Discussions and Trip Reports for off-trail adventures and rediscovering lost trails
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Don Nelsen
- Posts: 4380
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
- Location: Vancouver, WA
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by Don Nelsen » October 20th, 2020, 12:50 pm
Chip Down wrote: ↑October 17th, 2020, 8:04 pm
Don, small world!
I was considering Riley, but never saw it. As you know, it's a stealth trail with no sign or even a parking lot. Since I was undecided anyway, I continued to Divide. I was also thinking about going up Riley on Friday, but wasn't confident I'd find it.
Regarding weather: It was great, but damn cold on the PCT at dawn. By the time you got up there it must have been, what, about 3pm?
I think it's only a matter time before we end up running into each other. Oh, and, btw, I got started at 9:53 and it was 35 degrees - which, due to it being the first cold day of the season, felt colder that that by a long way. I think my worst late start ever for a major hike was Mt. St. Helens, starting after 6pm. I was younger then, though
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
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Naturebat
- Posts: 315
- Joined: January 27th, 2013, 9:18 pm
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by Naturebat » October 27th, 2020, 1:22 am
Don Nelsen wrote: ↑October 18th, 2020, 9:21 am
I hiked the Riley trail in June of '05 and only found it because the guy I met to hike it with had arrived before me.
The turnout has recently been graveled and there is now room for three cars, maybe four. I blew right by it this time and had to turn around. Also, the maps are slightly off as to where it is, about 350' - not too bad, really.
I noted a couple of other trails leading off and explored a little last Thursday. One was signed as "Riley South TR # 64A", branching off to the south 1.2 miles up from the TH. The other trail was about 650' farther up and went to an ancient outhouse about 100' to the north of the main trail. The continuation of that trail wasn't obvious and it might have ended there, I didn't explore further. I can't find either on any of my maps. More to explore!
On one of my older trip reports for the Riley Trail (it was the Island Lake hike, I believe); Dean (or maybe it was Darryl) said that the old outhouse and spur trail was related to old sheepherders' activity, I believe. And the Riley Camp Trail was an old sheepherder trail as well, probably like the old Lake Camp Trail further up the Riley Trail (that connects to the PCT at the Shorthorn Trail JCT, and to the Divide Camp Trail spur at Divide Camp).
- Previously ElementalFX
