Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2821

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mcds
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Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2821

Post by mcds » July 5th, 2014, 4:53 pm

There is a perfectly doable route that is 30 minutes quicker way (according to gmaps) compared to the Field Guide's route via Hwy 35.

It's the Kingsley Reservoir (Green Point Reservoir) route (which I've done 8-12 times in the past few years). Pick up Country Club Road at exit 62 off I84. No need to go through any business/residential areas of Hood River.

Eventually, Country Club Rd turns into Binns Hill Drive, but there is no signage for that transition. Then look for the poorly signed fork onto Kingsley Rd. At the humongous parking lot for the reservoir, take a left and drive SSW along the E shore, then follow the 'main' roadways at any junctions. At the T, turn right. At the next T, turn left or right. Left for Rainy Lake, Black Lake, and THs for North Lake, Bear Lake, and Mt Defiance. Right for Warren Lake and on up to Defiance.

Readers ought to be cautioned that in that area, google maps displays some roads that never existed, or are no longer there, or that have been decommissioned long ago.

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kepPNW
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Re: Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2

Post by kepPNW » July 6th, 2014, 9:20 am

This is certainly one where a picture may be worth well more than 1000 words!
Karl
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mcds
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Re: Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2

Post by mcds » July 6th, 2014, 12:36 pm

Hi Karl. Yeah, considering the importance of maps to users here, there's a paucity which I perpetuated. Before spending time on a decent description, I thought I'd wait to hear from the creator of the field guide page, Bobcat, to see if there was interest in adding the Country Club route, or rational for listing the Hwy 35 route. In the meantime here is a hillmap with a returning-to-portland gpx from my gps couple years ago.

I've attached the gpx as well, free for use by all, attribution not required.


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kepPNW
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Re: Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2

Post by kepPNW » July 6th, 2014, 1:36 pm

Thank you!!! We went the FG way to Rainy a couple weeks ago, and shaving 30 minutes would've meant another hour on the trail. (Which we will must do, given all three peaks we climbed that day were in the clouds!)
mcds wrote:rational for listing the Hwy 35 route.
The written directions for the FG route are difficult enough to follow. Not sure if it's the case, but it appears this one's even twistier and turnier. But having a map, and a track(!), really cuts down the misery there. :)
Karl
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mcds
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Re: Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2

Post by mcds » July 6th, 2014, 1:56 pm

kepPNW wrote: twistier and turnier.
Glad to be of help, minor as it is. In effect though, all the twists and turns are, in my opinion, rather obvious follows of the 'main' road. Or are blunt, such as the two T's. The exception that comes to mind is the poorly marked fork onto Kingsly Rd, which is very easy to miss. If you pass a fork off to the left that descends, back up to look for road signs. Last time I drove it, maybe 2012, the short section along the reservoir was dirt-dirt and was by far the most washed out of the entire route. It gets much better once the gravel starts, and the gravel gets less coarse the farther up one drives. Again, forest roads on google maps are not to be trusted in this area.

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kepPNW
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Re: Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2

Post by kepPNW » July 6th, 2014, 2:19 pm

Sounds good!
Karl
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payslee

Re: Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2

Post by payslee » July 7th, 2014, 10:56 am

This route was very recently not recommended

-payslee

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kepPNW
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Re: Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2

Post by kepPNW » July 7th, 2014, 11:38 am

payslee wrote:This route was very recently not recommended
Hmmmm, but that seemed to be based (primarily) upon clarity of directions?

With a GPS track to follow, what could go wrong?! ;)
Karl
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EMTStolz
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Re: Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2

Post by EMTStolz » July 7th, 2014, 5:33 pm

The section between Kingsley Reservoir and Rd 2820 can be very rough in places. One area on that section was very muddy and rutted in the spring. A passenger car would definitely not have made it through, but I believe it has since dried out and been repaired. The FG route is much better for vehicles with low clearance.

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bobcat
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Re: Road access to the south side of Mt Defiance, 2820 and 2

Post by bobcat » August 3rd, 2014, 8:38 pm

mcds:

I just got a hold of this (Left the country July 4th and am just catching up).

Right now, I might leave the Field Guide directions as is given the cautions by some respondents, but link to your directions. If I go up there again, I might try this route and see if I like it (and time myself doing it).

I've always gone the other way, or something close to it. Never considered Kingsley Reservoir.

John

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