Elk Mt. and Bluegrass Ridge

[Don Nelsen]

While on Lookout Mountain last Sunday we noticed Elk Mt. and Bluegrass Ridge in the distance. It looked inviting, and since I’d never been up there we headed out yesterday (Friday, July 2nd) to check it out.

Bluegrass Ridge from Lookout Mt.

Being the start of a major holiday weekend, we expected a lot of people already at the TH so were delighted to find only about 10 cars already there. We saw a few folks on their way back as we approached the Newton Creek crossing but that was it for the rest of the hike until we were nearly back to the crossing.

This is a very nice trail and it passes through some spectacular old-growth along the way, especially so once across Newton Creek and up the switchbacks on the other side.

Newton Creek has this very well positioned tree serving as a bridge. The challenge afterwards is finding the trail on the other side but there are plenty of boot prints to guide the way.

Expecting bugs, we liberally dosed up but it turned out to be bug-free except at Elk Meadows, and barely noticeable, even there. Nice!

There are a few trees down on the trail: A few on the way from the TH to the Newton Creek Crossing, about 15 from there up the switchbacks to Elk Meadows, and another 15 or 20 from there to the summit of Elk Mountain. From there, along Bluegrass Ridge, it gets much more interesting.

Elk Mountain isn’t the highest point on Bluegrass Ridge, that’s another mile away, and what a mile it was! It turned out to be a total steeple chase of a route, taking over 50 minutes to cover. I entertained myself by counting downed trees and ended up with 290. Backtracking 3/10 mile to a trail that descends steeply to Elk Meadows, we found another 100+ downed trees to enjoy.
Looking out to the burned area from near Elk Mt. HP:

The trail:

Interesting dike straddling a ridge to the east. Maybe I'll go check it out on another day:

One of the few short clear spots on the route:

Summit of Bluegrass Ridge:

The continuation of the route north from the summit: Maybe later - much later!

The connecter trail from the ridge to Elk Meadows, No sign, had to guess for this one and it turned out ok:

Circling Elk Meadows we enjoyed the lushness of this alpine paradise and headed back home. A few bugs here and there but no big deal and neither of us got bit.

After we had re-crossed Newton Creek, we spotted this pair and their six goats heading up the trail just having crossed the hard way:

Another great day in the woods!

8.4 miles, 1960’ EG hike # 59.

[Chip Down]

Bluegrass Ridge is a great hike. Those trees aren't the worst part though. That would be a super brushy stretch farther north. But then it clears up suddenly, and you're on a normal forest trail.

That straddling dike is neat. I don't think I've noticed that.

I don't mind people walking their goats in the wilderness, but I hope they were on leash.

[lordgares]

Pack goats??

[Aimless]

I've seen pack goats twice before. But that's twice in five decades of backpacking.

[squidvicious]

The last couple years or so there's been a really easy crossing of Newton Creek almost directly down from where the trail comes out of the woods. Iirc you can't see it from the top, or maybe at all if you don't know it's there, because you have to get down to the water and then kind of backtrack through some bushes. But I think it's more obvious on the way back. Did you by any chance notice anything like that still there? I think I know the log you crossed on, and while plenty big I remember it as also being high. I'm not sure I can do that one.

I think I must have hiked Bluegrass Ridge to Elk Meadows via the tie trail in 2016, since I only have gps tracks back to 2017. I do remember a lot of trees down then, and some difficulty keeping to the trail proper, but I think there had also been some recent trail work at the time, official or otherwise--I remember cairns. But the tie trail was way more than I was expecting. I feel like I never set foot on actual ground the whole way, just debris. But I do kind of enjoy that sort of thing, so once I started to feel confident I probably wasn't going to snap an ankle or get lost (wasn't sure exactly where I was supposed to be aiming for), it turned out to be a decent time. But I tried to revisit a couple years later going in the opposite direction and couldn't make headway up at all. Just gave it up. Would you describe it currently as more like the former (fun if you like that sort of thing) or the latter (not worth the trouble)? Your picture doesn't look so horrible.

[Don Nelsen]

Chip, thanks for commenting and for the tip about the north side of Bluegrass. I'll be checking it out eventually. No leashes on the goats.

lordgares: Yep, pack goats. The two people were carrying hardly anything.

