Large Trees Down: Herman Creek Trail, PCT to Benson Plateau

Use this forum to report and discuss trails in need of maintenance. This will help organizations like TKO and agencies like the Forest Service get the most recent on-the-ground trail conditions.
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AAdamsPDX
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Large Trees Down: Herman Creek Trail, PCT to Benson Plateau

Post by AAdamsPDX » May 31st, 2016, 6:15 pm

I don't think this is news to most of you but in case anyone is making a list of trail maintenance projects...I haven't seen either of these mentioned recently. :D

Still some big trees (and lots of smaller ones) down on the Herman Creek Trail south of Gorton Creek and Nick Eaton Trails. Folks have developed fairly obvious workarounds. Tricky but doable with a backpack. The bigger challenge is doing this AND avoiding the prolific poison oak growing into the trail in many places: probably not the best trail for shorts right now!

Also, one big tree down right at a switchback on the PCT between the Herman Creek Cutoff and the Benson Plateau. Closer to the cutoff end. The workaround here was OK for us but a couple of day hikers were swearing mightily when they encountered it at the same time as we did so obviously it's pretty daunting to some.

(Someone had also used the tree trunk as a "screen" for a bathroom break with a nice TP pile but that's another post...wish I'd had some latex gloves and an extra garbage bag. Need to add that to the backpacking checklist I guess!)
"The world begins where the road ends." ~Eddie Vedder
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mreha
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Re: Large Trees Down: Herman Creek Trail, PCT to Benson Plat

Post by mreha » June 22nd, 2016, 8:58 am

AAdamsPDX wrote:I don't think this is news to most of you but in case anyone is making a list of trail maintenance projects...I haven't seen either of these mentioned recently. :D

Still some big trees (and lots of smaller ones) down on the Herman Creek Trail south of Gorton Creek and Nick Eaton Trails. Folks have developed fairly obvious workarounds. Tricky but doable with a backpack. The bigger challenge is doing this AND avoiding the prolific poison oak growing into the trail in many places: probably not the best trail for shorts right now!

Also, one big tree down right at a switchback on the PCT between the Herman Creek Cutoff and the Benson Plateau. Closer to the cutoff end. The workaround here was OK for us but a couple of day hikers were swearing mightily when they encountered it at the same time as we did so obviously it's pretty daunting to some.

(Someone had also used the tree trunk as a "screen" for a bathroom break with a nice TP pile but that's another post...wish I'd had some latex gloves and an extra garbage bag. Need to add that to the backpacking checklist I guess!)
I know exactly where you're talking about on the PCT...scrambling down to cut the switchback was not the worst thing ever or anything, but the trail was narrow enough below that I did have a hold-my-breath moment where I thought the weight of my pack might make me just keep sailing past it and down the side.

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AAdamsPDX
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Re: Large Trees Down: Herman Creek Trail, PCT to Benson Plat

Post by AAdamsPDX » June 22nd, 2016, 3:51 pm

mreha wrote:I know exactly where you're talking about on the PCT...scrambling down to cut the switchback was not the worst thing ever or anything, but the trail was narrow enough below that I did have a hold-my-breath moment where I thought the weight of my pack might make me just keep sailing past it and down the side.
That sounds like the same place, all right! :D
"The world begins where the road ends." ~Eddie Vedder
http://www.hriggsphotography.com/

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drm
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Re: Large Trees Down: Herman Creek Trail, PCT to Benson Plat

Post by drm » June 23rd, 2016, 5:26 pm

A lot of that stuff is new from last winter but Herman Ck a bit past Cedar Swamp has some huge trees that have been there for a few years. Wyeth is almost as bad.

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