Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness - 6/29 to 7/1/18

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nsutherl
Posts: 28
Joined: October 11th, 2015, 4:41 pm

Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness - 6/29 to 7/1/18

Post by nsutherl » July 5th, 2018, 8:21 am

Counter-clockwise loop.
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Stats

Depart 17:30 on Friday, 6/29
Arrive 09:16 on Sunday, 7/1

27.7 miles (plus 3.1 other miles)
7,200' elevation gain
12 hours, 40 minutes hiking
39 hours, 48 minutes total
2.43 hiking mph

1 owl, 3 salamanders, many bees, many birds (heard), 1 tick

Link to all photos and videos (many many)

Report

My BFF and I were looking at the Loowit Trail for last weekend, but we weren't sure about the snow conditions or weather. So we went with something much closer and very different: a loop through the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness along Eagle Creek and the ridges that connect Tumala Mtn, Sheepshead Rock, and Wildcat Mtn.

We drove out after work and got only slightly lost near The Douglas Trailhead (called Wildcat Mtn Trailhead in Google). The directions given in the Field Guide are correct, I just misinterpreted them. Roads are paved the whole way until the parking lot.

After our brief detour, we arrived at the TH around 17:20 and were pleased to see only 2 other cars.

We came upon one of their humans 1/4 mile in; he was headed back towards the TH. This was the last person we'd see for 39 hours until we were back within 1/4 mile of our car -- true wilderness solitude!

With only 4 hours of daylight remaining, it was convenient that day 1 was all downhill, losing over 2,000' on the way down to Eagle Creek. The trail was great except for when it was overgrown by salmon berries and thorny bushes.

Along our entire route, we encountered 20-30 patches of overgrown trail, each ranging from 10-100' in length. Perhaps 25% of these patches had thorny bushes, making shorts a questionable choice. My pants-clad hiking partner certainly fared better than I.

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We had dinner at a small creek where it crossed the trail and then made camp a mile further on, well uphill and away from the creek. Bug pressure was minimal and the weather was clear and calm so we chose to forgo both our tarp and bug shelter. It was our first time "cowboy" camping and it was truly an amazing experience. As dusk faded, we were able to hear and then see an owl fly quite near us (video of hoots in album). 6.5 miles on the day.

Day 2 required 16+ miles and 5,000' gain. We broke camp and were hiking by 9am, a little late for the long day ahead. The forest here along Eagle Creek holds a fantastic mix of old and new growth. Isolation from civilization was noticeable and the the occasional airplane served as the only reminder of our proximity.

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We meandered along, stopping to scope out the established campsites (of which there were 3) and to take videos of each other.

The Eagle Creek Ford was a mostly dry, easy affair. Although steep, the Eagle Creek Cutoff Trail is wide and clear, climbing 2,000' up to gain the pass below Tumala Mtn.

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At 16:30 and mile 11 for the day, we were done with the majority of climbing and so paused for dinner at a tremendous southerly vista -- Tumala meadow and lakes below -- created by an impressive rockfall. Confident of having a water source at camp that night, we consumed all of our water with our dinners.

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Our relaxing 9am start and leisurely pace along Eagle Creek earlier in the day got us into camp just as the sun was setting, not affording us enough time to search for the proper Coffman Camp and associated spring. So again we turned off trail and found a stealthy flat spot free of bushes under and large tree and canopy. We went to bed thirsty and hungry, afraid to eat any of our candy bars lest it dry out our mouths further.

Having been treated so well by the weather the night before, we decided to only set up the bug shelter and again go tarp-less. We ignorantly dismissed the low, dense fog around us and laid down for the awful night ahead.

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Drops began falling on our faces around 22:00, so I suggested simply pulling the tarp inside our bugnet and laying it over the top of us; we figured the weather would be temporary and therefore lazily chose to forego getting out and properly setting up the shelter above us (we later posited that this "rain" was likely just water condensing out of the fog onto the tree leaves above us and then raining down onto us. i.e. if we would've camped in the open, we likely would've stayed dry[er]).

The clear drawback of this plan became evident as condensation began soaking us from the inside, under the tarp. In addition, puddles began forming around us inside the bug shelter soaking the feet and sides of our bags. Feeling defeated, we quietly settled in for a night of wet tossing and turning with little to no sleep. The lesson we learned was clear: bite the bullet and set up your shelter properly at the first hint of weather. 16.5 miles and a monkey butt load of climbing on the day.

We arose with the sun, thankful to be thru the night. Save for the long undies and fleece shirt I was wearing, everything else was wet: hiking clothes, shoes, backpack, beanie, etc... Packing up was a cold and somber affair.

