Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

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drm
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Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

Post by drm » July 13th, 2014, 5:44 pm

On my first Forest Service Volunteer Steward trip, I was joined by Wilderness Ranger Cassie Hidalgo on a hike up
Mt Adam's Riley Creek Trail to a camp just above where Riley Creek crosses the Pacific Crest Trail.
Although one of the less popular trails on Mt Adams, it has more lakes and ponds than any other trail on Mt Adams by far,
though some are a ways off the trail.

Patchy snow started just below 5000 feet and became substantial above 5500'. At the PCT coverage was 70-80% but with bare exposed patches.

Mosquitoes were pretty bad but we were able to hang outside with the help of DEET. But with the heat we've had
and the heat we're expecting, I expect that the mosquito peak on this part of the mountain is approaching pretty soon.
Sunday morning was mostly cloudy and very muggy, and this made the bugs even worse. Light rain started just when
we got back to the car.

There were some beargrass blooms
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Cassie cuts through a smaller log across the trail. Bigger ones were documented for the trails team to come back for.
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Lake 5164
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Lake 5387
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I tried to wade out to the island, but it got too deep (photo by Cassie Hidalgo)
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Unnamed pond
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Mt Adams from near Riley Camp
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Riley Camp at 5500' and a half mile below the PCT was the last area that was substantially melted out
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Cassie at the junction of the Riley Creek Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. Snow coverage was about 70% around here, but not at this spot
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Camp next to Riley Creek
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Riley Creek was about 50 yards from our tents
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From camp that afternoon we took a hike, first passing by Sheep Lake - it's campsite was melted out
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and then Crystal Lake, whose campsites were also melted out.
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Sunset on Mt Adams
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romann
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Re: Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

Post by romann » July 13th, 2014, 10:16 pm

Dean - great report, this looks like awesome trail for camping - so many choices. Crystal Lake picture is my favorite, need to come there some time. Were mosquitoes decreasing the higher you went, or about the same in all places?

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drm
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Re: Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

Post by drm » July 14th, 2014, 6:33 am

It's a little hard to say at what altitude the mosquitoes were worst given the different time of day and conditions. For example when we passed Shed Camp coming up (fairly low down) there were few of them in the hot sun. But the next day with clouds and humidity from those approaching thunderstorms it was much worse. And they tend to be worst in the evening so it's hard to compare one altitude that you passed in the afternoon to where you camp at. They did disappear pretty quickly after sunset despite it not being very cold.

That said, I was surprised that there were as many as there were at camp given the still heavy snow coverage there. I can only guess that was the effect of the warm sunny days we've been having. There were no mosquitoes at the trailhead either day.

So we had at least some at all altitudes from 4000 feet up and we will just have to see how it goes as to when their time passes this year. I'm hoping that the sunny weather will end their season a little earlier than average (which I think is mid-August), but we will see.

I would add that despite the extensive snow on the PCT, it was not all that difficult to follow. We noticed that snow-covered trails tended to have a little ridge on it that followed the trail. I could not think if any reason for this. I would also add that the Riley Trail is often a creek in it's upper parts now. It needs lots of water bars added.

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Re: Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

Post by Aimless » July 14th, 2014, 9:44 am

Thanks for the report. I intend to be traveling through that area on the PCT around July 26 on my way north, so having an idea of the snow-and-bug situation on Mt Adams' west flank is very handy information. I think I may be meeting the big wave of skeeters as I go along, but it seems like the snow should be no significant problem by then. I'm hoping for continued high 80s or low 90s for the next couple of weeks to hurry the snowmelt and bug dieoff along, asap.

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drm
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Re: Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

Post by drm » July 14th, 2014, 10:46 am

Aimless wrote:Thanks for the report. I intend to be traveling through that area on the PCT around July 26 on my way north, so having an idea of the snow-and-bug situation on Mt Adams' west flank is very handy information. I think I may be meeting the big wave of skeeters as I go along, but it seems like the snow should be no significant problem by then. I'm hoping for continued high 80s or low 90s for the next couple of weeks to hurry the snowmelt and bug dieoff along, asap.
I think temps are supposed to be returning to near normal later this week. I would think you would still hit snow on the north side of the mountain, which melts out a little later, but hopefully just patchy and occasional snowbanks.

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Re: Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

Post by mandrake » July 14th, 2014, 11:13 am

Looks like a great trip... I really like the Riley trail.

Has the entire area around Lake 5387 burned? Couple years back I did a loop up Riley and south down the PCT, then cutting crosscountry to Lake Camp and Lake 5387. Was a beautiful area of alpine meadows and tarns before the fire. Randomly out in the middle of nowhere I happened across what looked like a ceramic insulator of some kind -- usually I've seen them associated in old telegraph(?) lines from fire lookouts - although seemed like an odd place to find one. No real high points in the area -- unless it was up on The Bumper...?

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drm
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Re: Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

Post by drm » July 15th, 2014, 7:05 am

mandrake wrote:Has the entire area around Lake 5387 burned?
No, only the eastern side of the lake, which is what was in the photo.

It's odd though. Because I visited the lake right after the fire and even that area was green then. Apparently many of these trees were not burned by fire but killed by heat, and yet were still green then. Green but dead I guess. It took time for them to look dead.

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Re: Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

Post by Surridge » July 18th, 2014, 9:24 am

Can you give me mileage on this trip. And any other good beta for the area? Anyone have more popular recs for the Adams area this time of year? Thanks

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Re: Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

Post by Surridge » July 18th, 2014, 9:49 am

Also, how was the road to the TH? Thanks

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Re: Riley Creek Trail - Mt Adams

Post by drm » July 18th, 2014, 10:26 am

All trailheads on Mt Adams are now melted out and accessible. The Riley Creek trail is on a paved road. It was probably 6 miles or so one-way to my campsite.

The trails on the south and southwest side of Adams should be melted out all the way to the PCT/RTM trails at 6000 feet. Note that these trails are primarily in recent burns if that matters to you. Riley Creek is probably the first trail working your way north around the mountain that is not significantly burned.

The most popular trail by far is the South Climb for those heading to the summit. For backpackers on this side of the mountain, Horseshoe Meadow and Lookingglass Lake are popular via either the PCT, Stagman Ridge, or Shorthorn trails. Haven't checked on Bird Creek area on the reservation but I would expect that it is open, though the flower peak should still be weeks away.

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