Mini Report on Timberline
Posted: August 11th, 2019, 9:37 am
Returned Friday from a standard clockwise loop of Mt Hood on the Timberline Trail. I last completed this loop in 2016 prior to the "new and improved" crossing of Elliot Creek.
Since this topic is as well-worn as the trail, I'll only note the salient points from my perspective:
1) There was an abundance of biting flies on the trail from Ramona Falls to Elk Cove. They were also prevalent at Elk Cove campsites. According to a couple of people we chatted with on the trail, the appearance of hordes of black flies was a "new" development. In any event, I didn't experience them a couple of years ago. There were mosquitoes, but they were less prevalent and less aggressive.
2) As others have noted, the Elliot crossing remains problematic once the newly established trail approaches the creek. We witnessed another hiker lose footing as a section of the bank collapsed and slide downhill, only to be stopped by a boulder about 10 feet downhill. The log itself appears to have moved a couple of feet downstream on the west side and perhaps a bit more water was going over the top at that end. The trail resumes on the east side and was easily located.
3) In 2016, water was available from a tap at Cloud Cap Campground. The USFS has turned off the water supply. According to the sign affixed to the faucet, that's due to "contamination of the spring used as the water source, requiring disinfection." Whatever the reason, water can be found at the nearby Tilly Jane Creek Campground and there's a cut-off trail that returns to the TT. As another poster noted, the USFS charges $21/campsite but staying there (or Tilly Jane) would be a matter of desperation, anyway. Both sites are unattractive and have special nothing to commend them.
4) Daytime heat was tolerable, but encourages early morning (vs. mid-afternoon) movement.
5) Very many day hikers (mid-week) between Ramona and Elk Cove. Even more between the two ski lift areas. Backpackers camped at all standard sites.
6) Strangely, there were multiple bags of dog poop (I assume, given the labels on the bags) placed at various points along the trail. I picked up a fair amount of litter from campsites, but not that. We encountered several hikers with pets along the route.
Keith
Since this topic is as well-worn as the trail, I'll only note the salient points from my perspective:
1) There was an abundance of biting flies on the trail from Ramona Falls to Elk Cove. They were also prevalent at Elk Cove campsites. According to a couple of people we chatted with on the trail, the appearance of hordes of black flies was a "new" development. In any event, I didn't experience them a couple of years ago. There were mosquitoes, but they were less prevalent and less aggressive.
2) As others have noted, the Elliot crossing remains problematic once the newly established trail approaches the creek. We witnessed another hiker lose footing as a section of the bank collapsed and slide downhill, only to be stopped by a boulder about 10 feet downhill. The log itself appears to have moved a couple of feet downstream on the west side and perhaps a bit more water was going over the top at that end. The trail resumes on the east side and was easily located.
3) In 2016, water was available from a tap at Cloud Cap Campground. The USFS has turned off the water supply. According to the sign affixed to the faucet, that's due to "contamination of the spring used as the water source, requiring disinfection." Whatever the reason, water can be found at the nearby Tilly Jane Creek Campground and there's a cut-off trail that returns to the TT. As another poster noted, the USFS charges $21/campsite but staying there (or Tilly Jane) would be a matter of desperation, anyway. Both sites are unattractive and have special nothing to commend them.
4) Daytime heat was tolerable, but encourages early morning (vs. mid-afternoon) movement.
5) Very many day hikers (mid-week) between Ramona and Elk Cove. Even more between the two ski lift areas. Backpackers camped at all standard sites.
6) Strangely, there were multiple bags of dog poop (I assume, given the labels on the bags) placed at various points along the trail. I picked up a fair amount of litter from campsites, but not that. We encountered several hikers with pets along the route.
Keith