A peak less than half a mile from the road takes us three hours to climb.
- May 10, 2020
- Team: Dave
- Stats: 8.4 miles, 1260' gain, 4:55 hours c2c, Class 1 & 2
- Peaks:
- Martin Mountain, 4740'
Note: click images to see a larger version in a new window
The black line here is the road down the South Fork of the Salmon River. Less than half a mile! Except the blue line between the road and the summit is the South Fork of the Salmon River. Not gonna happen! |
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So instead, we crossed on the bridge downstream from the Reed Ranch, the Jakie Creek bridge. This is looking back upstream. Such a beautiful morning. But our peak is out of view to the left. Barely showing on the extreme right is Miners Peak, and we'll be starting off on the same trail. |
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When the trail splits, go left. Twice. |
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When the trail hits Cougar Creek, you have gone a bit too far. I suspect there was a bridge here once. But not now. |
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| We went downstream through the brush until we found this big boy. Problem solved. |  |
Then more old road grade. Across the Martin Creek drainage, there's our summit finally. |
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Road or bushwack? We chose road, even through we had to traverse the entire Martin Creek drainage. BTW- Who knew? If you look on the map, there is no road shown here. |
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The road has been officially decommissioned. While they were pulling the culverts out, why didn't they just take them with? |
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The road eventually takes the tired hiker to the summit ridge, about 8/10 of a mile from the summit. But the road hasn't stopped yet. |
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After traversing much of that distance, it finally disappears just a couple hundred yards short of the summit, with about 150' gain remaining. |
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There it is now. Park-like. |
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| Summit. A log to sit on, with a backrest, even. Pretty deluxe. |  |
Looking north. Reed Ranch airstrip is just left of center. Our truck is parked at the bottom of the 'V' in the ridge just beyond that. And yes, that is the SouthFork road you see near the bottom of the photo. sigh. |
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Zoomed in from the previous photo, I think that's the mountains above the Secesh, possibly Tailholt Peak and environs. |
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A little more westerly. Nick (on the right) and friends? |
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And now south. On the far right, Sister Creek Peak. On the left, part of Log Mountain. It was 72° when we got back to the truck. Those cold beers never tasted better. |
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| Dave's pics |  |
| Map |  |
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