Silver Star 7.7.17 via Ed's Trail

[markesc]

Beautiful photos!

We went up there on Sunday and I was blown away by the wildflowers. I've now done this hike seven times and I think the abundance of flowers this year seemed to be higher than normal. It was pretty spectacular.

We took our brand new Outback on Road 4109 on Sunday and decided that's the last time we're doing that road. It's just gotten way too bad. There's that one ditch that's long and pretty deep (we call it the "Ditch of Doom"). I got a video on the way down:

https://twitter.com/justpeachy/status/8 ... 3103185921


Scratched up the passenger side paint:

Ouch!!! Paint on all newer cars is extremely fragile (especially subaru products because they use a softer paint, so it's extremely fragile and shows everything, trust me I owned one). Well worth the cost if you are a car person: http://503motoring.com/clear-mask/

That appears to go through the clear coat, color, and down to the base coat, so it's going to be a sand/repaint, but you can attempt paying a touch up guy to work on it, but it's not going to be the same.

[Webfoot]

I don't have experience with a Subaru and you have, but I've gotten quite a bit of "Arizona pinstriping" and that doesn't look that deep to me. I think the white is just the result of the clear coat (and hopefully no more) being heavily scuffed, not the base coat being exposed. If I had a brand new car I would surely get a wrap for paint protection.

[justpeachy]

I passed Just Peachy on my way down .... she was probably like "who is this guy"?

I don't often get recognized so I WAS surprised to hear "Hey, just peachy!"

[12XU]

Just adding my 2 cents on the horrid state of road 4109.

Tried to go up today in my Subaru Outback and couldn't get past the "Ditch of Doom". The angle and deepness of the ruts kept popping one of my wheels of the ground when I was trying to crawl through, despite several approaches.

We had our young daughter in the car, so rather than try something aggressive/stupid, we turned around and headed out. Disappointing for sure. Just a few years ago, any old passenger car could make it up if some thought was given to a couple of water bars, it wasn't even recognizable as the same road this time.

I wouldn't go up in anything except a high clearance 4wd truck unless you don't mind dropping the car and walking.

[retired jerry]

Grouse Point - the opposite side - is easier

[adamschneider]

Grouse Point - the opposite side - is easier

The road's easier. The trail's harder.

My biggest gripe about Grouse Vista, though, is that it requires a Di$cover Pa$$.


(Wait a sec... I understand now! There's a conspiracy between the state of Washington and the Forest Service! The WA officials are bribing the USFS to let Road 4109 deteriorate so they can write more $99 tickets at the other trailhead!)

[retired jerry]

ha ha...

except that road has been bad since before the Discover Pass : )

I've just driven up it until I've had enough, parked there, and walked the rest of the way. Longer hike, but that is actually better because it's a nice hike. No permit then.

[adamschneider]

except that road has been bad since before the Discover Pass : )

Not as bad as it is now. (The DP was introduced in 2011.) 4109 has gone from "passable in a small car if you take it slow" to "make sure your Humvee has a spare tire" in the last few years.

[Webfoot]

Alright, I have driven 4109 this year now too. My loppers were not needed, but I would consider it a truck road at this point. Nevertheless there were three Subarus and an Acura RDX at the trailhead so it's clearly doable in an AWD crossover for a lot of people.

justpeachy, old Lolo Pass Road is drastically better than 4109 now, if you haven't been out there yet this year.

12XU, are you familiar with off-road braking techniques? If you have limited slip differentials in your Outback you should be able to transfer power with those methods if your traction control isn't doing it automatically.

The flowers were indeed spectacular.

[alanecharlesworth]

I was just up there yesterday (7/12) in a Subaru Forester. I had to slow and think at one spot driving up. The gullies eroded in the road are the worst I have seen them in 10 years. The DNS road is in excellent shape. The flowers are fine, especially in the lower half of the Ed's trail, old road loop