Long Gorge Loops?

Trip recommendations, current conditions, and other trail related Q&A
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leiavoia
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Long Gorge Loops?

Post by leiavoia » September 1st, 2022, 6:44 pm

I’ve got time to do a longer backpack around 5 days this September.

I was previously looking at doing a loop from Tanner Butte trail, through Watum, over towards Rainy, and looping back along the gorge. However, fire has shut down the Tanner Butte area.

I have previously hiked the Herman creek trail but not post fire.

Can you recommend any loop itineraries in the gorge or mt hood areas?

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drm
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Re: Long Gorge Loops?

Post by drm » September 2nd, 2022, 6:51 am

It's not just Tanner Butte, but the Wyeth Trail is still closed too. A loop that includes Wyeth, Whatum, Eagle Creek, Tanner, connected by the Gorge Trail would be fairly long. But the longest you can do now is a loop on Eagle Creek and Gorton Creek Trails. Not worthy of five days. A loop of Herman and Eagle Creek would be close to 30 miles. One trail team manager told me that extended efforts to reopen that closed section of the Timberline Trail has sucked up a lot of trail clearing resources.

Timberline might be a better option for you. The water crossings should be easy by September. There is also the Three Sisters and many loop options of any length in the Wallowas.

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Bosterson
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Re: Long Gorge Loops?

Post by Bosterson » September 2nd, 2022, 7:17 am

drm wrote:
September 2nd, 2022, 6:51 am
There is also the Three Sisters and many loop options of any length in the Wallowas.
Plus Goat Rocks for less driving, or Alpine Lakes for more driving. I'm hard pressed to think of any 5-day trip in the Gorge, and if there were, it would be a thruhike needing a car shuttle; but now the east and west halves of the Gorge are cut off from each other because of fire closures. You could hike in to Wahtum Lake and basecamp yourself and then go poke around in various directions for a few days, but you could also drive an extra hour and do that in the Goat Rocks. :)
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retired jerry
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Re: Long Gorge Loops?

Post by retired jerry » September 2nd, 2022, 1:11 pm

yeah, in September you better go some place higher up, that will be closed because of snow in a few months

you could walk around Mt Hood or Three Sisters in 5 days

leiavoia
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Re: Long Gorge Loops?

Post by leiavoia » September 2nd, 2022, 2:29 pm

Yeah that’s usually the plan but I was looking for something flatter and closer to home for a change. Most of my “vacations” look more like suicide attempts. Kinda want something in between.

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retired jerry
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Re: Long Gorge Loops?

Post by retired jerry » September 2nd, 2022, 3:02 pm

ahhh... Mt Hood and Three Sisters are not flat

hmmm.. the gorge isn't really flat either.

Rogue River isn't too bad but not a loop

Beach of Olympics, like Toleak Point, is petty level but not a loop

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drm
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Re: Long Gorge Loops?

Post by drm » September 3rd, 2022, 5:54 pm

Three Sisters is a lot flatter than Timberline. For a loop, that's about as little EG as you will get.

If you really want flat then you should go to Olympic National Park and just do an out and back in one of the larger canyons.

There is a huge fire at the eastern end of the Rogue River backpack.

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