Great report! I did the Timberline trail as well, about the same time as you. We did it from 7/19-7/22. We ran into a Dad and daughter at Cloud Cap who had a similar sounding experience from the Elliot crossing. They followed the old trail and went uphill through some shrubs just a little ways and decided to just go down the cliff there. I can't even picture how that's possible.
We tried to mark the trail to the rope with some red flagging tape on 7/21. We got to Elliot around 7:30pm that night and didn't get to the other side until sunset. The old trail comes to a spot with a sign someone had made that says "Don't do it." There is a path going steep uphill off to the right. We spotted to rope at one of the overviews, so we knew where to start going downhill and marked that heavily with flagging tape. We had scoped out the Elliot 3 weeks ago, and are really glad we did. The scary part though, was that the area around the creek was completely different; there must have been a bunch of rock slides. It is a definitely scary crossing. You guys are badasses to just climb around on there without ropes.
Timberline Trail 7/20-7/22/14
Re: Timberline Trail 7/20-7/22/14
My girlfriend and I circumnavigated last year in late July. We approached Eliot in the clockwise direction and met another couple and decided to tackle the washout together. We simply followed the old Timberline trail until it dead-ended at the washout. We had to crawl on all fours through some THICK undergrowth. We descended about 10 feet to the right of the trail and we climbed the other side directly to the left of the old trail on the other side.
A few folks here have made comments about one's comfort level. I think that's the secret. If you're not confident, don't do it! We moved slowly and methodically and took our time. It took us approximately 1.5 hours to cross. There were no slips or falls. We avoided walking on any visible ice or snow, and we rock-hopped across the river. I felt worn out from crossing the washout, but never scared.
We would like to go back and do the trip again.
A few folks here have made comments about one's comfort level. I think that's the secret. If you're not confident, don't do it! We moved slowly and methodically and took our time. It took us approximately 1.5 hours to cross. There were no slips or falls. We avoided walking on any visible ice or snow, and we rock-hopped across the river. I felt worn out from crossing the washout, but never scared.
We would like to go back and do the trip again.
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retired jerry
- Posts: 14418
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
Re: Timberline Trail 7/20-7/22/14
I haven't heard of anyone doing that - old trail
I've walked on the trail to where it washed out - seemed difficult - I was just looking, wasn't trying very hard
I've walked on the trail to where it washed out - seemed difficult - I was just looking, wasn't trying very hard
Re: Timberline Trail 7/20-7/22/14
Thank you for the honest and detailed TR! I have been planning this hike for a while now and had concerns about Elliot and the rivers. Having seen some sketchy canyons on St. Helens, I respect them a lot more now.
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OneMoreMile
- Posts: 17
- Joined: July 25th, 2014, 5:52 am
Re: Timberline Trail 7/20-7/22/14
It was great going back and reading all the replies. I agree 100% with the posters that you cannot over prepare for this trip! Thanks everyone!
Re: Timberline Trail 7/20-7/22/14
Great trip report - one of my favorites. And I guess really the Elliot really needs to be simply classified as a very difficult off trail river crossing.
My ire grew as I read this report and tried to recall how many years now this bridge has been out? On a mainline trail where on one section you passed 87 hikers! (ahem... that's a fair number of NW trail passes.)
A solution must be found - a new Elliot Crossing built, perhaps through a rerouting of the Timberline Trail to a more sustainable crossing location.
Things can be repaired. In 2003 at Glacier Peak Wilderness a massive storm and mudflows not only took out a critical Suitattle River bridge and required a PCT reroute, but also knocked out several miles of the Suitattle River Road. The trail bridge was repaired three years ago, and the road with new bridges and all, will be reopened this fall.
Yet, our own heavily used Timberline Trail has several crossings that deserve better than a random log or whatever is pulled together. For Mt. Hood National Forest these crossings are clearly not a priority.
My ire grew as I read this report and tried to recall how many years now this bridge has been out? On a mainline trail where on one section you passed 87 hikers! (ahem... that's a fair number of NW trail passes.)
A solution must be found - a new Elliot Crossing built, perhaps through a rerouting of the Timberline Trail to a more sustainable crossing location.
Things can be repaired. In 2003 at Glacier Peak Wilderness a massive storm and mudflows not only took out a critical Suitattle River bridge and required a PCT reroute, but also knocked out several miles of the Suitattle River Road. The trail bridge was repaired three years ago, and the road with new bridges and all, will be reopened this fall.
Yet, our own heavily used Timberline Trail has several crossings that deserve better than a random log or whatever is pulled together. For Mt. Hood National Forest these crossings are clearly not a priority.