Did a loop starting with Cripple Creek and exiting at Roaring River CG. Used an ebike to return to the truck parked at the pipeline crossing. Summer-like conditions with no snow except for some tiny pathetic little patches here and there above 4500'. Cripple Creek Trail is in great condition showing evidence of recent (well, within the last year) chainsaw work. The other trails I traveled showed the signs of winter storms with some blowdown and lots of branches. The 517 could use some attention north of Serene Lake junction.
Cripple Creek saw work:
Nice look over to Schreiner and BotW.
Another viewpoint in a rocky passage.
Met up with Cache Meadow and passed by the wilderness permit box that had no unused permits. Several places it was hard to tell creek from trail and it was usually both.
Met up with 517 Grouse Point and stopped for a while at the helispot above Serene Lake - where's the snow and shouldn't the lake be frozen? 4 volcano view from this here.
Hit Dry Ridge Trail and headed for RR Campground. Clackamas Iris will be blooming soon.
Locked the bike to the trailhead sign at the closed campground.
Hopped on the bike and was back at Cripple Creek TH in around 15 minutes.
Here's the map - I'm calling it 15 miles. Nice loop, I'll do it again.
Awesome epic trip, Paul. When I was up there a month or so ago, Serene Lake had just a tiny bit of snow/ice at the outlet, but was otherwise clear. There was a little bit of snow at the helispot, but not much. Middle Rock Lake was completely frozen, however.
That is great that Cripple Creek is being maintained. A nice trail for sure.
Definitely a Paul trip! Good to see ya puttin boot prints out in the Clackamas district.