Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

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acorn woodpecker
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Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

Post by acorn woodpecker » October 8th, 2014, 10:58 pm

I had one definite opportunity to probably be my last foray into the high country. Not wanting to drive too far, I chose to go to the east side of Mt. Hood. The weather forecast was wonderful, so getting as high in elevation as time allowed via a remote way to get there was my goal. Perhaps I would get the opportunity to see the larches turning, too (that didn't happen as I was a couple weeks early). The goal was to take Cooper Spur via Lamberson Spur and loop back down on Polallie Creek trail, finishing with an off trail connector ridge down to Hwy 35 or Cloud Cap Road to complete the loop; whichever I hit first.

Started from the Pollalie Creek TH 'round 7am and, shortly thereafter, caught the alpenglow on Hood which showed its filtered self through the forest.
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After passing above Tamanawas Falls and hearing its roar below, I reached the junction with Lamberson Spur trail after a couple miles and kept ascending. As anyone who has been on this trail knows, the trail tops out on the ridge proper of Lamberson Spur and disappears around two miles after the junction (not 3 miles as the sign suggests). The last mile has been obliterated by the Gnarl Ridge Fire in 2008.
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Reached the wilderness boundary after a short while. There is a nice flat spot for a camp right around here in an otherwise steep landscape.
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The trail narrowed and meandered pleasantly as it consistently climbed. Hood would make an occasional filtered cameo.
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By 9am, I topped out on Lamberson Spur and the end of the maintained trail (which has numerous logs across it, but fresh sawed-off branches so the trail sees dedicated volunteer maintenance). Here is where the first open views were. The clearing is a result of the fire crew making camp here to combat the Gnarl Ridge Fire.
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There is an exposed spot to camp and a sheltered spot (pictured) between two rocks for a fire. Unfortunately, there was too much trash jammed into cracks in the rocks for me to carry out. There must have been 8 plastic bottles and I had no room to take them.
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I took a break here and studied the route in front of me, much of which was out of sight as it snaked up toward timberline and through two separate sections of the burn. Once I hit the Timberline Trail I was going to cross it and continue up the spur that intersects Cooper Spur (brown bump below the summit of Hood).
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Closer, and one can more easily make out the entirety of Cooper Spur.
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I continued west as the trail came and went under downed trees and shortly disappeared altogether.
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Plenty of fallen logs to step over while trying to find the path of least resistance. Speaking of resistance I encountered a Douglas Squirrel most offended by my presence as it came down a snag not six feet away to tell me I was intruding and, on no uncertain terms, let me know I was unwelcome.
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The ridge steepened and the sun started to feel quite warm.
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A cut log where the trail used to be along this stretch.
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Soon, the ridge flattened out and I exited the burn area into the forest.
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Here is where I encountered the last definitive stretch of trail with one small pink flagging. It ran for a few hundred yards before disappearing for good.
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This large flat area had remained mostly unburnt and had some rather large trees. Spooked a small herd of 6-8 cow elk that shook the ground as I inadvertently got within 30 feet of them before they noticed me! The ridge briefly steepened for a couple hundred feet.
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The burn area was entered as the ridge flattened out again and the best views yet of Hood and surroundings presented themselves.
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The ridge gently undulated and quickly began to narrow, revealing gendarmes and other obstacles to negotiate around or climb over.
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Looking back toward the southeast at Lookout Mt.
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Looking back to the east from whence I came.
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Neat fluted basalt.
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The ridge spine was treed enough, at times, that I would have to drop off of it. All the rocky gendarmes were negotiated by climbing over for the sake of my own scrambling enjoyment.
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Higher.
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Interesting looking crunchy sounding rocklets when stepped on.
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Nearing the Timberline Trail with the spur ridge of Cooper Spur directly in front of me.
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Before the TT, I took a lunch break and savored the sights and the air. As I saw the first humanoid of the day approaching from the north backpacking the TT a streak of black caught my periphery and a black haired canine was darting away from us up a ridge. It went into some trees, reappeared on the ridge spine to take one last look at us encroachers and disappeared for good over the ridge. I wondered about this sighting the rest of the day, and after some internet searching, determined it was a black-morphed Cascade Mountain Fox! (Not my photo but this was taken at Mt. Hood Meadows this past spring from about the same distance I viewed it). Definitely one of my more memorable wildlife sightings in recent memory.
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Continuing up the spur with a TT marker below.
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View to the south
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Cooper Spur shows itself.
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After a good 1000 ft of climbing, I intersected the Cooper Spur Trail.
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The impressive crevasses of the Elliot Glacier
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Fresh snow from earlier in the week.
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Went as high as here before stopping for my highest point of the day, probably just a little under 9000 feet.
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Had 2nd lunch at this spot, aghast at how bad the climbing route looked with very little snow on it. Chatted with a couple people and quickly scurried down the trail with Polallie Ridge in my sights.
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Polallie Canyon.
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The burn area along Polallie Ridge was very nice.
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Looking to the south at my ascent ridge on Lamberson Spur.
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Reached the Tilly Jane ski area before too long.
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The trail ended east of here and some rough trails suckered me into staying on the ridge for a while. Many trees along the ridge had orange rings painted around them. Maybe a boundary or part of a timber sale?
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Lots of downfall and brush the lower I got.
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The brush worsened and forced me more north than east. Followed these berm/trenches dug in the hillside to escape the brush, at times.
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The light was getting low, I was tired, and I was really wanting to escape my entangled situation so I bailed north/northeast until I dropped onto Cloud Cap Road 1.5-2 miles above Hwy 35. I accepted the road walk ahead of me. After about 5 minutes, a vehicle came by and I threw out my thumb for a ride. Fortunately, they stopped and dropped me off by my vehicle. Turns out they were a family member of Logsdon Farmhouse Ales that had dropped off a delivery to Cloud Cap Inn. Support them because the daughter is a Good Samaritan!

