Bells Mountain Trail, 13-Dec-2013

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kepPNW
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Bells Mountain Trail, 13-Dec-2013

Post by kepPNW » December 14th, 2013, 7:47 pm

Had a really nice, long walk in the woods - or lack thereof - yesterday. Payslee's recent post on Moulton Falls reminded me I'd wanted to explore some more around that area, which is only about 25 miles from home. The day started slow. Probably didn't leave home until well after 9, but was at the park before 10. Being a Clark County park, (Payslee's surmise was correct that) there is no fee at all to park or otherwise enjoy the area.

Bells Mountain Trail departs from one following the East Fork of the Lewis River about a mile from the parking area, and is then mileposted every half-mile as it heads southward. To find it, just look for the high footbridge over the river, cross that, and follow a single-lane road-width trail for a bit until you hit a sign listing the distance to many destinations. The beginning is a lot of climbing - about 1000' in the first 1.25 miles. From there on, it's best and most often described as "undulating" as it traverses mostly DNR land.

DNR really "catches it" for a lot of good reasons, it seems. But this trail is exceptionally nice to hike along. Unless you have issues with clearcuts. (I mentioned a lack of forest above?) Probably almost 1/3 of the trail traverses beside or through areas logged in the last decade. I spent a lot of time pondering the destruction, and the fact I live in a wood house, and came away thinking that "it could be worse." On this day, Friday the 13th, the clearcuts were actually eerie in a fun sort of way. I was in the clouds most of the day, and that added a special aura to the devastated areas. Maybe the pictures can help convey that.


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The day was damp, my friends! 24 hours later, I'm still drying things out. (Favorite shot of the day.)


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Unlike being here in the summer, I was alone in the park this day. Complete solitude.


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Signs undoubtedly posted to keep the lawyers happy. They seem to have no other effect.


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With temps in the mid-40's, the ice show was rapidly disappearing, though remnants remained.


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Turn uphill here. What's this "Silver Star Mnt Lookout" just 10.6 miles away?


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In addition to this Hairy Woodpecker, I also saw a Pileated one, a Bald Eagle, some Red Tail Hawks, and lots of LBBs.
Oh, and a Ruffed Grouse and I startled the crap outta one another!



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The forest was sublime, and the trail perfect, climbing into the clouds!


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Immediately upon leveling out, evidence of logging becomes quite noticable.


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The edges of the timber sales are well marked. Exceedingly well.


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Typical scene along the crest of Bells Mountain trail. Destruction and regrowth in the clouds.


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Less than 3 miles in, the trail enters an area that had clearly just been logged!


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It had the appearance of perhaps being for the new BPA powerlines?


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It was certainly the right-of-way for some sort of corridor.


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Really though, I was surprised just how pleasant the forest was, even when hiking directly beside a clearcut!


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Although I do think they could've left a 20-foot buffer, or so, beside the trail. Jeeez.


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Hard for the loggers to mistake where to cut and where not to, though.


Actually, that should be "logger" - singular. It was at this time I met another fellow coming down the trail towards me. He turned out to be the guy clearcutting the forest, and he was going to fetch his warning sign (which I had somehow passed quite obliviously). He told me there was no issue with me continuing through. That he was, in fact, "done cutting next to the trail." His implement of destruction was impressive, indeed. It appeared to be a combination gripper, cutter, and stacker!

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One guy, working alone with this, could level acres of forest while another guy (me) hiked a few miles beyond and back!


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The Jaws of Death.


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How I managed to walk right through the first of these, without noticing, I simply cannot say!


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Again, I wandered into a monster clearcut, this one with more "views."


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I was actually quite captivated by the shroud of mists amid the destruction, and feel being this weather helped.


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There were "islands" of trees left standing. I wondered if they were "pips" of a larger die.


Loggers do know how to get around in the woods, though! That's for sure...

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Primitive, but highly effective, "bridge" through a swampy draw.


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No need to clear this tree from the trail, or crawl under it. Not with those steps provided on both sides!