Luckily, we had only 4.7 miles back to the car on this day, our third and final of what had been a generally enjoyable trip. Coffman Camp and its spring was just 1/2 mile down the trail from whence we camped and so we replenished our bottles and continued on. Our sorrows began melting away once we were covering ground; the weather was mild if not a bit wet and the trail was clear of overgrowth.

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By 09:00 we had reached the gravel pit again and knew we had made it, our feeling of accomplishment duly earned.

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retired jerry
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Re: Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness - 6/29 to 7/1/18

Post by retired jerry » July 5th, 2018, 8:31 am

nice report, thanks, some day I'm going to do that loop

I've done that before, slept out, it started raining, I just put tarp on top of me, I got wet.

Now I just set the tarp up properly if it starts raining on me in the middle of the night.

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xrp
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Re: Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness - 6/29 to 7/1/18

Post by xrp » July 5th, 2018, 11:19 am

retired jerry wrote:
July 5th, 2018, 8:31 am
nice report, thanks, some day I'm going to do that loop
I echo what Jerry said. I added it to my "to do" list as well.

Thank you!

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maobie15
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Re: Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness - 6/29 to 7/1/18

Post by maobie15 » July 5th, 2018, 7:53 pm

that last photo of the trail in the fog next to what looks like a cliff is beautiful!!

i'm also adding this one to my list! thanks for the inspo!
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“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” –Albert Einstein

nsutherl
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Joined: October 11th, 2015, 4:41 pm

Re: Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness - 6/29 to 7/1/18

Post by nsutherl » July 10th, 2018, 11:31 am

Thanks everyone. Indeed, it is a beautiful if not underused area!

johnspeth
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Joined: July 30th, 2013, 8:33 am

Re: Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness - 6/29 to 7/1/18

Post by johnspeth » July 10th, 2018, 2:16 pm

As dusk faded, we were able to hear and then see an owl fly quite near us (video of hoots in album)
I had a close owl encounter once near my home in Tigard in while I was biking along a trail trough some dense woods along Fanno Creek during winter, early evening. It was very dark in the woods. I didn't think owls did that kind of encounter with people. I wonder if the owl felt threatened and started an attack but got close and aborted the mission after it figured out how big I was. It sounds like your owl did nearly the same thing. Does anybody know what would motivate an owl to swoop in to people?

It was pretty scary for me. Owls are quiet fliers so I didn't hear it until it was right over my head a few feet. All I saw was this huge dark shadow over head. My awareness of the owl lasted about a half second. I didn't hear any call.

nsutherl
Posts: 28
Joined: October 11th, 2015, 4:41 pm

Re: Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness - 6/29 to 7/1/18

Post by nsutherl » July 12th, 2018, 8:34 am

johnspeth wrote:
July 10th, 2018, 2:16 pm
I had a close owl encounter once near my home in Tigard...
Remembering that their claws are sharp and stronger than humans hands, I too was concerned that we could hear it hooting but not see it. I know they are silent fliers, allowing them to pick off prey nearly undetected. However, we only saw it cruise 50 feet away from us, maybe 20 feet off the ground so we never felt that we were under attack. I may or not have had my hiking pole at the ready, just in case...

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Waffle Stomper
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Re: Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness - 6/29 to 7/1/18

Post by Waffle Stomper » July 15th, 2018, 9:05 am

johnspeth wrote:
July 10th, 2018, 2:16 pm

I had a close owl encounter once near my home in Tigard in while I was biking along a trail trough some dense woods along Fanno Creek during winter, early evening. It was very dark in the woods. I didn't think owls did that kind of encounter with people. I wonder if the owl felt threatened and started an attack but got close and aborted the mission after it figured out how big I was. It sounds like your owl did nearly the same thing. Does anybody know what would motivate an owl to swoop in to people?

It was pretty scary for me. Owls are quiet fliers so I didn't hear it until it was right over my head a few feet. All I saw was this huge dark shadow over head. My awareness of the owl lasted about a half second. I didn't hear any call.
They become territorial mid to late winter (especially the barred owls) they have been known to chase runners and bikers. After many years of watching neighborhood barred owls, I have never been swooped down on, but have been followed and often I have joined them for several minutes just enjoying each other's company. It might be best to avoid an area where there are nesting owls until later in the summer, if running or biking.

Enjoy your time with them, don't fear them.
Owlet on stump.jpg
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." - John Muir

cfm
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Re: Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness - 6/29 to 7/1/18

Post by cfm » July 15th, 2018, 2:29 pm

I recently hiked that section of the Douglas Trail starting from the Eagle Creek TH to Wildcat Mountain. I was also in shorts and my legs were absolutely pulped. I did not have a loop choice and had to turn around and go back the same way, so I made improptu gaiters with a bunch of bracken fronds. It slowed me down trying to keep them in place, but it was worth it to protect my tender raw shins.

I also had solitude, but heard the target shooters for awhile. Luckily they don't stray far from their pickups!

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