Dry Creek, Trapper Creek Wilderness

[Charley]

Alienating effect of tall trees? Your reference concludes the opposite.

Right you are! The line of research that sparked my guess ("big, tall trees... can have an alienating effect") has definitely not reached a settled conclusion, and the study that I linked to was a really poor choice to illustrate the issue. (I hadn't, for example, noticed that every single respondent was a resident of Brazil, renowned for its ancient rainforests!)

As Aimless points out, studying these feelings using photos is a poor proxy for the true feelings of humans.

(An aside: perhaps an immersive "virtual reality" experience would be more revealing?")

(Another aside: I think if it I was personally in such a study, images of sage steppe of Eastern Oregon might have the most positive associations for me. I've never lived there, and, while I visit a time or two per year, I spend more time recreating in the dense forests of the Cascades. But since I've had such great, liberating travel experiences in "the desert," I have extremely strong positive emotional reactions to images of it. I would probably also never choose to live there, even if my heart feels full when I visit on vacation. I have to wonder if the good memories of personal recreational experiences would trump evolutionary preferences, if any).

[drm]

Given that Benson Plateau is the most common place to be called spooky and the Lewis River Valley has never been called that to my knowledge, it is neither "big" nor "rainforest" that triggers this reaction. And I don't think the people who have that reaction really know what it is that triggers it.

[AGHiker]

March 26, 2022

The snow along the road has receded to just along the edge, and there were some tire tracks to towards the TH. We still walked in and found 3 trees across the road before the parking lot. So, until the trees are cleared, one has to park along the road. There as about a foot of 6-9" of snow in the parking lot, soft. On the trail, there are constant patches of the snow. But the bigger issue is all of the downed trees across the trail. We went in past the Horse Bypass, to the first beach access, had lunch, and called it a good attempt, and returned. Once the snow melts the downed trees are going to surprise and disappoint hikers that are looking for a easy/moderate walk along the creek. I wonder what the plans are to clear the trail up to Bourbon Creek.

[drm]

All of the trails will get cleared, they are every year. I think that traditionally Dry Creek was cleared by the Mt Adams Institute - not sure if that is still the case. But being low altitude and outside of wilderness means Dry Creek usually gets attended to fairly soon after the snow is gone, so good chance that will happen some time in April.

[foxabroad]

Real curious to hear if anyone has been out to TCW since April's snows? Sounds like the trailhead and road may be snowed in? I was thinking of going there this coming weekend but I'm not sure how much of the wilderness area and trails will actually be hikeable.

[AlpenGlowHiker]

Trailhead is accessible by vehicle now. No snow on the ground as of 5/22/22.

I did not hike the trails, so I cannot comment on their conditions.

[BaileyBoy]

Thanks Alpen, it's time to head over there now. If no show at TH then shouldn't be much on the trails - of course there'll be lots of trees and limbs down.