Larch Mountain via Franklin Ridge 07-Oct-09

[VanMarmot]

Good news: still employed. Bad news: fewer hours. Good news: more hiking time. Which is how I came to be climbing Larch Mountain from Multnomah Falls last Wednesday. The Falls is certainly a less crowded place early on a week-day morning - just me and a lone tourist bellowing opera from the bridge. And except for some hikers encountered on my way back, I had the trail to myself. The Franklin Ridge trail

is a favorite because its a little longer and more varied than the direct trail, offers a viewpoint, and (just before its junction with the Oneonta trail) passes through a gallery of tall trees on an open forest floor

- an effect I've always found comforting. There were also some bursts of fall colors along the way,

but major color changes are still a little bit ahead. On this clear and very pleasant day, the "summit" offered its usual expansive views of all the major peaks, all the way from Rainier

to Jefferson. After lunch, it was down the direct trail along Multnomah Creek from near its headwaters

to before the Falls.

The Forest Service has added mileage markers to the paved portion of the Falls trail, along with signs numbering the switchbacks - so you can now count-off the number of switchbacks ("5 of 11", etc.) to or from the car. Ah, progress.

[Splintercat]

"...just me and a lone tourist bellowing opera from the bridge..."
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Hmm... well, I'm not sure if that's an improvement on the three-piece marching folk band (drums, accordion, guitar, wavering vocals) that I was serenaded by at Boulder Lake a couple weeks ago, or not... at least you had the option of throwing the opera singer over the bridge..!

Interesting sign marking Franklin Ridge -- looks like it was made by a volunteer... perhaps the Trails Club? Good to see that!

The new switchback countdown has some positive elements, if it encourages newbies to actually make it to the top. I suspect the USFS had complaints from tourists not knowing "how much farther", and if this helps a few more make it to the overlook, good for them!

Tom

[Arioto]

Splintercat, I was unable to get a good enough picture of the "mountain band" that day after running into you. Did you snap any? Would love it if you could share.

[Splintercat]

Shoot -- just spotted your reply on this thread, Arioto (posted a lengthy trip report over in Lost Trails). No, I didn't get a photo of the band... thought they were kind of annoying, actually, but then visited with them a bit before heading up the trail, and they were friendly enough. They were obviously newbies, what with a huge fire on the lake shore and all manner of weird crap hauled in. That goes hand-in-hand with lakes that are 1/3 mile from a road, I guess..!

Tom

[greglief]

Thank you very much for the trip report and photos! You have reminded me that I really need to explore Franklin Ridge. However, I am truly sorry that you had to suffer through the solo operatic performance on the Benson Bridge.

Greg