Walking on, towards Cold Creek Compound, the woods again became a true joy to ramble through!

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A leaf suspended in mid-air above the trail.


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I encountered what I can only surmise to be an ATV crossing over (under?) Cedar Creek.


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Hit milepost 6.5 at 1:45, and decided it was time to do a u-turn and put it in overdrive back to the trailhead!


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Someone's home.


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Islands abound in the mists.


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The area Mister Logger's machine was on my first pass by. <sigh>


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Yeah, my house is wood, too. Dang...


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Still a few cool little fungus thingies on the forest floor.


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Absolute killer view of Mount St. Helens and Dole Valley! So I'm led to believe.


For the most part, I just charged back to the trailhead. Had a great day in the woods, and got a decent workout as well. Turned out to be about 16 miles and 3300' of EG (mostly rolling). I was soaked to the bone when I got back down. But happy as could be. :D


http://gpsfly.org/gps_map.php?gps_id=2908&w=645&h=440

This might be a really nice hike in the springtime, too. I bet there's scads of wildflowers in those clearings? Probably some good views, too. But I felt there was something very special about doing it in these "horrible" conditions. Maybe I'm a little unique in taking that view. Maybe not?
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

pablo
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Re: Bells Mountain Trail, 13-Dec-2013

Post by pablo » December 14th, 2013, 9:28 pm

Karl,

Nice report, nice pictures, colorful woodpecker. I have on my list a thru hike starting with the trail you've reported on here then pick up the Tarbell Trail to Silver Star and on to Bluff Mtn. I guesstimate 18-20 miles. My plan is to park a bike at Bluff Mtn for the return. Google Maps sez it is ~20 miles back to Moulton Falls Park. There are also some large loops - I'll have to do some searching of old trip reports, maybe a group of PH loonies has done something similar in the recent past.

DNR really likes getting the cut out, don't they - the only good tree is a stump.

Thx,

--Paul
The future's uncertain and the end is always near.

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kepPNW
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Re: Bells Mountain Trail, 13-Dec-2013

Post by kepPNW » December 14th, 2013, 10:53 pm

pablo wrote:Nice report, nice pictures, colorful woodpecker. I have on my list a thru hike starting with the trail you've reported on here then pick up the Tarbell Trail to Silver Star and on to Bluff Mtn. I guesstimate 18-20 miles. My plan is to park a bike at Bluff Mtn for the return. Google Maps sez it is ~20 miles back to Moulton Falls Park. There are also some large loops - I'll have to do some searching of old trip reports, maybe a group of PH loonies has done something similar in the recent past.
Thanks, Paul! Y'know, the whole time I was hiking along there yesterday, I was rolling similar possibilities around in my mind. Didn't consider a bike return. That's an intriguing idea! I was thinking more in terms of finding another loon :) interested in doing a car shuttle. I think I covered not quite, but almost, the same distance as had I not done the in/out and just continued over Larch and on to Silver Star. With a longer day, getting on over to Bluff should be quite doable. Bells Mountain is a very comfortable trail.
  • capture.jpg
    Not a huge gap, there, at all!
Any idea what the "Silver Star Mnt Lookout" is they mention on the sign at the start of the trail? I know Silver Star itself is well over 10.6 miles from there!
Karl
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Sean Thomas
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Re: Bells Mountain Trail, 13-Dec-2013

Post by Sean Thomas » December 15th, 2013, 12:25 pm

Great job on capturing that leaf suspended in mid air like that! I totally agree on hiking through a clear cut being more enjoyable when its all wet and misty, although sometimes they offer great views on clear days so maybe I'm wrong on that one?

payslee

Re: Bells Mountain Trail, 13-Dec-2013

Post by payslee » December 15th, 2013, 1:11 pm

Nice TR Karl!

Glad for a peek at what Bells Mountain has in store. I was also intrigued by the "Silver Star Lookout" destination when I saw it on that sign. If it's a half mile closer than the Tarbell trailhead.... then I have no idea what they're talking about. Guess we'd have to just walk 10.5 miles down the way and see what's there.

