Timberline Trail Backpacking Itinerary and Questions

[djsatterfield]

I will definitely check it out, thanks.
Can I assume leaving a car parked at the TH will be safe? or as safe as most places? I don't need a rental getting broken into.

[retired jerry]

don't leave anything visible, like a camera or phone

I have parked many nights without problem. Except once someone stole my gas causing damage that had to be repaired.

There is a low risk your car will be broken into

[pinecone]

With a good chunk of time to explore the area around the Timberline Trail, I recommend focusing on camping at spots that lend to more exploring or checking out some of the great scenes around. Don't miss going up to McNeil Point, or exploring up to the Eliot Glacier moraine behind Cooper Spur Shelter. Also, the biggest tip I can give is to wake up early. I've spent a large amount of time around the trail recently, and have observed that most backpackers tend to stay in their tents later. Get out for some dawn hiking, while the colors and wildlife are more spectacular, and you can get more miles underway and still get to creek crossings well before the upper parts of the mountain have warmed up an stream flows increased, instead of stacking up in sites right next to the crossings and sleeping in.

For updates on trail conditions and changes, I maintain a dedicated page to the Timberline Trail at https://elevationchanges.com/timberlinetrail/ which I update with snow aerial imagery early in the season. Also lots of information gathered there, and I'll hopefully get some more fleshed out this winter. If you are looking for a paper map (or a digital on Avenza version), check out the links to the one I have created there. It's the result of several years of field work and research exploring the mountain, and includes hydrography along the trail I created based on data collected in August-September, to better represent where water is actually flowing during the drier, popular hiking times than the NHD or OSM hydrography. There's also many of the established campsites located along the trail, and a whole lot of tips of planning and hiking the trail and a lot of historical, geological and environmental information to help hikers get to know the area around the Trail.

Zigzag Ranger Station has the map on the way to the mountain, or it's available on my site.


If you've got any specific questions about spots or explorations, this forum is the best resource I've found for grounded experience and knowledge of the area, so you've come to the right space.

[djsatterfield]

Thanks Jerry.

Excellent advice and tips pinecone. Are you updating your Timberline map anytime soon? I was waiting until next year to get one, in case you make any updates. I have been keeping an eye on your dedicated page(s).

Agree on the early mornings. I am always up by sunrise. I can sleep at home. Plus I just enjoy the quietness or early mornings.

And I would like to once again (and probably will many more times) thank everyone on here for your insights, comments, etc. I frequent a lot of message boards and this is one of the more courteous and helpful.

[texasbb]

... That would let you see most of the Goat Rocks.

Well, most of one side of the Goat Rocks. There's a whole 'nother east side that's worth considering some other time.

Can I assume leaving a car parked at the TH will be safe? or as safe as most places? I don't need a rental getting broken into.

I think it's as safe as most places, but don't leave anything in the car you don't want to lose.

[pinecone]

The printed version of the map is only about a year out, and there haven't been any significant changes in the trail this summer. The digital version will get some minor edits, but those versions become available as updates free to anyone who has the digital. It will likely be many years, if ever that the physical map gets a reprinting. I've got a few other map projects I'm working on that I'd like to get out into the world, so scraping together funds for print runs of those will take priority.

I am working on setting up a Black Friday/ Small Biz Saturday/Fall Sale on the website. Business savvy is not my expertise, and I'm really just a past trail worker who fell into cartography and is winging it trying to get better maps for new and experienced hikers to have out into the world. Now when I go explore on my weekends from my real job in town I get to say that I am "at work"

[djsatterfield]

Texasbb,
Good to know about the other side of Goat Rocks.

Pinecone,
Sounds good, I will just get a paper map as soon as I can.

[djsatterfield]

Pretty pumped. Just booked air for August, got my Elevation Changes map for Timberline, been reading over the Field Guide, and have been researching a Plan B loop up in the Goat Rocks area. Haven't had my pack on since April, so getting antsy.

[djsatterfield]

Ok, back for more thoughts/opinions.

I have everything set for a mid-August Timberline Trail backpacking trip. Unfortunately, my wife has had the dreaded "C" (cancer) come back after 7 yrs. clean. She is currently in the midst of 4 months of treatment/surgery/etc. With that said, assuming this works out and she has a positive outcome (which is the plan), I may not be able to make my trip. I was looking at pushing it to mid-September. From looking at annual weather charts, it appears September is still a decent month to go, as far as minimal precipitation, sunny skies, not overly cold weather. Now I realize anything is possible, weather-wise, but it appears September is decent. Am I missing something? or do you locals/regulars have insight for me?
Obviously there is a lot of other variables to deal with (wife's condition and that is my #1 priority) but am just trying to plan in case I can still make it out there.

Thank you for any insight.

[retired jerry]

I think September is the best month - not quite as hot, snow melted so streams are easier to cross

Several years ago there were several days of heavy rain in September. The stream flow increased. A hiker was washed away and didn't survive.

Another year someone didn't survive crossing the seasonal bridge over the Sandy, I think that was September also.

Before you go check weather reports and be prepared to cancel or delay your trip