Three-Fingered Jack 13-mile hike/bushwhack, 7/11/13

[adamschneider]

Nice to know that Greg and I are not the only ones who modify hikes when possible to get good light on a mountain!

If I was REALLY smart, I'd wait for cloudy days to do wildflower hikes... the only problem is that (1) cloudy often means rainy, and that's no fun, and (2) it's almost never cloudy here in July!

[kepPNW]

I don't know if this is helpful, but there is a TFJ loop hike described in the Douglas Lorain book "One Night Wilderness: Portland". The route is different than the one you took and the ones described in the links. Lorain describes it as 20.5 miles with 3300' EG. It's on my to-do list for someday.

Thanks, again, for posting that map! I just posted a TR of that loop. I'd strongly recommend doing the loop counter-clockwise, rather than clockwise as Lorain suggests. That off-trail section would be brutal at the end of a hot, dry day! Otherwise, I think he undershot just a bit on both mileage and EG, but didn't understate the scenic beauty at all.

[miah66]

I somehow got linked to a link which led me to another link and then I read your link...and then here I am commenting on the link! Karl, I did Loraine's TFJ loop clockwise last year a couple weeks after you, actually. I wish I would've just done it the way you guys did, as a dayhike. We actually didn't even do the cool bushwhack up to the summit saddle part that you and adamschneider did. We did hike up Canyon Creek on day 2, but like you noted, the meadows weren't that great compared to others I saw last year. Camping @ Wasco Lake was a total disaster (there were 16 tents trying to fit in maybe 4 sites). I didn't know you could drive to within 2 miles of Wasco Lake! Also, it was brutally hot as you noted and there is hardly any shade b/c of the burned forest. I kind of enjoyed the area around Booth and Square Lake, but it was mostly just passing through while hoofing it back to the car w/ not alot of views b/c of a huge fire near Bend. ::end Rant::

I have some ideas on ways to improve this hike, but like you say, It's a great hike to do...ONCE!

[kepPNW]

I somehow got linked to a link which led me to another link and then I read your link...and then here I am commenting on the link! Karl, I did Loraine's TFJ loop clockwise last year a couple weeks after you, actually. I wish I would've just done it the way you guys did, as a dayhike. We actually didn't even do the cool bushwhack up to the summit saddle part that you and adamschneider did. We did hike up Canyon Creek on day 2, but like you noted, the meadows weren't that great compared to others I saw last year. Camping @ Wasco Lake was a total disaster (there were 16 tents trying to fit in maybe 4 sites). I didn't know you could drive to within 2 miles of Wasco Lake! Also, it was brutally hot as you noted and there is hardly any shade b/c of the burned forest. I kind of enjoyed the area around Booth and Square Lake, but it was mostly just passing through while hoofing it back to the car w/ not alot of views b/c of a huge fire near Bend. ::end Rant::

I have some ideas on ways to improve this hike, but like you say, It's a great hike to do...ONCE!

Oh boy, does that ever bring it back!

That's good to add one more testimonial for going counter-clockwise on that one. Would be interesting to hear how else you might alter it, if anyone ever egged you into doing it again.

[jgreisel]

I didnt pay attention to the date in the subject line and got excited that someone had been up there. I havent done the loop, but have done the Canyon Creek meadows hike and normally camp on the ridge on the north side of the creek above the upper meadow. I love it up there!

[adamschneider]

We actually didn't even do the cool bushwhack up to the summit saddle part that you and adamschneider did.

I didn't do the cool saddle bushwhack that's in Lorain's guide; that one is east of the summit. I bushwhacked up the north-south ridge that roughly parallels the PCT on the south side of the summit, just west of Summit Lake.