Trapper Creek is open

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drm
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Trapper Creek is open

Post by drm » August 7th, 2021, 5:54 am

The Trapper Creek Wilderness has reopened to hikers - all trails are open. I have been told by people who worked on the trails that the camps are in good shape too. I will be visiting this weekend.

Siouxon is open too, but there are some changes. I was told that Siouxon was hit harder than Trapper. Please read the updates at https://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/gifford ... recreation

Also, the Forest Service has posted some Safety Tips for Burned Areas: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/giff ... width=full

squidvicious
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Re: Trapper Creek is open

Post by squidvicious » August 7th, 2021, 8:12 am

Thanks for the news! I've been checking in periodically, but hadn't seen this yet. Looking forward to updates after your visit.

Aimless
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Re: Trapper Creek is open

Post by Aimless » August 7th, 2021, 8:21 am

This is very good news! No doubt the fire damage from 2020 will make for more dead snags down each winter for a while, but from now until the snows we'll have some open, cleared trails to hike. :)

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bobcat
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Re: Trapper Creek is open

Post by bobcat » August 7th, 2021, 10:54 am

Thanks for the heads up on these openings, Dean. Looking forward to your report.

To summarize the Siouxon situation:

1) The trailhead has been move two miles west to the very west end of the Siouxon Trail, meaning an extra four miles round-trip to reach the junction with the Chinook Trail.

2) The bridge at that junction is out; since it's over a chasm, to get to the other side, you'd have to use the traditional ford over the Siouxon at Wildcat Creek.

3) The announcement says the Siouxon Trail is maintained only as far as that junction, so the upper part of the trail to FR 58 has not been maintained?

4) Not sure also about conditions on Chinook, Wildcat and Huffman Peak trails across Siouxon Creek - although they are open.

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drm
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Re: Trapper Creek is open

Post by drm » August 8th, 2021, 10:42 am

I did the "inner" loop: up Observation Trail from the bottom to the peak, and down Trapper Creek, camping low down a little ways above Terrace Camp.

The short story is that Observation Peak is mostly unaffected. The spur trail up is totally in green trees. Some trees on the south side of the summit burned. The section of the Observation Trail that is on the north side of the peak is also unaffected, same for where that trail is on the ridgeline.

Hiking up the Observation Trail from below, you start to see impacts at about 2000 feet. It's mostly like Herman Creek: green unburned areas interspersed with low intensity burn that cleared the ground and singed the lower parts of the trees. Just a few pockets of intense tree-killing burn on that stretch.

All camps that I saw were unaffected. I did not get to Berry Camp but have been told that it is unaffected. The rim area south of Observation Peak is also unburned. The lower section of the Trapper Creek trail is also unaffected.

Looking down on the Big Hollow drainage from Observation Peak, it's a typical fire mosaic: lots of green areas with gray burned areas mixed in. I did not hike the Big Hollow Trail, so I don't know how much of it was affected.

It rained up there yesterday afternoon, starting about 2pm. It was soaking brush as much as falling rain. And it was very humid too. But my car was the only one at the trailhead and I saw nobody up there. The GPNF website just annou8nced the opening yesterday, though there were footprints on the trail.

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drm
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Re: Trapper Creek is open

Post by drm » August 9th, 2021, 5:14 pm

Here are some pics
postfire1.jpg
Huge new ravine just under 2000 feet on Observation Trail
postfire2.jpg
Low intensity burn
postfire3.jpg
Sunshine Trail junction
postfire4.jpg
Trees burned on the south side of Observation Peak
postfire5.jpg
Looking north over the Big Hollow drainage

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BaileyBoy
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Re: Trapper Creek is open

Post by BaileyBoy » August 15th, 2021, 10:00 am

Thanks for the update, Dean. Seems like the area wasn't damaged as much as expected but I'll bet there will be many more ravine/creek crossing washouts as the winter rains descend.
What was the bug situation, lots of flies and mosquitos?
Thanks

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Re: Trapper Creek is open

Post by justpeachy » August 16th, 2021, 5:49 am

bobcat wrote:
August 7th, 2021, 10:54 am
To summarize the Siouxon situation:

1) The trailhead has been move two miles west to the very west end of the Siouxon Trail, meaning an extra four miles round-trip to reach the junction with the Chinook Trail.
That's what the Forest Service said, but I talked to a friend who was up there a few days ago and the trailhead has been moved back 3.7 miles on Road 5701, not 2. There's a gate on Road 5701 just past its junction with Road 57.

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drm
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Re: Trapper Creek is open

Post by drm » August 16th, 2021, 6:46 am

BB - I had no bugs on my trip, but it was a cool day in the 60s with rain moving in.

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BigBear
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Re: Trapper Creek is open

Post by BigBear » September 11th, 2021, 6:30 pm

I walked the first three miles of the Dry Creek Trail today. It has been cleared of blowdown. Even though the fire started in this area, I did not see any signs of it.

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