-payslee

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DannyH
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Re: Bells Mountain Trail, 13-Dec-2013

Post by DannyH » December 15th, 2013, 2:09 pm

"combination gripper, cutter, and stacker!"

That particular device is known as a "Feller-buncher," for obvious reasons.

Personally I like your name better! :D
"It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it's the grain of sand in your shoe."

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kepPNW
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Re: Bells Mountain Trail, 13-Dec-2013

Post by kepPNW » December 15th, 2013, 5:16 pm

Thanks, all! :D
Sean Thomas wrote:Great job on capturing that leaf suspended in mid air like that! I totally agree on hiking through a clear cut being more enjoyable when its all wet and misty, although sometimes they offer great views on clear days so maybe I'm wrong on that one?
I'm sure the view of MSH and Dole Valley would've been nice enough, but there was just something almost supernatural about the mists playing off the landscape that day. I guess I like both, though I'm sure there would be many who felt the clearcut "ruined" the view, while it only seemed to enhance the liquid air show. :)
payslee wrote:Glad for a peek at what Bells Mountain has in store. I was also intrigued by the "Silver Star Lookout" destination when I saw it on that sign. If it's a half mile closer than the Tarbell trailhead.... then I have no idea what they're talking about. Guess we'd have to just walk 10.5 miles down the way and see what's there.
All I can figure is it's some sort of viewpoint of Silver Star? Really weird. I went to milepost 6.5, but was nearly to intersections with Tarbell Trail, it seems. Looking again at the map, the sign's credibility continues to sink.
capture.jpg
DannyH wrote:
"combination gripper, cutter, and stacker!"
That particular device is known as a "Feller-buncher," for obvious reasons.

Personally I like your name better! :D
Good to know the proper name, still! Dunno why, but I had mental images of a Disney-esque mechanical T-Rex type forest monster after seeing it, as though it were alive. :)
Karl
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mileagemike25000
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Re: Bells Mountain Trail, 13-Dec-2013

Post by mileagemike25000 » December 15th, 2013, 6:26 pm

Karl - Very nice TR and pictures! :) My wife and I refuse to hike the Bell's Mt. Trail again because of the rampant clear cutting. :( That area used to be a wonderful hike in the forest, but now it's just an eyesore. What get's us most is that this is a National Scenic Trail (it's on the rock next to the TH sign), but the only view we're seeing is that of rapid deforestation. :cry: However, there is a great view of Mt. St. Helens on a clear day, which is the only salvation!

payslee

Re: Bells Mountain Trail, 13-Dec-2013

Post by payslee » December 16th, 2013, 1:17 pm

kepPNW wrote:All I can figure is it's some sort of viewpoint of Silver Star? Really weird. I went to milepost 6.5, but was nearly to intersections with Tarbell Trail, it seems. Looking again at the map, the sign's credibility continues to sink.
OK, this has been continuing to make me crazy. I think the root of the problem is that the Tarbell Trail, as depicted on the map that 4DMTNS linked to, is a loop.

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Anyone know what all those little numbered diamonds along the Tarbell trail depict? Are they just mile markers? There no indication on the map key that I could find :evil:


So, comparing the map and the sign; starting off the map from the upper left along Bell's Mountain Trail, we have these landmarks listed:

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Cold Creek campground is easy, and then 0.6 beyond that is the intersection of Bells Creek and Tarbell trails. But then... which direction do you turn along the Tarbell??

Rock Creek campground would be a mile further to the north. That looks like sign and map agree. If you kept going around Tarbell in that direction, 2.1 more miles would bring you to about the little diamond marked "24"? But that seems like an unlikely spot for a lookout. Another half mile past that would get you to a trailhead for Tarbell, so that is probably the one referenced on the sign.

But maybe for the lookout destination you should turn south when you get to the Tarbell junction? That could get you pretty close to the summit of Larch Mountain.

Which of course is still not Silver star, but at least seems like the kind of place a lookout would be.

I see investigative hiking in the future...

-payslee

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