Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Trip recommendations, current conditions, and other trail related Q&A
leiavoia
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Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Post by leiavoia » February 17th, 2023, 4:51 pm

I'm thinking of doing a theoretical 2-week backpack trip. Being only one person with one vehicle, I need to make everything into a loop. End-to-end traversal hikes dont work well. Also, i only carry about 7 days of supplies before i feel like its too much.

So i was wondering if its possible to create a "Mega-Figure-8" hike by combining 2 large loop hikes together at the same trailhead. The thought would be to park, do a week on one loop, return to car for resupply, resist urge to go home, and start off on the second loop.

Can you think of any locations in Oregon/Washington that would facilitate a trip like that? Longer drive would probably be tolerable given the timeframe.

Thanks for your input!

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retired jerry
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Re: Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Post by retired jerry » February 18th, 2023, 6:50 am

start at McKenzie Pass - Lava Lake trailhead

PCT south to the "trail" between Middle and South Sister

over to Camp Lake - this isn't an official trail, a bit difficult to find "the trail" - right where the PCT hits Separation Creek

this is where it gets "interesting". South end of Camp Lake, go 1500 feet east until you find this "trail" that goes South. At times there's a trail, and others just a route. 1 mile southeast, then 1 mile south, then 1/2 mile southeast to Green Lakes Trail above Green Lakes. Go up to 7400 feet, then contour at that elevation.

Then around South Sister on Green Lakes Trail, Moraine Lake Trail, PCT.

Back up to Camp Lake on the "trail" between South and Middle Sister.

Camp Lake Trail, Green Lakes Trail, Scott Pass Trail, back to trailhead on PCT.

figure 8, maybe 60 miles.

https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guid ... _Loop_Hike

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Don Nelsen
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Re: Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Post by Don Nelsen » February 18th, 2023, 8:27 am

Jerry, that's a wonderful loop but doesn't solve the mid-hike resupply problem.
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

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retired jerry
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Re: Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Post by retired jerry » February 18th, 2023, 10:01 am

I think you could do that in 7 days, then do something else for the other 7 days

And if this was too much you could modify it as you wish. You could add something around Broken Top too.

Aimless
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Re: Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Post by Aimless » February 18th, 2023, 10:41 am

Just spitballing here, but if one were to start at Devil's Lake trailhead instead of McKenzie Pass, then Jerry's loop hike would still be an option (with or without the figure-8 crossing between South and Middle Sister) and the other week could be spent in the lake-rich southwestern area of the Sisters Wilderness. I'm not sure exactly what trails could be linked up into a long loop down there, but it's a good place to investigate.

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retired jerry
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Re: Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Post by retired jerry » February 18th, 2023, 1:56 pm

yeah, good idea

so many choices in that area

last summer I didn't get any Three Sisters hike in because of forest fire smoke - there was that fire just to the west

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bobcat
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Re: Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Post by bobcat » February 18th, 2023, 7:24 pm

I would suggest a couple of modifications to the plan which would open things up a little:

1) tolerate lollipop loops
2) On the resupply day, allow a drive (one or two hours) to get to another trailhead.

You can do a couple lollipop loops out of the Lostine - East Lostine for one trip, West Lostine for the other.

You could do a loop out of the Main Eagle Trailhead, then drive over to West Eagle or Cornucopia.

Loop using the Wallowa Forks (maybe including Ice Lake) and then go to say, Hells Canyon; other options in the Wallowas too, of course.

Do Jerry's Three Sisters Loop, maybe from the east side, and then drive south for a big loop around the southern lakes area.

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Charley
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Re: Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Post by Charley » February 19th, 2023, 5:53 pm

I'm not the biggest expert, but there are a number of trailheads in the Cascades north of I-90 that lead into large, interconnected networks of trails. One terrific example would be Hart's Pass. You could hike several different loops from there, and not even move your car.
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.

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teachpdx
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Re: Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Post by teachpdx » February 20th, 2023, 7:49 am

Have you considered creating a large loop with a cached resupply around halfway through? There are plenty of opportunities to drive to your halfway point trailhead, hike in a little bit and cache some supplies, and then leave and drive to the trailhead where you actually start/end the loop...

It looks like the Wallowas would be a good place to set up a route like this... cache a resupply near Two Pan TH and start/end your hike from West Eagle... you can make a nice loop through all of Eagle Cap Wilderness and Two Pan would make an excellent halfway resupply.

You just end up with a little extra driving, and no easy way to bail out halfway through... but who wants that temptation to bail, anyway?
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retired jerry
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Re: Mega-8 Hikes - Your Thoughts

Post by retired jerry » February 20th, 2023, 8:17 am

"but who wants that temptation to bail, anyway?"

philosophical question

if you can walk either direction along the beach, do you start walking into the wind so you can decide to turn around if it's uncomfortably windy, or do you start out walking with the wind so you won't turn around early

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