Quartz Creek Trail

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drm
Posts: 6133
Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Location: The Dalles, OR
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Quartz Creek Trail

Post by drm » July 21st, 2014, 7:46 am

Quartz Creek is a tributary to the Lewis River and the trail up it had been essentially abandoned. But efforts by the Washington Trail Assoc and the Forest Service have reopened this trail this summer so I went to check it out.

I had considered doing a loop with Quartz Creek Ridge, but the long waterless ridge hike prevents the backpacker from camping anywhere near the middle, and the required 18 mile day 2 is a bit more than I usually do in a day. But I've hiked the ridge before, so decided to stay in the canyon. A shorter loop could be done from the trail #2/5B junction on the ridge.

The trail follows the creek but spends most of the time well above. It has serious ups and downs and so is slow going. And I really think after doing this trail that frequent ups and downs are harder than a single long uphill for the same altitude gain. For me on a long uphill, I adjust, get my rhythm and pace. Doesn't work that way on trails like this.

Bugs were a moderate annoyance. Some flies in the afternoon at camp, though most were not biting. Very few mosquitoes but there were these other bugs, almost too small to see. I guess they are what we generically call noseeums. They can't bit through any clothes and you barely even see them on you. So I've got what looks almost like a rash on my ankles and wrists and lower arms.

Mileages at the trailhead (I think that 6.5 to French Creek is too low)
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In this area is seems that most of the creeks have smooth rock bottoms with interesting colors, which adds to the appeal of the area
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The bridge at Platinum Creek has been damaged and cut down. The trail detours around it below.
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An example of what they had to do to reopen the trial. Note the trekking pole for scale. There were a few cut trees in the 4-5 foot range.
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Straight Creek with a convenient log for crossing. The smooth creek bottoms can make fords a slippery affair if it weren't for all the logs.
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A nice nursery log
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More trail-clearing work
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It's hard to tell from this photo just how steep this is
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For camp I turned left on the French Creek trail to reach French Creek Camp
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French Creek
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I continued up French Creek Trail that afternoon to it's top, which was basically nowhere. It connects to an old abandoned road and I didn't have a map (or time) to follow it higher. I had been confused because the website said this trail was 2.6 miles but the sign said 3.5 to the Boundary Trail. The trail ending at a brush-covered roadexplained the confusion.
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Next morning I went back to Quartz Creek and dayhiked the last two miles to its top where it meets the boundary trail. It gains 1500 feet in two miles but the first mile is mostly flat, so that tells you what the second mile is like.
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Heading back down
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And then my reward for all these hills, blueberries!
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Way back down, I took a break at the spot where the Quartz Creek Butte trail crosses Quartz Creek
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The ups and downs of this trail. This is from the French Creek junction down to the trailhead. My GPS says that was 9 miles (making it 11 miles to The Boundary trail), sign at the bottom says 6.5, sign at the junction says 7. Forest Service website says total length is 10.2. It took me 5.5 hours to get down to the TH from French Creek. I look forward to hearing from some EG-loving hikers and trail runners as to their reaction to the trail and the distance.
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-Q-
Posts: 1433
Joined: July 5th, 2008, 10:42 pm

Re: Quartz Creek Trail

Post by -Q- » July 21st, 2014, 3:44 pm

Thanks for the update on this trail DRM.
Had hiked up to the 'trail closed' sign twice in the past but never continued on, so had no idea what it looked like past that. Great to hear that the trail is now re-opened.

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