Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

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Sean Thomas
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Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

Post by Sean Thomas » May 11th, 2013, 4:49 am

I had an awesome time hiking up to the top of Tomlike Mountain from the Herman Creek TH yesterday. Things got going from an empty Herman lot around 7 am and by mid day I was soaking in the 360 views on the exposed summit:


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The trail was lush and cool early on sporting lots of spring green and some nice flowers. Mountain Arnica I think:


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I made a pretty good pace up to the swamp and didnt see any campers at Casey Creek or Cedar Swamp. Casey Creek is already dry at the crossing near the camp and Hazel Creek has a pretty weak flow as well. Mullinix and Whiskey Creeks were the most difficult to cross but like Camp Creek in the first 2 miles or so, it was a rock hop and the feet stayed dry :) The giant fallen cedar is still down above the swamp a little ways before the east fork crossing:


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The bugs didnt seem to be out just yet other than the spiders and the trail was snow free all the way to Mud Lake! As usual, the snow got very deep above the lake and route finding/sidehilling on the consolidated snow was required above the mud lake junction around 3,800 ft. I went to the last switchback just beofre it hits the turnoff for the tomlike spur and then just when straight for the anthill sign instead of messing around witht he sidehilling anymore:


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Anthill junction and snow conditions:


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From here, all I had to do was head north along the ridge to reach the top of Tomlike Mtn. The drifts were several feet deep but once I popped out of the trees the approach was almost entirely snow free and a hikers dream:


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It is almost like a garden setting when you're near the top:


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Getting closer:


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Great views across the valley toward Chinidere Mtn:


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Wooly Horn Ridge with St Helens:



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West Fork Valley of Herman Creek is beautiful:


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More great views out to Tanner Butte and the ridge the pct runs on:


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Adams had its very own cloud yesterday:


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Instead of heading back into the snow covered woods south of Tomlike I decided to drop off the ridge and scramble back down to the rock slide just above mud lake. Here is where I started the approach:


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Ofcourse there is always garbage to pick up wherever you go:


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Heading down I realized I should have gone up this way too, not a bad way up/down off the ridge:


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The temptation to visit Mud Lake was too much so I headed down after the scramble off Tomlike and had a relaxing afternoon on the lake shore. The outlet stream of Mud Lake is amazing, the water is crystal clear:


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I removed lots of little branches from the lake trail but there are still a few logs down. On the retreat I made a nice stop at the cool waters of Mullinix Creek for an EP favorite he showed me last year, banana chips premixed in :)


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And one more head dunker on the way home to up the spirits:


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Born2BBrad
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Re: Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

Post by Born2BBrad » May 11th, 2013, 7:02 am

I gotta get me to Tomlike this year. I'm usually in a hurry to get to Wahtum Lake bt the time I get to the spur trail.

How was the crossing of the East Fork of Herman Creek?
Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.
- Jean Luc Picard

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drm
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Re: Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

Post by drm » May 11th, 2013, 7:37 am

I've only been to Tomlike in high summer and nice as it was, I wouldn't have called it a "garden setting" then! The Tomlike-Mud short-cut sounds like a nice alternative for an early season visit, and only a thousand feet or so vertical of it, as long as it isn't too-too loose. Did you head down from near the Tomlike summit and angle towards Mud?

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Crusak
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Re: Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

Post by Crusak » May 11th, 2013, 8:24 am

Nice report! I need to get up Herman Creek someday soon myself.
Jim's Hikes

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Sean Thomas
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Re: Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

Post by Sean Thomas » May 11th, 2013, 10:08 pm

Thanks guys, maybe the garden setting line was a stretch :D I dropped off the ridge right around where you pop out of the trees, maybe 1/4 mile from the spur intersection at that switchback and then headed straight down hill to the rock slide.


The east fork crossing was easy on a small log right by the crossing point.

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retired jerry
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Re: Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

Post by retired jerry » May 12th, 2013, 5:40 am

You guys do in one day what it takes me to do in several :)

Pretty up there. Thanks for picking up trash.

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drm
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Re: Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

Post by drm » May 12th, 2013, 8:48 am

retired jerry wrote:You guys do in one day what it takes me to do in several :)
I wouldn't do it as a dayhike either, after the injuries I suffered last year. But I might camp at Noble or Mud Lake and dayhike up that route rather use the trail.

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Sean Thomas
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Re: Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

Post by Sean Thomas » May 12th, 2013, 11:51 am

Ha I know you could do it, Jerry! :) Actually I was thinking of how nice it would have been to camp for a few days at the lake or the swamp to do some exploring.

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retired jerry
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Re: Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

Post by retired jerry » May 12th, 2013, 12:45 pm

That's my problem, in addition to not being able to, fun to camp out

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Get Out Backpacking
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Re: Epic day on Tomlike Mountain and Herman Creek: 5/10/13

Post by Get Out Backpacking » May 12th, 2013, 8:40 pm

Looks like a great day! Thanks for the snow report, Sean.

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