Monte Cristo Slab, GPNF

[pinecone]

In working on building out road databases for an Indian Heaven area/ Gifford Pinchot NF mapping, I noticed this interesting feature in LiDAR, and checked it out on GoogleEarth, where it is labeled as the Monte Cristo Slab.

LiDAR, blend of bare earth and highest hits data so forest canopy visible

That led me to find some information from climbers about the feature, https://www.portlandrockclimbs.com/gorg ... o-slab.htm which is a nice casual slab climbing spot, and this viewtopic.php?t=24695 2013 post here exploring and discussing the area. Other than those to sources, haven’t found much info, so I decided to incorporate a visit into a Thanksgiving day bike journey in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Starting at the Oklahoma Campground I biked up FS86 to Trail Peak, then was pleased to begin the downhill section of my journey on 6610, leaving that for 6610-030 and then the short spur towards the parking area. The spur road is narrow and has a low ceiling but is good for driving, and it ends in a loop where the road turning south is decommissioned and overgrown. Room for maybe 7 cars. The trail begins right at the end of loop with a sign and splits immediately. The right branch climbs steep to the base of Slab, and then follows along the slab, providing access to the varying routes bolted on the slab before heading back down into the forest away from the slab and back to the junction at the parking lot. There isn’t a clear or primary route on the north end of the trail that goes to the spectacular viewpoint and top rope anchors, but it is a relatively unobstructed, although somewhat steep forest walk. It’s a huge slab of Diorite, eroded by glaciers, covered by forest, and then landslide ripped it bare. A really unique spot and great view and worth stopping by if you are in the area to explore.


Trailhead


Info at the site


Coming to the Slab


Slab panorama looking up


Up on the outstanding viewpoint

I came back to the spot (driving from Trout Lake) before the weather rolled in, finding the whole area crisp in the low 20s and fog freezing crystals on trees, grasses, spiderwebs and everything else, which provided a different set of viewing conditions. Also did some fun exploration on the road into Big Lava Bed, with its lava flow ponds filled with ice.


Into the Gifford!


Ice crystals formed on all the surfaces


Had to stop by Natural Bridges


Icy Slab


Dramatic conditions at the slab. Absolutely still air though, no movement.


The slab is viewable from South Prairie if you walk out a bit along the lake at the south end.


There it is in the distance


Lets zoom in on that!

I've been loving poking around the Gifford all fall, and this was a nice endcap to the season.

[Webfoot]

Cool! Thanks.

[Don Nelsen]

I stopped by with Guy and crew on the way to another hike in the area in Oct. of 2015. Here is a link to some of Guy's photos of the slab. You can scroll through these starting at photo # 79 through 88.

https://guy.smugmug.com/Outdoors-Hikes- ... /i-qtGnHND

I've been back a few times to ponder this thing and its genesis. Still a mystery.

dn

[bobcat]

Thanks for reviving Wo-Mann Butte! Of course, rock climbers will have to give it their own name.

The Cougar Way Trail, coming up the ridge crest from Little Huckleberry Mountain, the Lusk Creek Trail coming up the creek from the southeast, and the Oklahoma Trail coming across from Trail Peak, all converged at the top of the Slab. This was before all the logging spur roads were built. All are now totally abandoned.

[wnshall]

Thanks for this really intriguing post, as well as some beautiful photos. Yet another hike to put on the list!

[aiwetir]

Tell me more about what you are doing with LiDAR

[pinecone]

Tell me more about what you are doing with LiDAR

I use the publicly accessible LiDAR DEMs, primarily via hillshades and slope analyses I create, combined with data I've collected in the field, and aerial imagery to build out more accurate National Forest road and trail system databases and subsequently map projects that are more easily decipherable by an audience that isn't forest managers and may never have utilized traditional maps before because of the barriers to interpretation from new explorers seeking to get outside. While we live in time with unprecedented access to data and information about the landscape, the overwhelming amount and a lot of the way it is currently offered is less approachable to many, which results in a funnel into tools like AllTrails or social media to gain access and interest about spots, which can result in overuse in a few sites while vast swathes of incredible forest, trails and features go unvisited. I think better maps can help offset some of that and encourage more dispersed and sustainable use for everyone.

I use LiDAR where it's available to craft basemaps for my maps in an untraditional way that I try to highlight the beauty and intrigue of an areas geology that LiDAR reveals so wonderfully. Mostly digital maps for now, but hopefully I'll be able to publish more of my field maps in the future. I was for years in an earlier life a trail crew leader with the Forest Service, and since then have never been able to stop turning going into the forest into work, and have never been able to stop going into the forest.

Here's a linkhttps://elevationchanges.com/trail-mapping/ to a little gallery with examples of some of my work, much works in progress. I'll share some Indian Heaven area map images once I finish placing all the labels exactly where I want them).

[aiwetir]

Thanks, always good to see someone using LiDAR for anything.