Yocum Ridge 9/30/92

[pdxgene]

The miracle of this hike was that I actually survived it. Totally unprepared and used to multiple mile beach hikes but having never hiked in the mountains before I saw an article in the Oregonian about this hike. I figured 18 miles is only two miles nine times. How tough can that be. Add a mile for a wrong turn I made somewhere along the way and it was pretty amazing that I actually made it. At least I did choose a nice sunny day. Anyway the important part..
This is what the old crossing to Ramona Falls used to look like..

Ramona Falls..

Some of the meadows along the way..

Along with the wildlife..

As the mountain views began..

And the best views up near where I stopped..

It's past time to get back up there. And with a better camera and polarizer to cut that nasty glare from that bright thing in the sky...

[Splintercat]

Great report, Gene! Nineteen years is long enough to see some differences in the Reid Glacier, too -- here's a photo that Mattisnotfrench took last summer:



You can clearly see that the north and center icefalls are much smaller, and the upper reaches of the glacier have receded, too, if you look closely.

I was a bit surprised that you didn't squeak in to the old trailhead, when it was something like a 14 mile hike to the top. That was still a tough hike, but 18 miles puts Yocum beyond reach for most people as a day hike.

Thanks for posting!

Tom

[BrianEdwards]

18 miles and all the elevation gain, wow. Not sure I would've made it back under my own power. Great glacier comparison as well Tom. And it's official Gene, you've been to Ramona falls more than any other human in history

[pdxgene]

It's kinda funny but I used to rarely go to Ramona Falls because of the more likelihood for crowds until the year that the bridge washed out on 1825 at the Sandy and doubled the hike mileage but provided almost an entire year where I never saw another soul out there.
Oh, and technically I didn't make it quite all the way back on my own power. Some kind soul gave me a ride from the upper trailhead back to my car sparing me that last mile and a half or so. Out of the ten essentials I think I had water and that might be about it. Handwritten directions, no map, alone, you name it. A recipe for disaster. Sometimes the unwitting luck out..

[Splintercat]

So the upper trailhead was still open in 1992? My recollection is that it closed with the 1996 floods, but not sure about that. I just remember groaning when I first read about it... and thinking about an 18+ mile round-trip to Yocum..! Aargh!

-Tom

[retired jerry]

That is a killer day hike from either TH

I remember driving to the upper TH after 1980, maybe 1982

There was a permanent bridge across the Sandy not too far from the TH

Then they built the lower TH but left the upper TH open for a while

The current portable bridge is below the upper TH

[pdxgene]

I think you still cross a bit of that road across the old (ex) bridge as you're walking thru the woods after crossing the river. There's a very wide clear stretch that you cross that leads right to the area where the bridge might've been.
That current portable foot bridge got moved a hundred yards or so downstream the last time the trail was re-routed. They'll probably have to make some adjustments due to the trail washout this year too.