Manila Discussion archive for:

  • Grouse Point Trail and other stuff

    On Sunday, I took a beautiful hike up the Cache meadow trail and then hopped on the Grouse Point Trail to the point it met the Dry Ridge Trail, turned around and went back to Cache Meadow on the Trail "X" back to road 4635.  It was a beautiful day of hiking!

    A couple of notes/questions:
    • I know I could get the answer by asking a forester, but I don't happen to know any-What causes the differences in the vegetation on forest floor?  For example, most of the way on the Grouse Point trail it is well shaded, but the floor of the forest is a combination of decomposing blowdown and ground cover (bear grass, salal, huckleberries, etc).  When the Grouse Point trail gets close to Dry Ridge (and the upper part of Dry Ridge as well), the forest floor is pretty much barren of any ground cover.  It is mostly just dirt/duff and downed trees.  What causes this difference?
    • Is this and this the trail junction referenced in the USFS sheet to the Cripple Creek trail?  It was most definitely a trail, as it was blazed, although it doesn't look well used, or even maintained very well, as there were a few old downed logs over the trail on the short distance I went down it.
    • I was determined to find the trail to Grouse Point, however I was unsuccessful.  I was going to try and bushwack through the rhodies to Grouse Point, but it seems like the closer you get to the point, the thicker they become.  I didn't have any loppers, so I gave up after several attempts from different directions.  If I'd had loppers I would probably have just cut my own path to the point!  I'm sure the view from there would be outstanding.
    • I think this might have been discussed here before, but I can't remember the outcome of it. - While coming back on road 4635, a couple of miles from the 702 trailhead, I saw some flagging along both sides of the road.  I stopped, and sure enough, it was a rather substantial trail going up (and down) the hill.  Does anyone know what trail this is?  It isn't the MP3 trail, but another un-named trail.
    I also tried to find the big Cedar tree down off 4671, however I went rather late in the day (after 5:00), and I didn't have enough time to find it.  Next time, maybe.....

    I'm hoping that winter won't arrive for another few weeks, and I can get back out in the woods at least once more before we lose the high elevations to snow again.
    Grouse Point Trail and other stuff
  • Re: Grouse Point Trail and other stuff (#)
  • 9/29/08; 6:31:40 PM ¦ by Donovan
  • The trail you crossed on the road out is Cripple Creek Trail 703. It comes out across the street from the Cache Meadow 702 Trail.
    I can't tell where the pictures are.
    Sometimes I think Grouse Point is an illusion. Or a vortex point. A green hole.
    • Re: Grouse Point Trail and other stuff (#)
    • 9/29/08; 8:15:35 PM ¦ by Rob Williams
    • There is also a sign at one of the first junction on Cache Meadow that says Cripple Creek trail, but it is close to the start of the trail, so it is probably talking about where it hits 4635.

      That picture was taken just a little bit South/East of the Serene Lake trail junction on the Grouse Point Trail.  After looking at it closer, I'm thinking it may be the abandoned trail to Three Lynx mentioned in the trail sheet.

      Grouse Point would be a great viewpoint, I'm sure.  I just wish some of the rhodies would disappear...It would be cool to actually see it.

      Rob
      • Re: Grouse Point Trail and other stuff (#)
      • 9/30/08; 8:17:27 AM ¦ by Robert Koscik

      • The trail to 3 Lynx is the "Cripple Crk Tr" (703).  Thanks to volunteers it is no longer abandoned and is a nice hike.  You get a heck of a workout heading up from the Clackamas.

        As far as understory, leaf litter, etc. it tends to happen due to enviroment and micro-zones.  518 is called the Dry Ridge trail, and it's very dry up there with sunny slopes.  Darker damp zones encourage growth of different plant communities.  Usually you see lots of cedars, alders.  A thick green herbacious level too down on the floor, often devil's club. 

        So it's like evidence at a crime scene - what enviromental and physical variables combined to create this area?  I read somewhere that no 2 forests are the same, like snowflakes.  Pretty exciting stuff.

        • Re: Grouse Point Trail and other stuff (#)
        • 9/30/08; 9:05:22 AM ¦ by Rob Williams
        • That is the part that confuses me.  Cripple Creek is mentioned in the USFS doc, and it shows as ending at 4635-140, not going all the way up to the Grouse Point Trail.  There is a second trail mentioned in the USFS doc that says it goes down to 3 Lynx.  Does this abandoned trail hook up with the Cripple Creek trail somewhere down the line?  Maybe I'll just have to hike it to find out.  I've hiked up part of Cripple Creek, a couple years ago in January, but I had to turn around due to snow.  I got just past the big meadow.

          As far as the understory goes, I just find it really interesting that in a relatively short distance, you can have quite a difference in the look and feel of the forest.  I'd love to understand it more.
            • Re: Grouse Point Trail and other stuff (#)
            • 10/1/08; 6:20:50 AM ¦ by Robert Koscik

            • Was 703 rerouted up there due to the clearcut?  I'd assume that "3 lynx tr" is the original route and is now abandoned as it heads down to the Clackamas?  Too bad that original segment can't be resurrected, but if it hits the wall of a clearcut then it doesn't have much use.  I didn't know about that snippet up there.

  • Re: Grouse Point Trail and other stuff (#)
  • 8/16/09; 9:26:17 AM ¦ by Robert Koscik
  • Is the "new" section of #702 from the 140 road trailhead to the "2 lefts" sign part of the original #703, or was it just constructed after the roads and clearcuts?  It does seem pretty old and blazed but doesn't match the original alignment for #702.
    • Re: Grouse Point Trail and other stuff (#)
    • 8/16/09; 11:46:24 AM ¦ by Donovan
    • It's actually the top of 703. 702 continued onto what is now the start of Rimrock and then ran down the the hill to Oak Grove Ranger Station by way of Mile Post Three.
      • Re: Grouse Point Trail and other stuff (#)
      • 8/16/09; 1:55:51 PM ¦ by Robert Koscik
      • Cool, that's what I figured.  Did some scoping for the abandoned part of 702 past Cripple Creek towards Rimrock; it's marginally followable for a while until it hits a clearcut.  Thank you for the info.