Doing Thru Hike Of Chinook Trail - Need Help From Wahtum Lake To Troutdale

[retired jerry]

thanks!

[Webfoot]

I am happy my input might actually be helpful.

Here is another idea. If it's not "cheating" by your ethic for this trip, and if you have the skills/equipment: raft the Sandy River from Zigzag to Troutdale. This would remove nearly all the road hiking from the route I proposed, and it might be a pleasant way to finish a trip on tired feet. I don't know if there are any serious rapids that cannot be portaged in that section and I don't know the water level and temperature you would face at that time (quite variable with weather I suspect) so this idea would need to be vetted by someone with actual experience of this river.

[reverbhiker]

Sounds like a great idea, but I'm a hiker (can't swim!) so despite the road walking, that'll be the way I do it. I was told to look at the Chinook Trail as sort of a Camino de Santiago type route, so having some road walking as part of it isn't a problem. To me it would be offset by being able to walk a nice chunk of the PCT, and some stellar views of Mt Hood as well .

Sean

[Webfoot]

In that case: just off the PCT is Bald Mountain, and it is well worth the short detour to the clearing at (45.4017, -121.7773) for an excellent view. Likewise but earlier in your trip detour to summit Chinidere Mountain.

[reverbhiker]

I am planning on overnighting on, or near Bald Mountain - my PCT guidebook says there is a modest campsite near Bald Mountain. If time allows I'll also try the short hike up Chinidere.

Sean

[aiwetir]

Try ridewithgps to build your route, much easier than gaia. I use both all the time. Check out OurMotherTheMountain, it's cycling site, but they do a lot of those hidden roads around larch/bull run, they'll have beta on those and it might be shorter/cooler.

EDIT: let me clarify, rwgps is much easier once you figure it out, it's free too. gaia routing is intuitive out of the box, but rwgps eventually is much more editable and versatile.

[Webfoot]

What is the benefit to ridewithgps over GraphHopper? Does the former have routes that aren't in the latter's OSM database? With the work you've done on OSM in our area it's the best database I've seen.

[aiwetir]

RWGPS is weeks to months old data usually but I keep talking to them about updating more frequently, maybe they'll listen one day.

For route building, it's a more "mature" product giving you essentially more granular control over almost any aspect of it. You can save to your account and edit later (I suppose you get a virtual save with Graphhopper's link), undo, have more than 25 points intermediate points (it's actually the only service I could find to do a full cross country route with some RAM issues though), move just one little part, add remove points easier, combine hiking, driving, straight line routes in one, there's a cue sheet if you are driving or cycling. More options on export, but there are a lot of converters online.
That's the difference from Graphhopper.

The difference from Gaia is that Gaia is simple but often infuriatingly difficult to get right sometimes and then it reroutes you all the way across some other area sometimes. It's difficult to get a point exactly where you want it and hard to move a point just a little.

One other thing about RWGPS is that they are a Portland company, they climb in the same climbing gym as I do and I knew one of the guys before he worked there. Unfortunately, I do NOT get any compensation for giving them a plug.

[BassMasterK]

I'm sure you have probably already seen this, but just in case this is the best resource I have heard of for this hike.

http://www.yellowleaf.org/scramble/g/r/ ... inook.html

I have only heard of two groups completing the Chinook trial. The first was local thru hiker Allgood and his two friends, and for the life of me I can't remember their names. They gave a power point presentation to the Chinook Trail club that is interesting. Then later the two people who went with him did it again in an effort to try to find safer routes through some of the sketchy highway walks. The above link has some pictures and of more interest, a map of their trek and data spreadsheet with water and camping info. It is too bad that so much is still closed in the gorge, from the pictures it looked like a great finish to the hike. It looked like the WA side of the river was the part that had the most unsafe walking conditions.

Best of luck and I look forward to seeing your report on this. I am always on the lookout for anyone who is trying this route. It would be great to see it someday actually be a fully developed system of trails.

[reverbhiker]

Yes, I've seen that report/page and it's been a great help. Like you, I've only heard of the two of them, as well as Allgood and the two hikers with him (one was Liz "Snorkel" Thomas) doing the complete thru hike. However, someone said there has been as many as 10-12 people complete it. As far as I know I'd be the first solo-hiker. My intended route doesn't really have any highway walking, but near Maryhill there may be a bit. Also I don't believe pedestrians can go across the Maryhill bridge, so I'll have to get a ride across. My goals in doing it are also to find a safe and interesting route, to promote the Chinook Trail, and also to test myself to see if I could potentially do the PCT in the future. It's also just two weeks, which I can get off work fairly easily.

In addition to writing for thetrek.co and other sites, I hope to maybe do a few presentations (the Klickitat Trail association has already invited me to do one - I have to do it first though!).

Thanks

Sean