Confusing route description: Zigzag Overlook Hike

[bobcat]

I'd like to help, but looking at the Zigzag Overlook Hike, I see pretty clear directions heading west from the lodge - no mention of flowers, maybe a couple of trees, so these responses just confuse me even more. It's a jumble there with the bike trails, but I always thought it was pretty easy getting from the lodge to the Mountaineer Trail and then connect west to the Timberline/PCT.

If someone wants to write a clearer version of the FG description, I can add it. The directions seem specific enough to me. Heading straight up from the parking lot to the PCT is an option, but it's not quite as direct if you're going west.

[retired jerry]

that sounds good to me

[bobcat]

Trying to focus on the matter at hand and ignoring the extraneous arguments (the disease of all forums), I looked at the Bike Park map and see that two biker-only trails cross the Mountaineer Trail in that area: Gravy Train and Arctic Circle. You'd think these junctions would be very well signed - especially because there's a coming together in that small area of traditional hiker trails (Mountaineer), multi-use (Glade and Timberline-to-Town), and biker only - but I haven't been on that particular route since they were created. Can anyone be more specific and post what these look like? It helps to be helpful.

In fact, people will hike that area like it or not, so if the FG can provide accurate and helpful directions rather than avoiding the whole issue by just saying "go up to the PCT," then we should.

On one of the extraneous issues:

Since you brought it up... this has always really bothered me. I don't use the field guide for directions anymore, but when I did it made it so hard to follow. I used to have to copy/paste the text to a separate file and carefully read through to make sure I didn't miss an important turn or landmark buried in the text, deleting everything that wasn't directions as I went.

Just use the Print feature in the FG. We've had it for quite a few years now. It's on every page. Just click away/delete until you have exactly what you need (delete photos, extra information, etc.) and then print.

[bobcat]

FG updated. The OP turned up a bike trail because we didn't mention those in the FG description. Keeping straight until you hit the Timberline/PCT is pretty simple. I've always gone one way and come back the other, so I also mentioned the straight up to the PCT option. The lower option is better for people with kids though.