The 1938 map shows a trail running along the ridge between Hideaway Lake and Cache Meadow.
I found a trail in that area and followed it down to the 5830 road above Hideaway Lake. It's a decent trail, well-blazed and with the tread still evident although it is brushy in places. Someone had been there before me in the not-too-distant past as it is flagged the entire way.
The upper end of the trail is marked by a metal diamond. It joins the old trail which climbs over the saddle between the Shellrock Lake trail and the Grouse Point trail at Cache Meadow.
It's fairly easy to follow most of the way, but steep in a few places. Eventually it comes into more open forest before reaching the road.
As it reaches the road it becomes quite brushy.
I didn't see any evidence that it continues on the other side of the road. The road is brushy on both sides at that point.
it doesn't cross the road. It runs in the cut till the road turns east. the trail continues along the edge of a harvest unit and up to the saddle above, over the top and into a young stand where it is not apparent.
The other end is at the northern end of Cottonwood Meadow if you head up the draw or lowest drainage from the north the trail develops on the left but piddles out.
But the real find in the area would be to find the one heading to Shellrock Creelk out of Cottonwood Meadows. I have not been able to find trace of that and I think it is the oldest route in the area.
On another note, I hope the short scramble up from Shellrock Trail to the connecting route to cache isn't becoming a mess. It is steep and there was not a proper trail there after the harvest and now that it has been outed online I suspect that scramble could become an eroded mess.
D 2
Donovan said
On another note, I hope the short scramble up from Shellrock Trail to the connecting route to cache isn't becoming a mess. It is steep and there was not a proper trail there after the harvest and now that it has been outed online I suspect that scramble could become an eroded mess.
When Don and I were up there last year, there was no discernable path at that point - I don't think that many people actually use it, but I was amazed at how many people know about it. I'm thinking it is partially due to the junction at Cache meadow (that is VERY obvious).
At some point, a traverse into the clearcut and to the "main' trail could be flagged. The route goes to the edge of it about a hundred feet above.
Fortunately there is a gulf between "knowing" and "doing".
The woods are funny. Some trace of scrambling disappear quick while others trigger a sequence of deleterious events leaving long term evidence.
D 2
After doing this path earlier this week, I can verify there is no discernible route evident up that first hill. I recall now that we took what appears to be an old cat road or something up part of the hill. there are still parts of that trail that become rather indistinct coming down the other side, and also around the beginning of the marshy areas.