Took a trip down the Hillockburn Trail on 3/7. No major logs over the trail. I cleared the sticks and clipped the brush down to about 200 ft above the river.
Once at the river, I went upstream maybe 100 feet and crossed on a very solid log, and scoped out the trail on the other side. I found it very much intact. I didn't follow it up but 50 ft, but it was easy to find.
I was wondering if the trail is intact up to the experimental forest cage? I'm interested in possibly camping out and clearing the twigs and small logs on it if its intact and deemed worth it. With that big Log making an easy crossing, it makes it much more feasible to hike the other side
After I crossed back to the west side, I followed the river quite a ways upstream to within an 1/8th mile of Oscar Creek. There's an interesting cliff/rock formation maybe 300 ft upstream of the 516 trail ending.
1/8th mile from Oscar Creek, the canyon becomes very cliffy and gorged out. I climbed up the canyon wall to get one last photo, and my iPhone slipped out of my gloves and tumbled down the cliff into the deep river below, so no photos. Looking at recent satellite imagery, I suspect there's a sizeable waterfall at the mouth of Oscar Creek, hence the reason for rock hopping upriver along the shore.
After that, I climbed straight up the canyon. I popped out onto FR45 right at the FR4510 junction. Definitely got a workout. No snow except for the top of Goat Mountain and in the higher elevation clearcuts, none in the South Fork Canyon on either side.
I'm very curious about the trail on the east side of the South Fork. The 516 is one of the closest trails to my place in Oregon City, and one I've always had a little bit of passion for.
The trail up the other side is pretty easy to follow except after running level for a while you will come to a small grove of large timber and abundant springs feeding the head of a creek. Cross the creek, climb over the large log, after walking up it about 40 feet, and look for flagging or old cut log on the right side of it. There will be switchback in heavy low brush, from then on easy to follow. Lots to climb over. It will come out in a clearcut but is easy to follow out to the road.
I have always believed the other side to be worth saving.
Sorry the phone was lost. It will leave some interesting particles once ground up by river rock in motion.
Don2
Hi Brian
Thanks for posting this. One of my "to dos" is to hike that trail on the other side. I had planned to hike it in the fall when the river was low, but if there is a good log crossing, I may have to move it up my list. I'm looking forward to exploring what is up there.
Bummer to hear about your phone....My boo boo was that I was trying to use my new phone and its fancy "HDR" mode to take better photos in mixed light conditions. Well, it didn't turn out too well. The HDR mode made the photos look fake and werid....Now I don't have any good photos from my last outing.
Thanks guys. Great info, im glad its worth saving on the other side. Got a spring project now. I wish the 514 still existed, as Memaloose Creek is another stream with a big unexplored canyon. Had a new phone by the evening, but I will be going back down the 516 trail to the river within a week. The upper most known falls on the S Fork is the goal this time.
Something the 516 trail has always lacked is a good ending by the river. It's kinda unceremonious. I doubt there's anything that can be done about it though. On days I'm not looking for waterfalls, I'm gonna work on the eastern side of the 516. Rob's new maps showed up at the right time
Is the 514 the old Memaloose trail? I see it on that old '56 map, but didn't see a number.