another story.
A couple of sections of the trail are narrowing due to the underlying rock giving way or tree roots tearing out the trail. You will come across a few trees down before the Paradise Park loop trail. Most you can limbo under or crawl over easily. Just before PP loop trail (east side), there are 2 or 3 big trees collapsed on each other and directly on the trail. This will take a couple of minutes to clear, but it shouldn't inhibit you from going further.
PP east trail. Don't take it. The Zigzag Ranger Station said there were blowdowns on the trail (Timberline/PCT back to the Lodge). I also asked some people who were eastbound on the trail what route the took. The ones that took the PP east trail regretted it. I took trail 778. At the 778/Paradise Park Loop Trail junction I met up with 4 hikers that were cursing the PP east trail.
After the 778/PP Loop Trail junction, just a few more big snow banks remain. Again, you shouldn't lose the trail. The only treacherous spot would be on the east side of Lost Creek. I headed back around 5:30am and this snow bank had re-frozen overnight. This was the only spot that I wished I had my crampons. I got past by collapsing my trekking poles down, digging them in and going very slow. I think the ~100 foot iced over section took me 7-8 minutes. If you slip down, you will drop into mushy stuff.
During the afternoon hours, all the snow banks were slushy and easy to traverse.
At Paradise Park itself, it was all easily accessible. The drawback was that there are still some snow banks there and some of the better camping spots are covered by a snow bank.
Again, don't take the PP east trail until Zigzag Ranger Station says it is cleared. The 4 guys I met at the junction said it took them over an hour ... maybe an hour and a half, to go from the PCT/PP East Trail junction to the 778/PP Trail junction.
Flowers: Purples and whites are blooming a little. From what I saw poking out of the ground, I would say 2-4 weeks off from massive flowers.
Bugs: Low to none. Maybe light mosquitoes near Zigzag crossing and a little beyond (westbound) but that was it. My shirt and pants are permethrin treated, but I certainly didn't see many mosquitoes. Some flies, but none bit me. I didn't put any DEET on.
Here's a run down of everything in case anyone else is looking to make that hike soon.
Trail conditions: Fine until a little past Zigzag. You will hit some snow drifts en route. Some drifts are still up to 5 or 6 feet high. But you won't lose the trail.
Crossing Zigzag is fine. There are some boards over it right now to help with crossing.
After Zigzag is another story.
A couple of sections of the trail are narrowing due to the underlying rock giving way or tree roots tearing out the trail. You will come across a few trees down before the Paradise Park loop trail. Most you can limbo under or crawl over easily. Just before PP loop trail (east side), there are 2 or 3 big trees collapsed on each other and directly on the trail. This will take a couple of minutes to clear, but it shouldn't inhibit you from going further.
PP east trail. Don't take it. The Zigzag Ranger Station said there were blowdowns on the trail (Timberline/PCT back to the Lodge). I also asked some people who were eastbound on the trail what route the took. The ones that took the PP east trail regretted it. I took trail 778. At the 778/Paradise Park Loop Trail junction I met up with 4 hikers that were cursing the PP east trail.
After the 778/PP Loop Trail junction, just a few more big snow banks remain. Again, you shouldn't lose the trail. The only treacherous spot would be on the east side of Lost Creek. I headed back around 5:30am and this snow bank had re-frozen overnight. This was the only spot that I wished I had my crampons. I got past by collapsing my trekking poles down, digging them in and going very slow. I think the ~100 foot iced over section took me 7-8 minutes. If you slip down, you will drop into mushy stuff.
During the afternoon hours, all the snow banks were slushy and easy to traverse.
At Paradise Park itself, it was all easily accessible. The drawback was that there are still some snow banks there and some of the better camping spots are covered by a snow bank.
Again, don't take the PP east trail until Zigzag Ranger Station says it is cleared. The 4 guys I met at the junction said it took them over an hour ... maybe an hour and a half, to go from the PCT/PP East Trail junction to the 778/PP Trail junction.
Flowers: Purples and whites are blooming a little. From what I saw poking out of the ground, I would say 2-4 weeks off from massive flowers.
Bugs: Low to none. Maybe light mosquitoes near Zigzag crossing and a little beyond (westbound) but that was it. My shirt and pants are permethrin treated, but I certainly didn't see many mosquitoes. Some flies, but none bit me. I didn't put any DEET on.