#436 Trail off Tanner Creek?

[pablo]

I was looking at the 1970 and 1978 Trails of the Columbia River Gorge maps I have imaged and ran across an abandoned trail on the map coming out of Tanner Creek to end on a viewpoint on the BPA power line right-of-way. In 1970, no Moffet Creek nor Tanner Creek trail - older maps have a trail on Tanner Creek going all the way up to Bull Run. In 1978 there's a Tanner Creek trail - goes further up than what is shown on maps now. When I first looked at these maps I didn't see anything of interest but on closer inspection I see a couple of other items, this is one of them. Here's the 1970 look, the red circle from the map legend indicates a viewpoint (if you didn't already know, click on the image to get the enlarged, readable version):

Here's the 1978 look, the trail is still on the map but drawn very faintly - Moffet Creek and Tanner Creek trail in place - no connector on Van Ahn Rim.

Has anybody out there done this one? Worth investigating, I think. A shortened loop with Munra Point and the ridge south to pick up this trail and out.

--Paul

[chameleon]

I've been to that lookout location Paul. I did so by following Munra Ridge up and to the left till I hit the powerline right where it drops down to Tanner. It was a misty day, but it was quite spectacular looking up the remainder of Tanner Creek. I had no idea there was a trail directly down from there and I didn't look that day (was more interested in upper Moffett on that trip). However, it makes sense. Just FYI - if you do head up the way I did, be prepared for exquisitely dense brush. I don't know what type it is, but it was so thick that there were not even any deer paths through, they all went around.
-Zach

[Don Nelsen]

Hi Paul,

Nice find! I did not know there was ever a trail there but have looked both up and down that powerline a few times and wondered if it was bushwhack possible. I'm game for a look - might make a nice loop including Von Ahn or a nice loop including Munra. (I don't know if you have ever done upper Munra but it is very do-able.)

dn

[pablo]

Hi Paul,

Nice find! I did not know there was ever a trail there but have looked both up and down that powerline a few times and wondered if it was bushwhack possible. I'm game for a look - might make a nice loop including Von Ahn or a nice loop including Munra. (I don't know if you have ever done upper Munra but it is very do-able.)

dn

Don,

This one would be an easy one to check out. I've done upper Munra and it is a neat hike and this little bit would shorten a loop through there. I believe you have pointed out in the past that crossing Tanner Creek in the spring can be problematic - so a downside of this trail (of course, one shared by Moffet Creek Trail).

Say, I PM'ed you with a hike I'd like to do on the Plaza - I'll post same to this forum later this evening.

--Paul

[Splintercat]

Not that I would ask anyone to post this on a public forum, but the roads leading into Talapus look rather intriguing... Palmer Peak, as well. I do hope that someday we can remove the ridiculous ban on hiking in the Bull Run Reserve. Actually, that's why I'm on the EPA's side in requiring Portland to install a water quality detection system (and possibly filters) on the Bull Run intakes -- it would finally kill the absurd argument that banning hikers is somehow making our water safer... don't get me started on what Portland pumps into our pipes from the aquifer underneath the Airport Way industrial buildings... complete hypocrisy!

Tom

[Don Nelsen]

Hey Paul,

I took a look at the remains of the 436 trail a couple of weeks ago. Here are some photos, map and notes. I ran out of time barely a third of the way up but it appears to keep going and maybe get a little better up higher. Thanks for the inspiration!

Jamie's interested in checking it out - let's put something together.

I tried to send a private e-mail but I don't think the system is working properly.

Here is a link that probably won't work, but I'll try:

http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dl ... 2FE}&tio=0

And here is a map of the area and my GPS tracks:




- Don

[pablo]

Hey Paul,

I took a look at the remains of the 436 trail a couple of weeks ago. Here are some photos, map and notes. I ran out of time barely a third of the way up but it appears to keep going and maybe get a little better up higher.

[...]

- Don

Don,

Great find, looks like another lost trail has been found! Got your PM and looked at the photos and map and I'm very interested in exploring the rest of this trail. Like I said in my reply to your PM, crossing Tanner Creek might be a problem these days.

--Paul

[Don Nelsen]

Paul,

Yes, Tanner will be a big problem if we hit it in high water - When I did it a couple weeks ago it wasn't too deep and on the way in I found a way across on a couple of logs. That method will not work when the water gets a foot higher or so and the rocks are super slippery if you would try to simply wade across. I did so on the return since I was already plenty soaked from wet foliage and it was past my knees. (It is 5.8 miles from the TH to the creek crossing so that was a looong way in wet shoes!)

I have hopes that the remains of the trail above where I turned back will be in better shape than the lower section I explored: There are lots of deadfalls and brush on and growing out of the trail which makes it very slow going - A bushwhack directly up the slope would have been faster and easier but I wanted to document the thing. All in a days work, really, and what a great opportunity for some serious excercise.

Don

[pablo]

[...]
I took a look at the remains of the 436 trail a couple of weeks ago. Here are some photos, map and notes. I ran out of time barely a third of the way up but it appears to keep going and maybe get a little better up higher.
[...]
- Don

Don,

I was able to get up there last Friday via upper Munra and located the trail a bit down from the top. There is considerable well-flagged trail in OK shape above your stopping point. There are at least 3 types of flagging marking the trail , a fairly recent pink, an older orange, and blue. I wonder if this route isn't used for line maintenance purposes of some sort because the amount of flagging is a bit much and I found flagged trail branching off to each tower on the way down. Almost like you could have picked the color to follow and would have stayed on the trail as a lot of the flagging is redundant.

This looks to have been first class trail at one time as a lot of large boulders seemed to have been moved around to make trail across some of the rocky slopes. Places where there is obvious trail are wide and the grade is pretty mellow.

That bottom part going up that rocky gully is really neat as I think it is the only way up in the area as rock outcroppings and cliffs seem to block other possible routes.

Closing the FR777 road likely killed off any recreational use of this trail.

Here's the map. I skipped the bottom part real close to Tanner Creek as I was pretty tired and just wanted to get out. The hike up fr777 is my least favorite road walk after a long day.

Upper Munra is really nice - I'm sure it is game trail but it almost looks like real trail. The one part that gives me problems is around 2500' feet where there is a rock outcrop on the ridge that has to be routed around. I notice in your map fragment that you took a similar track going around the east side. I wonder if there isn't something on the west side that might be better. At the top of the rock outcrop there was some flagging more to the west side so I wonder if someone has gone on the west side. Chameleon did a report on this route maybe he went west at this location. The first time I did this I experienced considerable drama but now on a revisit it is obvious the hard part of upper Munra is the Munra Point part as the rest is fairly nice. Above the rock outcrop at 2500' I stayed to the west and did not encounter much brush.

--Paul

[Don Nelsen]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the map and great report! You've solved another gorge mystery.

On upper Munra: I went past the outcrop on the east side since that was where the game trail led. I pretty much followed it up a chute and it wasn't too bad. I'd be surprised if anything better is on the west side since there was no discernable game trail there.

Don