BTW, It looked like they both continued on in bare feet (!) I would have liked to have met them. There's an interesting story there.

Aimless: Me too. I've only seen pack goats twice and it's been about five decades for me as well. The other time was on the Timberline trail and they were little goats with little packs. Maybe in training?

[Chip Down]

Squid: I went up that trail maybe a couple years ago, and found it almost impossible to follow. So of course, I just went up until I hit ridgcrest. I was essentially at the junction then, but that was probably just luck. I think that's one of those trails where trying to follow it precisely is more trouble than it's worth.

[gallione11]

The last couple years or so there's been a really easy crossing of Newton Creek almost directly down from where the trail comes out of the woods. Iirc you can't see it from the top, or maybe at all if you don't know it's there, because you have to get down to the water and then kind of backtrack through some bushes. But I think it's more obvious on the way back. Did you by any chance notice anything like that still there? I think I know the log you crossed on, and while plenty big I remember it as also being high. I'm not sure I can do that one.

I think I must have hiked Bluegrass Ridge to Elk Meadows via the tie trail in 2016, since I only have gps tracks back to 2017. I do remember a lot of trees down then, and some difficulty keeping to the trail proper, but I think there had also been some recent trail work at the time, official or otherwise--I remember cairns. But the tie trail was way more than I was expecting. I feel like I never set foot on actual ground the whole way, just debris. But I do kind of enjoy that sort of thing, so once I started to feel confident I probably wasn't going to snap an ankle or get lost (wasn't sure exactly where I was supposed to be aiming for), it turned out to be a decent time. But I tried to revisit a couple years later going in the opposite direction and couldn't make headway up at all. Just gave it up. Would you describe it currently as more like the former (fun if you like that sort of thing) or the latter (not worth the trouble)? Your picture doesn't look so horrible.

I did this hike yesterday with my girlfriend and I'd say 50/50 between worth it and not. She hated it, and is happy it's one we only do once a year, but the views are pretty great -- we got glimpses of Adams and Rainier in the far distance, and of course of Hood and Elk Meadows. However, I feel like you're actually only on the trail about half the time. The rest, you're walking on downed trees and logs. I would suggest going counter clockwise if you're doing the loop. We did the joiner trail uphill last year and it was completely miserable. Wasn't nearly as bad going downhill. Having a gps-enabled map is helpful too, just so you know you're not 500 feet off the trail.

[Splintercat]

Nice to see you down in WyEast country, Don! Missed you by a couple days on Lookout Mountain, too (I was up there last Wednesday). I haven't been on Bluegrass Ridge in about 12 years, but last time I was there was clear sailing, from the 4-way junction at the saddle between Newton canyon and Elk Meadows all the way past the cutoff trail and north to where it begins to drop more steeply (past a couple of rock outcrops). That's because the fire crews on the Bluegrass Fire (in 2008) had completely restored the tread and cleared the trail -- including the cutoff down to Elk Meadows. So, lots of downfall since the... wow! Those crews also installed a deluxe crossing of rough, slabbed logs on Newton Creek that lasted through 2009 by some sort of miracle!

Thanks for the post and photos!

Tom

[Don Nelsen]

Nice to see you down in WyEast country, Don! Missed you by a couple days on Lookout Mountain, too (I was up there last Wednesday). I haven't been on Bluegrass Ridge in about 12 years, but last time I was there was clear sailing, from the 4-way junction at the saddle between Newton canyon and Elk Meadows all the way past the cutoff trail and north to where it begins to drop more steeply (past a couple of rock outcrops). That's because the fire crews on the Bluegrass Fire (in 2008) had completely restored the tread and cleared the trail -- including the cutoff down to Elk Meadows. So, lots of downfall since the... wow! Those crews also installed a deluxe crossing of rough, slabbed logs on Newton Creek that lasted through 2009 by some sort of miracle!

Thanks for the post and photos!

Tom

Hi Tom,

Good to hear from you and thanks for the comment and info!

I'm spending a little more time in the Mt. Hood area these days and really enjoying what I'm finding. Too bad about the fires and subsequent blowdowns. I don't think it would take all that much to re-clear many of the trails. All of the logs I've seen so far are long dead and would be easy to log out.

Don