Dog Mountain TH moving?

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Chip Down
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Dog Mountain TH moving?

Post by Chip Down » July 1st, 2022, 7:26 pm

Surprised nobody has posted this yet. Looks like there are plans to move Dog Mtn TH. The usual concerns: safety. Proposed new TH is just west, at Grant Lake. The fiasco continues.

further reading: https://www.koin.com/news/washington/fe ... ia-county/

Strange that koin didn't put up a map showing where Grant Lake is. You've driven past it. It's that little body of water just barely west of Dog Mtn.
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adamschneider
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Re: Dog Mountain TH moving?

Post by adamschneider » July 1st, 2022, 7:36 pm

Interesting. I imagine that would mean upgrading the Old Loggers' Trail to an official trail.

I'd like to think that if they did this, they'd leave the existing trailhead in place too. It's not dangerous if it's not overflowing.


But before they do any of it... wouldn't it be a lot easier to just enforce existing parking restrictions?

Aimless
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Re: Dog Mountain TH moving?

Post by Aimless » July 2nd, 2022, 7:26 am

adamschneider wrote:
July 1st, 2022, 7:36 pm
wouldn't it be a lot easier to just enforce existing parking restrictions?
Probably not. People get very irate about rules that make it hard to do whatever they feel like doing. Enforcing those rules is always harder than just giving people a better way to do what they feel like doing. I'm sure that the unlucky individuals assigned to enforce those parking restrictions absolutely hated that job because it would be so stressful to battle with the public all day long.

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drm
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Re: Dog Mountain TH moving?

Post by drm » July 4th, 2022, 6:23 am

The article made no mention as to how large the new parking area would be. Off the highway only means safer if it meets the demand. Unfortunately there is this bottleneck two or three weeks a year during the bloom. A Ramona Falls-like lot will look pretty empty most of the year.

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Chip Down
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Re: Dog Mountain TH moving?

Post by Chip Down » July 5th, 2022, 9:07 pm

adamschneider wrote:
July 1st, 2022, 7:36 pm
Interesting. I imagine that would mean upgrading the Old Loggers' Trail to an official trail.
Oh, there's an idea. But the U$F$ does have a habit of destroying old routes and rebuilding a new trail a few feet parallel.
adamschneider wrote:
July 1st, 2022, 7:36 pm
I'd like to think that if they did this, they'd leave the existing trailhead in place too. It's not dangerous if it's not overflowing.
And it could be improved as well. I know, fat chance.
adamschneider wrote:
July 1st, 2022, 7:36 pm
But before they do any of it... wouldn't it be a lot easier to just enforce existing parking restrictions?
There are a few legal parking zones on SR14 east of DM TH, so the problem of people walking along the shoulder would persist. Anyway, a severe crackdown might even result in people parking at Dog Creek and walking back on the RR.

Chip's proposal: There's a huge open area just west of Dog Creek that would make a great launch for an ascent up the east ridge, which is a fun scenic route. That ridge conveniently connects with the east dog loop, so it wouldn't deprive hikers of the scenery they're seeking, it just provides a better way of getting to the flower zone.

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