A spectacular day in the high country and the forest with a nice ending.

Even with the hitch hike: roughly 16 miles, 6250 ft EG

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Peder
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Re: Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

Post by Peder » October 9th, 2014, 2:45 am

Nice loop Ben! It is interesting to see how much the new fir trees in the burn zone on Lamberson Spur have grown since I was there 4 years ago. I came down Lamberson Butte, as I cannot see a reasonable way (except a car shuttle) to get back to the starting point from the Cloud Cap site. Congratulations on getting a ride!
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Re: Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

Post by bobcat » October 10th, 2014, 11:00 am

Enjoyed the report. Always good to see someone going up Lamberson Spur. Love those flakes of platy andesite (I think I remember where they are); the fox sighting was a true gift. Also, congratulations on getting to the actual end of the trail on that high bench.

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Re: Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

Post by forestkeeper » October 10th, 2014, 5:42 pm

:) Awesome trip report with some adventure! Glad you made it back safely! Nice squirrel photo. I love the Polallie Creek & Cold Springs Creek areas. I did the Tamanawas Falls/ Polallie Loop two weekends ago and Cooper Spur last weekend. I didn't seem to enjoy the openness of the Elliot Glacier as much as creek hiking in deep forests. I'm planning on hiking the Elk Meadows Trail tomorrow, starting at Sherman CG, and explore around the North Fork Cold Springs Creek and the South Fork if I have enough time. Thanks for sharing!

Will

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Re: Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

Post by pablo » October 11th, 2014, 10:29 am

Hey Ben,

Nice report, sightings and route - 6250' EG is pretty respectable. I've been wanting to get up that way, never been up Lamberson - this looks to be a perfect bike and hike situation - park the vehicle at Tilly Jane and bike down the hill to the TH, stash the bike. I must do this...

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Re: Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

Post by BrianEdwards » October 11th, 2014, 1:35 pm

Nice trip. I was just up on Lamberson Spur two months ago. Your description makes it sound so easy :) the 'trail' above the firefighter camp was atrocious, with the mile + of tangled silver logs. Getting up above the burn where you can see Hood is such a welcome relief.
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Re: Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

Post by kepPNW » November 17th, 2014, 1:42 pm

Still catching up... What a great loop! I've been wanting to do a run up Lamberson Spur for awhile. Knowing what you consider "fun," I'll take Brian's description as closer to what I'd be "enjoying." ;)

That fox sighting must've been a thrill! I saw my first wild fox this October, as well, though it was some 2000 miles from here. I just wasn't that aware we had many of them out here at all.

Fun read!
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Re: Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

Post by Rustygoat » November 17th, 2014, 6:19 pm

I'm glad Karl posted on this, I have some post to catch up on. :roll: Great report Acorn Woodpecker! I had the pleasure of hiking the Lamberson Spur Trail twice this summer. The burn area is slow going, I didn't find the end but I did see bits of old trail here and there. My first trip up the trail I bailed off of the trail just as it turned south. I went down the South Fork of the Polallie til it met with the main creek and climbed up to the ridge trail at the lower falls. The walk down the road really sucked, my partner(Melinda) is still upset that we didn't stick out our thumb. :lol: My second trip on that trail was with Brian Edwards. He did a TR on it http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/vie ... 10&t=19862. We bushwhacked north from Lamberson Creek til we were on the burned area of the trail. The only reason I knew we were on the right path was because it was my second trip. Descent view from the fire fighters camp but I wonder who else is hiking this old trail? It would have been neat if it went all of the way through to the TT, like you did.

I think you are very lucky to have seen that fox! Also the elk sighting makes for a neat day. Very cool loop, thanks for sharing your adventure! :)
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Re: Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

Post by scole » November 23rd, 2014, 12:03 am

acorn woodpecker wrote: Interesting looking crunchy sounding rocklets when stepped on.
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Would love to visit and check out this area of the flaky rocks. I think I figured out roughly where it is. Looks like I could start at the Cloud Cap Inn trailhead & hike up towards Cooper Spur, take the Timberline Trail south and then head back down ridge the half mile to this location?

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Re: Lamberson Spur to Cooper Spur Loop 10/3/14

Post by kepPNW » November 23rd, 2014, 7:42 am

scole wrote:Would love to visit and check out this area of the flaky rocks. I think I figured out roughly where it is. Looks like I could start at the Cloud Cap Inn trailhead & hike up towards Cooper Spur, take the Timberline Trail south and then head back down ridge the half mile to this location?
I need to do that, too. If you're in that general area, there's another huge outcropping of that same stuff over on Gnarl Ridge, just above Lamberson Butte.
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Karl
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