Greenleaf Peak

[Chip Down]

Parked under the powerlines on road CG2020 and headed up the utility road. As soon as the road steepened and entered the talus I went left and began bushwhacking. It was mostly easy. Curved up in a clockwise spiral until I hit the base of the cliffs.

There seemed to be several possible fun scrambling routes up the NE cliffs of Greenleaf, but nothing worked out favorably. My Plan B was to continue on a clockwise spiral that would take me up through the mostly-forested gap between the main peak and the cliffy sections of the SE ridge, but that would require a tricky crossing of a steep creek-filled ravine. I could go down and across and back up, but I didn't see anything other than bushwhacking over on the far side. It didn't appear interesting or fun. Also, I'd never been in this area at all, and I wasn't 100% sure I'd find the trail up there that would take me back down, and I wasn't crazy about an all day bushwhack, so I gave up.

Followed the base of the cliffs CCW as far as possible, until I was forced down to the utility road under the powerlines. From there I hiked up the road, looking for a decent direct route to the summit, but nothing looked worthwhile, so I stayed on the road until it gained the crest of the NW ridge. The road drops off the other side, but this is where you can leave the road and follow the ridge up to the summit.

I knew there was a trail, but I was surprised at how faint it was. I gave up and decided I'd just bushwhack up the ridge, but I soon ran into the trail again. It got faint and overgrown a number of times, but no big deal, I just had to stick to the ridge.

I reached the mostly-collapsed cabin just before the summit. I'd seen pics, but I had forgotten about it, so that was a fun surprise. At the summit I noticed a crude foundation, and discovered the remnants of a structure on the slope below. It would be easy to overlook, and I bet many visitors miss it. Mostly lumber, but quite a bit of metal and some glass. Found some cast iron parts and some fabricated sheet metal, apparently parts of a stove and flue.

I was surprised to find that the trail pretty much ends at this viewless summit. I picked it up in spots until I reached an open rocky viewpoint of Table Mt and the river, but continuing down the SE ridge was completely off-trail. I wasted way too much time looking for a trail before I finally gave up and bushwhacked towards the cliffy viewpoints on the SE ridge. Fortunately, the slope opened up a bit, and I was generally able to walk normally with just a bit of weaving and stepping over obstacles.

Reached the viewpoints very soon, and they did not disappoint. Continued a little further to a big almost-flat soft mossy sunny cliffy viewpoint. Visually it wasn't the best part of the hike, but it was the most pleasant place to just sit and relax for a bit.

Went a little further down the ridge until I reached a saddle. Continuing slightly uphill past the saddle, it got brushy, and I decided it was time to turn back. Looking at the map now, I realize if I had continued I would have reached Red Bluffs, which I could have followed down to the SW until reaching a road that would take me back to the powerline road. Maybe next time.

I returned north towards the powerlines, but stayed east below the summit of Greenleaf to explore some steep grassy clearings. Then back up to the ridgecrest trail, on to the powerline road, and back to the car.

Not really what I expected, but not a terrible day. I guess it was fun, in its own way. I might go back and poke around a bit more some day. It seems like there might be some fun to be had on the rugged NE cliffs of Greenleaf, but I'm not sure it's worth the trouble. But it's good to have something on my to-do list, for those days when I can't think of anything to do.

Interesting how analogous this was to the Duncan Creek route up Archer mountain: Leave SR14 and head north on the east side of the peak, park at the power lines, follow the utility road west, leave the road and follow a overgrown ridgecrest "trail" to an overgrown summit, continue down the south side to good viewpoints, with an option to return on a west-side road.

Didn't really get any visually impressive pics, so these are just intended to document where I went and how things looked.

[pablo]

Hey Chip,

Nice report, photos, explorations, and thx for scouting the parking place - I was wondering about that. One of these days I hope to go up that way to get to Table Mtn and other spots in that area. A nice place to start for the grand loop around Greenleaf, Table, etc.

--Paul