Oregon Hikers

HI Folks,

I spent Saturday on the first two miles of the Pinnacle Ridge trail. Road to the TH is in good shape. I had my pruners in one hand and Silky in the other clearing some of the most intrusive trees/shrubbery. Seems like there are a lot of small (could still be taken down with loppers) trees right on the edge of the tread that will need to come out in the next year or so. Have a community service day available from my employer and am checking to see if I can use it on trail maint.

Happy Hiking,


Rob

Thanks, Rob! I plan to hike that trail soon, so I'll be sure to take some loppers and a small saw for some driveby maintenance.

Thanks!

I do that sometimes. Sometimes there are tangles of branches fallen onto the trail and just untangling and throwing off trail is a major effort and doesn't require any tools. Or Corona RS 4040 folding saw 6.5 inch 5.5 ounces works pretty good

I went up there with a friend last Saturday, and we both brought hand pruners. Honestly, there wasn't much to do, but we did snip back a few mountain-ash and azalea branches that were getting unruly. Overall, the trail is in great shape; we went up and down the PR Trail because my friend didn't want the extra mile or two that an Elk Cove loop would have entailed.

Agreed. The trail is brushy around the bogs as it always has been. Both Pinnacle Ridge and Elk Cove Trails were logged out this year. The Vista Ridge Trail has not been logged out (Because of pandemic delays I think) and there are a few downed trees to step over or around.

Out there on Pinnacle Ridge trail just yesterday. The trail surely has hope but is not great at the now. Unlike the description, I didn't find the trail to be marshy. It had rained all wknd and was cloudy, maybe that was is an early summer scenario? Certainly, there were streams and the climb just before Pinnacle seemed to have a stream actually "as the trail" (making me wonder if it was a shared route stream/trail or if I had been rerouted to a stream), but marshy? Nah. I didn't find the climbs grueling either but my legs were fresh. Probably more frustrating in full sun when 80 degrees but a good choice for a cloudy day or what I had, a peekaboo day.

On the other hand, (1) there was a campfire circle in the parking area of the TH (2) The sharp, dried branches on all the fallen trees in the trail are downright dangerous especially to the shorter set (3) area before the national forest starts has the worst of the fallen trees across the trail. I would say about 40 trees on the trail most of which could be sorted by an informal (yet knowledgeable) team with proper equipment. Most of the bigger stuff is in the NF itself (4) Nobody should attempt this trail in a pair of shorts unless they have leathery legs that can take stabbings. (5) The orange tag rerouting hikers through the meadow seemed to be gone (6) Wilderness registration area hasn't been refreshed in months. No forms, most recent dates on forms in the box are from July. (7) Big board starting national forest has been stripped of any actually information.

If less dangerous I think this trail could be a great option for a pleasant family day, very close to a sweet campground (Kinnikinnick) and Parkdale.