Drove to the trail head off the spur road from the 7010. I'd forgot about what Rob wrote about the water bars on that road until the 1st one - a rude reminder. I paid more attention after that - they are pretty deep. I had to look around for the trail, a downed log covered the tread but there is an old FS marker sign that's on the trail. There is some blowdown and a couple of spots needing some brushing but overall the part of the trail I covered is in good shape. I tried the summit from the SE side but got cliffed out, might have a scramble route but caution dictated otherwise. Got up close an personal with the white spot. Located the #9 phone line that would have come out of Stroupe Creek going to the lookout.
I backed out and found a use trail on the west side and circled around the cliffs there and did a bushwhack to the summit - did I miss the trail to the summit? Once there, great views in nearly all directions. A GeoCache had a summit log - earliest entry was 2009 - only a few folks make it up there every year. I recognized one of the names there - "bobcat" from OregonHikers was there last year.
On the way back, I located a segment of trail that went down a ridgelet to a decommed road, nice piece of trail but has no purpose now. See map.
At the point where it was indicated on the map I spotted a little sign marking the trail into Lost Creek drainage. Looked pretty rough so I did not follow it.
I wanted to do the whole thing from Joyce Lake to East Mtn but the roads are not very cooperative. I traveled the 7010 to where it goes bad and made a stab at it but chickened out about halfway through the washout. It is doable - the part I did I lightly scraped bottom a couple of times.
Here's some photos and a map.
Wow Paul
That is a really short trip for you! When I was up there a year or two ago, I found an old trail up the ridge to the southeast. It kind of looks like you followed my path (sort of). I also headed down the west side and found that old phone wire and that homemade sign.
The trail keeps going south from where it looks like you stopped, but it is getting pretty brushy in some areas. I haven't been all the way down to Joyce lake for several years now. It is just a really cool trail since you get to see both the Clackamas and Molalla drainages as you head south.
I think that trail segment you found was the alternate approach coming up from Lost Creek Meadows. Too bad the road is now decomissioned - I never tried to come up that way. I just hope they don't decommission 7010-160 - I saw it on a plan to decommission at some point.
Great trip report as always!