Tygh Creek/Flag Point/School Canyon Loop May 21

[jointhedance]

This challenging hike is particularly worth doing in May. Parts of this route are cruising to becoming 'lost trails' from chronic non-use and non-maintenance . Some wide open stretches need more loving caresses of boots as the trail is faint. On other stretches, the trail is clear, but blocked with fallen bleached snags. This loop is worthwhile, but perhaps more for the adventurous Portland hiker. ebishop and I left the car at the School Canyon trailhead and walked the road to the Tygh Creek trail and started there for Flag Point, returning by way of the rock garden at the helispot and down the School Canyon in the evening. I have not figured out how to use this forum well, so the photos are small, and this site rotates photos 90 degrees. i must be missing finding some tutorial.

[kepPNW]

That looks like a fun one! Best guess on distance?

[ebishop]

It's hard for me to gauge but on the map it looks like maybe around 14 miles or so. It felt a lot longer, maybe for the extra effort of going through and around the fallen trees. What a beautiful area though.

[kepPNW]

Cool, thanks! I've come at Flag Point from another direction, and really liked the area. Want to do some more exploring there!

Looking at a map now, too, I'm guessing it was something like this?

Garmin says 15.5 miles on this loop.

Seems like a great one to do now, while the snow still lingers up higher.

[bobcat]

This is one of my favorite loops although I haven't done it often enough and the tread gets less and less use, it seems. I've put it in the Field Guide http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org ... _Loop_Hike using Tygh Creek Way as a cutoff (a little adventure in itself). The upper slopes leading to Flag Point are very dry diseased forest, worth passing through only if you also want to make Flag Point part of your day.

[-Q-]

Great TR, thanks so much for posting.
I really enjoy hiking on the eastern slope as well.

Did you drive to the trailhead via the Rock Creek Reservoir approach, coming from route 26??
Thats the route I have always taken.

Curious if there is a way in from route 35 and road 44 though (past Fifteen mile camp etc)??

[Limey]

Great TR. We spend a lot of time in that flagpoint/lookout/badger area. We are usually of trail so we know all about high stepping the blowdowns. It is really worth it though because you come across some amazing rock formations and outcroppings that you otherwise would never see.
Q, you can get there via 35/4420. We did it a few years ago when we were on an exploration mission. It is a very convoluted route mostly on dirt roads. There was an occasional gravel road. A lot of the time we were saying "Where the hell are we". That day we finally ended up in Tygh Valley. Probably best to stick to your usual route.

[-Q-]

Great TR. We spend a lot of time in that flagpoint/lookout/badger area. We are usually of trail so we know all about high stepping the blowdowns. It is really worth it though because you come across some amazing rock formations and outcroppings that you otherwise would never see.
Q, you can get there via 35/4420. We did it a few years ago when we were on an exploration mission. It is a very convoluted route mostly on dirt roads. There was an occasional gravel road. A lot of the time we were saying "Where the hell are we". That day we finally ended up in Tygh Valley. Probably best to stick to your usual route.

Thanks for the info Limey. I was hoping 35/44 might be a shortcut to the eastern THs, but it sounds like it might be a longcut