Grasshopper Point via Rocky Butte

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bobcat
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Grasshopper Point via Rocky Butte

Post by bobcat » June 10th, 2014, 6:34 pm

A trail, or rather the remains of a trail, runs between these two lookout sites just south of the Badger Creek Wilderness. The Rocky Butte Trail #475 is advertised by the Forest Service as a half-mile trail that is occasionally maintained. I resolved to try and find the remains of the whole trail, most of which has been abandoned, and reach the lookout site atop Grasshopper Point.

Warning: Above Rocky Butte, the trail is abandoned and often obscure. The route proceeds through relatively featureless forest on a gentle slope, so there are no nice ridges or landmarks to orient yourself. Only tackle this route if you are an experienced off-trail/abandoned trail hiker.

The Rocky Butte Trailhead is off of FR 4812, which becomes a narrow, manzanita-lined alleyway; there is still a peeling trail sign here. The tread is obvious and heads up the slope, but makes a wide detour around some blowdown before reaching Rocky Butte. The lookout post here was a crow’s nest perched atop a 60-foot ponderosa pine, which continues to thrive despite the fact that it lost its head 80 years ago. Remains of the upper ladder, nailed to the tree, and slivers of the crow’s nest itself, are still there. The rock outcroppings are blooming with penstemon right now and afford views to Mt. Hood, the Lookout Mt.–Flag Point (Divide) Ridge, and then east across the wide, agricultural expanses of central Oregon.
Trail sign and FR 4812, Rocky Butte.jpg
Rocky Butte with Flag Point behind.jpg
Mt. Hood from Rocky Butte.jpg
Lookout ponderosa, Rocky Butte.jpg
Crow's nest lookout, Rocky Butte.jpg
Lookout artifact, Rocky Butte.jpg
Lookout Mountain from Rocky Butte.jpg
The trail, about two miles from here to Grasshopper Point, is not maintained beyond the lookout site, but I dropped off the back of the butte, which is really more of a prominence on a slope, and was surprised to find a fairly obvious tread. Indeed, it looks like some trail Samaritans (Wonder if mtnhiker56 knows anything about this . . .) did some work last year as sawn off logs and some flagging mark the lower end of the abandoned section. This went fine until I reached the first of a series of clearcuts. Circling around to find the tread, I got tangled in the rusty old wire that ran along the trail between the two lookouts: this proved to be my “breadcrumbs” on several occasions as I worked higher.
Trail samaritan work, Rocky Butte Trail.jpg
The trail alternated between old growth montane forest and clearcuts. With the latter, it usually ran along the edge, or at least I trusted that was the alignment, and found it again when entering forest. It crossed a couple of abandoned logging roads and the weathered old trail signs were still there. At one point, I crossed a small stream that ran from a snowmelted skunk-cabbage/marsh-marigold meadow, the only source of water along the way. Eventually, I reached Road 4860, the road to Badger Lake, and picked up a detritus-obscured tread that led me up to the summit of Grasshopper Point.
Trail sign, Rocky Butte Trail.jpg
Marsh-marigold (Caltha leptosepala), Rocky Butte Trail.jpg
Here, I wandered about, finding several old campfire circles and eventually the site where the 84-foot lookout tower stood, the place now forested by 40-year-old trees. There used to be outbuildings here as well. Some concrete foundation corners, fused glass and a few rusting cans were the only relics. I walked north along Grasshopper’s wide summit ridge and found a knoll which afforded a view to Mt. Hood and also south to Jefferson and the Three Sisters. Echo Point and the road to the Boulder Lakes Trailhead were also visible just across the steep, little-visited Boulder Creek valley.
Lookout site, Grasshopper Point.jpg
View to Mt. Hood, Grasshopper Point.jpg
Since I still had some time, I decided to make a loop out of the day using some roads. I dropped through the woods and found a logging road which led to FR 4860. Here, I walked north. A jeep on its way to Badger Lake had tackled the still-deep snowdrifts on the muddy road. Eventually, I found the Threemile Trailhead and hiked this debris-strewn trail to its junction with the Mud Springs Trail, and then along the rim of the Pine Creek valley. The huckleberries were just blooming and promise much bounty in late summer. There seemed to be deer everywhere and, not surprisingly, signs of a cougar in the area (tracks and scat). I reached the Post Camp Trailhead off of FR 4811, and made the rather long walk down that road, crossing Threemile and Rock Creeks, to FR 4812 and the Rocky Butte Trailhead.
FR 4860 (open to jeeps), north of Grasshopper Point.jpg
Mountain hemlock woods, Threemile Trail.jpg
Black huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum), Threemile Trail.jpg
Yellow morph, spurred lupine, Threemile Trail.jpg
Western white pine (Pinus monticola), Threemile Trail.jpg
View to Flag Point, Threemile Trail.jpg
red = regular trail
blue = abandoned trail
green = cross-country
maroon = road walk
RockyButteMap.png
(This is a sketch, not a GPS track!)

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mattisnotfrench
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Re: Grasshopper Point via Rocky Butte

Post by mattisnotfrench » June 10th, 2014, 8:24 pm

Wow! I think this is the last place I expected to see a trip report for. I am glad to see there is a trail left!
Author of Extraordinary Oregon!, PDX Hiking 365, 101 Hikes in the Majestic Mount Jefferson Region, and Off the Beaten Trail. Website: www.offthebeatentrailpdx.com

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-Q-
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Re: Grasshopper Point via Rocky Butte

Post by -Q- » June 10th, 2014, 9:26 pm

Awesome!!
I was very curious about Grasshopper Point.
Thanks for the TR

justpeachy
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Re: Grasshopper Point via Rocky Butte

Post by justpeachy » June 11th, 2014, 7:26 am

Thanks for the TR! I visited Grasshopper Point last summer and wandered around up there. I found the old lookout site as well as a large beargrass meadow where I hoped to get good mountain views. This was the best I could get, though.

Image

So I was amazed that you found a much better view! Guess I didn't wander around enough.

BTW, here is the lookout in 1963:

Image

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woodswalker
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Re: Grasshopper Point via Rocky Butte

Post by woodswalker » June 13th, 2014, 6:26 am

Exciting report. I always was curious about Grasshopper Point. Thanks so much for posting the pics. I'm impressed with the route finding. I've looked at that a few times and always given it up as beyond my route finding comfort zone for a solo hike.
Woodswalker

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