Archer Mountain Loop on Veterans Day

[fallsfreak]

Since holidays promise big crowds, and my dad and I aren't fans of them, we decided to do the more secluded hike up Archer Mountain from Smith-Cripe Road, using Don Nelson's GPS. We hiked east to the old logging roads, crossed Archer Creek on the rickety bridge, and climbed up the hill to the sharp left junction. Here we climbed up the meadows to three viewpoints (Arrow Point, South Viewpoint, and Archer Point) before summiting. From the summit, we went down the switchback trail to the talus, and then followed the pipeline road to the unbridged crossing of Archer Creek (this is the one place Don Nelson's GPS seemed inaccurate). From here we just went back to the parking lot. The only person we saw the entire day was a resident on Archer Mountain.
I did this hike with the Mazamas in September, and it was nice to lead a hike in such a secluded area!

dense snow area around elev. 1890'

Mount Hood's summit is visible

snow-clad Larch Mountain with Fall colors on the switchbacks

"Green Meadow Falls" on the switchbacks

[romann]

Great report. I've seen Archer Mtn probably a million times from the road but never been up it (yet). It's been on my list for too long...

[geographics]

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[Don Nelsen]

Good report and nice photos. Here's a better map than some previous ones that shows where you leave the pipeline road and head back toward the junction with the meadow trail (where you took the hard left on the way in.) I've indicated on the map where the "easy to miss junction" is. Staying on the pipeline road, as you found out, will get you back but there's no bridge over the creek at that point. Not a lot of folks using that trail from the pipeline road to the junction so it is overgrown with lots of small trees down across it but still can be found and hiked easily - provided you find it in the first place.

Overview map:



Close up:

[Peder]

I have previously followed a trail down to the "easy to miss" junction (I do the loop in a counter clockwise direction). When I did the loop with my son in July, a section of the trail was so overgrown with devils club and dense bushes that we chose to bushwhack an alternative route down to the pipeline road. So when coming in the other direction, the "easy to miss" junction is probably living up to its name!

[fallsfreak]

Good report and nice photos. Here's a better map than some previous ones that shows where you leave the pipeline road and head back toward the junction with the meadow trail (where you took the hard left on the way in.) I've indicated on the map where the "easy to miss junction" is. Staying on the pipeline road, as you found out, will get you back but there's no bridge over the creek at that point. Not a lot of folks using that trail from the pipeline road to the junction so it is overgrown with lots of small trees down across it but still can be found and hiked easily - provided you find it in the first place.

Thanks!
I think you should post that updated map on the summitpost page - that's where I got your original one. By the way, the "seasonal waterfall" on your map is what I referred to as "Green Meadow Falls".
The Pipeline Road wasn't a bushwhack, it was just a bunch of elevation gains and losses, and then the creek crossing. On CherokeeDriver's Day 2, he actually used that trail.
I also have a question regarding the waterfalls:
As I realized with the mazamas, that Columbia Falls area is closed. Does the DNR usually allow small groups to hike in the "forbidden zone" with permission?
Also, that short bushwhack toward Archer Falls on the map - does that lead to the base of the falls? With the mazamas, we started on that path, but the leader decided it was too overgrown.
Also, the end of the west Logging Road - isn't the end where it has the junction to the bridgeless Archer Creek crossing?

[fallsfreak]

I have previously followed a trail down to the "easy to miss" junction (I do the loop in a counter clockwise direction). When I did the loop with my son in July, a section of the trail was so overgrown with devils club and dense bushes that we chose to bushwhack an alternative route down to the pipeline road. So when coming in the other direction, the "easy to miss" junction is probably living up to its name!

When the creek is running lower, I would think that missing the "easy to miss" junction is actually better. The only issue for my dad and I was that the creek was probably 18" deep minimum - which got our boots soaked!

[Roy]

I have previously followed a trail down to the "easy to miss" junction (I do the loop in a counter clockwise direction). When I did the loop with my son in July, a section of the trail was so overgrown with devils club and dense bushes that we chose to bushwhack an alternative route down to the pipeline road. So when coming in the other direction, the "easy to miss" junction is probably living up to its name!

When the creek is running lower, I would think that missing the "easy to miss" junction is actually better. The only issue for my dad and I was that the creek was probably 18" deep minimum - which got our boots soaked!

That must have been fun looks like a great way in the late fall to enjoy mother nature.

Tanks for sharing!


Roy