Timberline Trail

Trip recommendations, current conditions, and other trail related Q&A
acoulombe
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Joined: July 21st, 2017, 8:56 am

Timberline Trail

Post by acoulombe » July 14th, 2022, 10:14 am

Anybody do this recently? According to NOAA snow maps it looks like snow is most likely still on the trail...at least on the southeast side between cloud cap and the lodge.

Any recent trail description is much appreciated.

Planning on departing July 24th.

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teachpdx
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Location: Hillsboro, OR

Re: Timberline Trail

Post by teachpdx » July 14th, 2022, 11:01 am

The snow level thread has a bunch of current info about the TT. Long story short, lots of snow at lots of places.
instagram: @remyodyssey

acoulombe
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Joined: July 21st, 2017, 8:56 am

Re: Timberline Trail

Post by acoulombe » July 14th, 2022, 12:18 pm

Thanks, I'll jump over there... Completely forgot about that forum thread.

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retired jerry
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Re: Timberline Trail

Post by retired jerry » July 14th, 2022, 12:26 pm

https://adamschneider.net/hiking/snow_depth.html

nohrsc snow model is useful. If you click "USGS topo" it will overlay that

The worst place, in my experience and the snow model, is the north side, like where dollar lake is

The next worst is the east side because it's higher elevation

Then maybe Paradise Park. It is starting to melt off.

You'd be better waiting a month, like mid August.

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pinecone
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Re: Timberline Trail

Post by pinecone » July 15th, 2022, 6:44 am

The Timberline Trail still has enough snow to make it much less enjoyable, and expose hikers to vastly more risk, mainly from exposure crossing steep and deep drifts and piles of snow that have settled and are slow to melt in shaded chutes and hillsides where, while the trail is a pretty level grade, the hillside it is traversing is steep. Spots like between Jack Woods Trail and Heather Creek will require a good bit more care and time to be safe. Also the vast areas of snowpack on the north, like Wyeast Basin where there is no indication of the trail. Most of the trail where it is not the PCT has no markings.

Melt is happening, I'd guess by August it will be much better but still with some snow clinging in spots, and mid-August clear for fast smooth travel.

I'm contemplating heading up to Elk Cove soon now that the road to Laurance Lake is open, and will put any updates, and keep refreshing satellite imagery of the mountain here https://elevationchanges.com/timberlinetrail/

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drm
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Re: Timberline Trail

Post by drm » July 15th, 2022, 7:24 am

And it's not just a question of snow melting - it's getting across the water. The TT has a number of potentially challenging water crossings. At first you are dealing with questionable snow bridges. Then you just have high water in raging creeks from the snow melting just above the trail. It's actually best to go on the cooler days when the snowmelt won't be as high. Experts have some experience with how to handle this, but those without that experience really should wait for the water levels to drop. Which by the way, also means waiting for the clouds of mosquitoes and black flies to wane.

johnspeth
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Re: Timberline Trail

Post by johnspeth » July 15th, 2022, 7:56 am

Keep in mind that snow is melting extremely fast these days. The trail from the Timerberline Trail / Gnarl Ridge Trail junction to the 7000 ft Timberline Trail camp uphill from Lamberson Butte was approximately 1% covered with snow - hardly enough to matter. That was on Thu Jul 15, 2022. I observed my first snow patch at about 5500 ft.

There's ample fresh water coming from the larger snow fields. It's a good time to camp up there.

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teachpdx
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Re: Timberline Trail

Post by teachpdx » July 15th, 2022, 3:39 pm

I’m heading up onto the north side tomorrow, Wy’East Basin / Dollar Lake / Barrett Spur. I’ll report back on specific conditions, but I’m taking spikes and planning to spend quite a bit of time on snow.
instagram: @remyodyssey

acoulombe
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Re: Timberline Trail

Post by acoulombe » July 16th, 2022, 9:29 am

Thanks teachpdx, I appreciate any reports on current conditions.

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pinecone
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Re: Timberline Trail

Post by pinecone » July 16th, 2022, 10:40 am

Went out yesterday afternoon. Much of the Elk Cove area near the trail, east of the creek is melted out except for a few spots, all the way until Coe. I talked to a hiker who had come around and up from Eliot and they sounded pretty sketched out by the exposure on and steepness of lots of snow in chutes of compass creek and towards and all through there they had to cross. Went back to Elk Cove and west, good amount of snow, steep, slow but manageable on the side of 99 Ridge climbing out of Elk Cove in the talus and below the cliffs. Then right where the trail bends along the north side it was steep, quite exposed and snow covering all the ground I could see. Heavy nope for me. Back down Elk Cove trail below snow, and cut across the burned forest to Pinnacle Ridge Trail, took it up to Timberline, and went to Wyeast Basin. Snow all around, but just sheets of meltwater on the flat where the trail is at the Basin, some stretches of melted out ground here and there, but lots of deep snow all through the chutes on the way but not as bad exposure. Laid eyes on the very snow-covered and steep way up to Vista Ridge and headed back down one of the chutes till the snow ended. It's melting fast, not a solid snowpack across all the north, but for sure certain stretches with high risk are holding many feet of it.

Had a nice scramble most of the way up The Pinnacle.
Details and more photos up here https://elevationchanges.com/2022/07/15 ... -pinnacle/

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