Oregon Hikers

http://craigromano.com/blog/2017/02/09/ ... tly-closed

"Now you must reach these destinations via the PCT and Tamanous Trail from a trailhead near the Bonneville Dam

Note the stats difference:

Aldrich Butte

Old stats 3.6 mile roundtrip 1080 feet elevation gain

New stats 12.8 miles roundtrip 1200 feet elevation gain

Table Mountain

Old stats 9 miles roundtrip 3425 feet elevation

New stats 16.8 miles roundtrip 3600 feet elevation gain

The 120 feet of difference for the Aldrich Butte must be attributable to the tH elevation difference. There's more like 500 feet of cum gain for the 5-mile Gillette Lake hike.

I hope the Bonneville Trails Foundation is working on that implied easement to the Aldrich Butte TH?
It's that small section (red line) that travels through the upper right of the property block. Until a proper TH is built/designated, is the green line kosher? (I can't get the Skamania property site to load correctly.) And is everything north of these property boundaries (ie, the forest and above) BLM land? If so, it seems like that easement should be worked through ASAP and a small TH built up in those powerline roads. Easiest access...

Though with both the Aldrich Butte TH and Dick Thomas TH gone, I guess effectively doubling the mileage for all the hikes will definitely cut down the crowds!

Yes Bos, if I'm not mistaken, that is pretty much where I parked and met DN on my first hike with him way back in 2011. That parking area takes right off onto an old road grade and skirts around Aldrich etc.

So I take it Washington state has no public access easement laws the trailhead/trail qualifies for? Or judges who will rule in favor of "prescriptive" rights to establish an easement that protects access by the public to historical/established travel paths/trails across private land?

Bosterson wrote:I hope the Bonneville Trails Foundation is working on that implied easement to the Aldrich Butte TH?

Until a proper TH is built/designated, is the green line kosher? ...

The green line is what I've used that last three or four times I've hiked the area. About half-way, where the green line turns directly west, you take a short powerline road spur into the forest. You can see that spur road on the map. However, this route crosses private land that is (or was?) owned by the former hot springs owners. It was posted until perhaps 15 or 20 years ago but has not been posted since. I haven't hiked it since June 6th last year so that may have changed.

On Don's green line you cross Powerline road. If you go east on the right of way one should be able to link up with Dick Thomas trail on public property outside new facility. I'm sure the Dick Thomas trail will be used by the treatment facility. If you are adventurous there are several ways to access the trails. It won't be easy for the hordes.

DN, when you use the green line do you just park off of Cascade DR. ?

Eric Peterson wrote:DN, when you use the green line do you just park off of Cascade DR. ?

Yes, directly below the power lines. There is room for 20-25 cars on the quarter mile or so of road in the area.

dn

Don Nelsen wrote:

Eric Peterson wrote:DN, when you use the green line do you just park off of Cascade DR. ?

Yes, directly below the power lines. There is room for 20-25 cars on the quarter mile or so of road in the area.

Very interesting! Guessing maybe right where the balloon arrow points?

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(Note: Same owner that's forbidding us access to Aldrich Butte.)