Gnarl Ridge / Meadows / Falls Loop, 4-Aug-2013

[Crusak]

Nice loop! I never checked out exactly where you went & what you did last weekend while Crusak was in recovery mode.

You're well on your way to seeing the "Full Monty" of Hood this year.

[kepPNW]

I actually did the short Umbrella Falls, Sahalie Falls loop at the end of July, but my pictures were too large to post so I gave up! The bridge was just beginning construction, but I also made it down for a few pics.

So far, knock on wood, I've had really good luck since switching from <spit>Photobucket</spit> over to Flickr (link in sig). They seem to impose virtually no limits at the moment. Probably won't last?

I'm planning on doing a bigger loop, the 9.9 hood river meadows loop I found on here to get across the resort. So amazing standing amongst wildflowers and other brush that is covered with feet of snow in the winter that I happily ride all over Great pics and info!

Thanks! Yeah, it is cool, isn't it? I don't think I've skied there since the late-70s or early-80s, but I was still seeing things as they were anew. Really nice place!

Very nice tr I really want to explore more up there.

Hey, thanks again, for pointing that out last week! That report of yours was probably the piece that pushed me over to the MHM side on the way down. Last time I hiked through there was mid-80s, and it was much better than I recalled. The flowers were certainly adding all they could to the moment, for sure.

Great pictures! That bumblebee + aster shot is AWESOME!

Thanks! The bees up there were fun to watch, and forced me to try snapping a few while doing so. I really got a kick out of them actually forcing open the gentian buds, and crawling deep inside them, totally disappearing for awhile! Should've tried capturing that, too.

I wonder what they're doing with the bridge at Sahalie Falls. The only reason to put that much work into restoring it is if they plan to reopen it to traffic again.

That really puzzled me, too, because the road looked like it dead-ended just 100 yards past the bridge! Umm, what's the point?

Nice loop! I never checked out exactly where you went & what you did last weekend while Crusak was in recovery mode.

You're well on your way to seeing the "Full Monty" of Hood this year.

I'm working on it! Still got a few gaps I'd like to fill, before the rains/snows set in!

• 

  Orange one, lower-right, definitely covered a big gap!

[retired jerry]

That's pretty good Karl

WyEast to Eliot is a nice section - not so many people except for Elk Cove

The hill up from Rushingwater Creek to Paradise isn't anything special, not a whole lot of people

[kepPNW]

Yeah, my focus will be on the north side gaps, I think. Definitely want to do something that gets me up to, and around the general area of, Barrett Spur. And, if the autumn lasts long enough, probably a McNeil-to-Yocum thing, too.

[woodswalker]

Thanks for the inspiring report! I often bypass the trails to Gnarl ridge and Lamburtson opting to spend instead to spend more time near water and staring at flowers in the meadows. You've changed my mind. I've put it on my list.

[Eric Peterson]

Awesome job Karl!

Which camera are you using again for these shots?

[pdxtrojan]

Fun pics! The pink flower is Douglas spirea, and chippy is a golden mantled ground squirrel.

[kepPNW]

Thanks for the inspiring report! I often bypass the trails to Gnarl ridge and Lamburtson opting to spend instead to spend more time near water and staring at flowers in the meadows. You've changed my mind. I've put it on my list.

It's pretty neat up there! I do like to mix it up on Hood, getting a little of both the meadows and the high country, when I can. Hope you enjoy it!

Awesome job Karl! Which camera are you using again for these shots?

Thanks, Eric! It's the Lumix ZS19. (A ZS20 without the GPS built-in.)

Fun pics! The pink flower is Douglas spirea, and chippy is a golden mantled ground squirrel.

Ahhhh, appreciate the IDs! I knew both, of course. At one point in time. Heh... I'll drill them in, again, one of these days. Thanks!

[Splintercat]

Nice report, Karl! Great photojournalism, as always - you've got a great eye for that!

Lunch with a view! I hung out at/around "Tom's Throne" for probably 30-45 minutes.

Isn't that just the best seat in the house, Karl? I keep expecting to find it halfway down the slope the the falls, courtesy natural forces, but it's been pretty much stable for quite some time, now. One of my favorite spots on mountain!

Hoping to make that loop this summer -- surprised that the flies are worse than what we saw at Gnarl Ridge a couple weeks ago! Usually, they peak in July, but who knows these days, what with climate changes affecting pretty much everything..? I wouldn't mind

I wonder what they're doing with the bridge at Sahalie Falls. The only reason to put that much work into restoring it is if they plan to reopen it to traffic again.

It's a restoration project by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and U.S. Forest Service -- the FHWA federal lands office also headed up the massive (over)reconstruction projects of OR 35 at Newton Creek and the new White River Bridge (which could double as a CRC), but thankfully, they'll just be restoring the East Fork historic bridge to it's glorious, original specs. This project moved into the funding pipeline years ago, but has been a low priority, despite the urgency of the needed repairs (I suppose because of the nearby traffic-driven projects).

I'm not positive of how the traffic will be managed, but it will definitely be capable of carrying vehicles. For years, it was two-way, and you could jump on at the Meadows exit and follow it east, but maybe ten years ago, it was made defacto one-way by virtue of a "do not enter" sign at the Meadows end. I'm just glad it's being restored -- and that this segment of the old highway wasn't abandoned or bulldozed!

Tom

[Roy]

Nice report, Karl! Great photojournalism, as always - you've got a great eye for that!

Lunch with a view! I hung out at/around "Tom's Throne" for probably 30-45 minutes.

Isn't that just the best seat in the house, Karl? I keep expecting to find it halfway down the slope the the falls, courtesy natural forces, but it's been pretty much stable for quite some time, now. One of my favorite spots on mountain!

Hoping to make that loop this summer -- surprised that the flies are worse than what we saw at Gnarl Ridge a couple weeks ago! Usually, they peak in July, but who knows these days, what with climate changes affecting pretty much everything..? I wouldn't mind

I wonder what they're doing with the bridge at Sahalie Falls. The only reason to put that much work into restoring it is if they plan to reopen it to traffic again.

It's a restoration project by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and U.S. Forest Service -- the FHWA federal lands office also headed up the massive (over)reconstruction projects of OR 35 at Newton Creek and the new White River Bridge (which could double as a CRC), but thankfully, they'll just be restoring the East Fork historic bridge to it's glorious, original specs. This project moved into the funding pipeline years ago, but has been a low priority, despite the urgency of the needed repairs (I suppose because of the nearby traffic-driven projects).

I'm not positive of how the traffic will be managed, but it will definitely be capable of carrying vehicles. For years, it was two-way, and you could jump on at the Meadows exit and follow it east, but maybe ten years ago, it was made defacto one-way by virtue of a "do not enter" sign at the Meadows end. I'm just glad it's being restored -- and that this segment of the old highway wasn't abandoned or bulldozed!

Tom

Always this stuff I know the ski areas scar the land and HRM would be a better place without Meadows ski area. I spent a good part of my day on the service roads I was very impressed at who runs the maint up there not a bit junk any where and the vehicles all neatly parked in front of he uncluttered maint shop .

Like I wanted to plow down the ski runs to my car ,they were so pristine I stayed on the maint roads

Curious Tom when I was on part of my loop above the ski are crossing the lower Newton Clark and scree ridges and gully's was I breaking the law?

Ive eared a deep respect now for that area and would not want be a destroyer?