Eliot Branch crossing conditions in July 2021?

Trip recommendations, current conditions, and other trail related Q&A
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huckleberries
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Re: Eliot Branch crossing conditions in July 2021?

Post by huckleberries » July 10th, 2021, 4:36 am

Nice! Thanks for the tip.

I would hate to wait for September and be smoked out. But I know what you mean.
Re-entering the Stone Ephemera of Codex Monolithiopia

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retired jerry
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Re: Eliot Branch crossing conditions in July 2021?

Post by retired jerry » July 10th, 2021, 5:16 am

How do you get from the Timberline Trail at Elk Cove to the terminus of the Coe glacier, and back to TT on the other side?

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mjirving
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Re: Eliot Branch crossing conditions in July 2021?

Post by mjirving » July 10th, 2021, 6:05 am

retired jerry wrote:
July 10th, 2021, 5:16 am
How do you get from the Timberline Trail at Elk Cove to the terminus of the Coe glacier, and back to TT on the other side?
Carefully…and it may involve breaking a trekking pole in the process. ;)

Chip can vouch for that. Haha.

Webfoot
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Re: Eliot Branch crossing conditions?

Post by Webfoot » July 10th, 2021, 9:15 am

huckleberries wrote:
July 9th, 2021, 4:06 pm
In the following picture I took after getting to the south side, you can see three guys making their way down that use path.
Nope. Nope. Nope.
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retired jerry
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Re: Eliot Branch crossing conditions in July 2021?

Post by retired jerry » July 10th, 2021, 10:09 am

regarding getting to the Coe glacier, I've gone up the Elk Cove valley from the TT. Then, there are steep ridges of glacier moraine running up and down. It seemed difficult to get down to Coe. But I wasn't real motivated, just exploring around, not really all that focused on getting to Coe

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Chip Down
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Re: Eliot Branch crossing conditions in July 2021?

Post by Chip Down » July 10th, 2021, 6:32 pm

Webfoot: Don't be silly, it's perfectly safe. The USFS says the real danger was that old roped crossing up high.

Mike: Don't be silly, treking poles don't break! I've been hiking for years, ain't broke one yet!

Regarding the Coe crossing, Jerry is right, the moraine on the Elk side (I guess that would be west) is insanely steep and crumbly down to the creek. Nobody should try that. But there's a fairly gentle spot down low, just above treeline, where a huge boulder is perched on crest (or used to be). Not absolutely certain I've descended there, so I can't vouch for it, but it might pan out. Also, if you keep going up higher, the moraine just fades into almost nothing, and requires no skill to descend. From the east moraine back to TT trail, don't try to follow the creek too closely, as it gets pretty steep and brushy, not fun. Several easy descents to the east, no technical challenges that I've noticed. If I can find a TR without too much trouble, I'll come back here and add a link.

here's a TR pertaining to Coe above the TT:
viewtopic.php?t=28404

and another (this is like shooting fish in a barrel):
viewtopic.php?t=28486

and off-topic, but just for fun, an exploration of Coe below TT:
viewtopic.php?t=28645

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mjirving
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Re: Eliot Branch crossing conditions in July 2021?

Post by mjirving » July 10th, 2021, 7:38 pm

Well…just sayin’ I broke mine through that crossing just before meeting you. Haha.

keithcomess
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Re: Eliot Branch crossing conditions in July 2021?

Post by keithcomess » July 23rd, 2021, 1:53 pm

I hiked the Timberline Trail loop twice. The first time was before the "new" crossing appeared and the second time was shortly after the log became accessible via the newly cut trail. Both times verged on terrifying. It seems worse now, given the shifting rock/gravel on the approaches and the apparently absent log.

I'm generally not an advocate of placing bridges and other crossing aids since these are supposedly "wilderness" routes, but Eliot Creek seems like an invitation to disaster for relatively inexperienced hikers and stream-crossers making the loop for the first time. Plus, given the crowds of people on the trail and ease of access from many side points, calling the Timberline route "wilderness" is starting to seem about as tenuous as the crossing.

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retired jerry
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Re: Eliot Branch crossing conditions in July 2021?

Post by retired jerry » July 23rd, 2021, 2:27 pm

the problem when they've put a bridge in is it gets washed out. Maybe after a few winters

Eliot is just too unstable. Many winters it will get eroded down many feet.

This one was in 2003:
P8300072.jpg

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Chip Down
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Re: Eliot Branch crossing conditions in July 2021?

Post by Chip Down » July 24th, 2021, 12:52 pm

I keep hearing the Mt Hood glaciers will be gone in a few years. Pretty soon, Eliot Gulch will be an easy walk across.

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