steep trails

General discussions on hiking in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
User avatar
RobFromRedland
Posts: 1094
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm

Re: steep trails

Post by RobFromRedland » August 12th, 2018, 6:33 am

[email protected] wrote:
August 11th, 2018, 4:03 pm
Just did Cripple Creek to Serene Lake and while it may not statistically be the steepest...geesh! Thankfully someone has logged out the trail that the Forest Service seems to have abandoned, but the trail tread has quite a side slope. Combined with the elevation gain it made for a heckuva hike. Poles definitely help.

The rare Oregon oak meadow openings and old-growth Doug fir make it all worth it though. Hopefully someday can be added to the Roaring River Wilderness--it already feels like Wilderness to me.
If it does get added to the wilderness, any maintenance it does get by volunteers will almost certainly vanish. Or be limited to brushing only.

I guess tread slope is most definitely a personal thing. I've always thought cripple creek was a very well maintained trail - for an essentially abandoned trail. But then again, I hike a lot of barely passable trails, so maybe it is just a matter of perspective. That trail is a great way to get into the high country early - before the roads are passable.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: WOW! What a ride! - Hunter S. Thompson

cfm
Posts: 1097
Joined: June 18th, 2008, 6:49 am

Re: steep trails

Post by cfm » August 16th, 2018, 4:29 pm

I recently went up the Goat Lake trail in the Olympics. It climbs 3000 ft up from the Dungeness River to a lovely alpine lake in just over 2 miles. It felt steeper than Starvation or Rudolph Spur, or maybe it was the heat and my advancing age. The nice thing about this one-it was steepest in the lower forested section, then eased off to normal steep as you entered the alpine basin, then a nice gradual approach to the lip of the lake.

Here is a view of the Goat Lake basin from Buckhorn Mtn, the climb is straight up the middle:
basin.jpg
Here is the reward, I had a lovely swim(Buckhorn on horizon):
goatlake.jpg
And I got a little bonus on the way:
dabear.jpg

Post Reply