The beargrass bloom is exceptional this year on Silver Star. I do this hike every year around the first of July because of the outstanding wildflower displays. Some years, paintbrush steals the show. This year it is beargrass.

The weather yesterday was incredible: temperature in the 70s with a light breeze and views of all the big volcanoes from Rainier to Jefferson. We went up Ed's Trail and returned on Silver Star Trail, with lunch at the former lookout site on the summit. I counted about 40 species of wildflowers in bloom, with more species still in bud.

I do recommend using the driving approach via Dole Valley Road and DNR Road L-1100 to the intersection with Forest Road 4109 rather than driving to Sunset Falls and taking Forest Road 41. The mudholes on Road 41 are big enough to swallow a passenger car while DNR is actively maintaining Road L-1100 (it was being graded yesterday when we went up).

Road 4109 has numerous drain dips beyond the intersection with Road L-1100 so high clearance vehicles (Subaru Forester/Outback or higher) are recommended.

Despite the rough roads, I estimate there were 100 people hiking on the mountain yesterday, including two large organized groups, so don't expect solitude if you go.

For those who have missed the Ed Robertson memorial, it is located beside Ed's Trail at the north end of the first large talus crossing. Ed Robertson was co-founder of the Chinook Trail Association and long-time defender of Silver Star for hikers and wildflowers.

Its been about 8 years since I've done Silver Star - maybe next week!

Thanks for the report! I prefer the North approach - less climbing is good.

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....where does that trail go?

Gray Jay,

Thanks for the report on the roads....I was wondering about DNR L-1100.

How much time would you estimate from Battle Ground to the North trail head
using Dole Valley Road and L-1100?

With all the great reports and pictures I have been enticed to finally check it
out myself

I've never done silver star, either, and yesterday intended to. We got to "road" L1100 (a 1-lane, unmaintained rocky dirt road) and decided to backtrack 2.4 miles and go Sullivan's route through Sunset Campground rather than drive for 10 miles on what looked like a 10mph max type road. Sullivan's route is about 7.5 unpaved miles. Road 41 is wider than L1100 and looks much more used but it has numerous deep potholes and you can't maintain much speed. "road" 4109 looked a lot like L1100 and with 4.5 miles of very slow driving remaining we decided to give it up and try again when we could start earlier in the day. The time needed to get to the trailhead from Portland is a lot more than the 1.5 hours listed in Gerald's book.

Yes, but it's not over 2 hours.

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http://adamschneider.net/photos/
http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/

nice pictures. I hiked it from the south side from the grouse trailhead a few years ago. I loved the open expanse on the various ridges with miles of open views to hike. I actually met the subject of the bigfoot pictures near the summit. http://www.bfro.net/news/silver_star_mountain.asp

The guy was able to figure out that he was the subject of the photos after a friend told him about the picts. Based on the day he hiked and the angle of the pictures and what he wore that day was able to deduce that he was the subject. I am not trying to denounce the idea that bigfoot could exist in the northwest but it was kind of cool to meet the mystery figure behind the photos that I ran across a year before I did the hike.

Anyhow not to take away from the beauty and splendor of the hike and I wish I would have done it when the beargrass or paintbrush were blooming as your picts are fantastic. I also agree that the route I took on the drive up was full of potholes and the loop coming back down the tarbell trail was broken up by logged trees I had to do some cross country to find the connection back to the trailhead.

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Luke

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
-- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

http://home.comcast.net/~l.danielson/nw ... iking.html

Fun website - the guy who introduced me to it goes on at least one extended back-country trip every summer, looking for bigfoot with infrared cameras and faith. Funny how if you pay to attend one of the BFRO's expeditions, you're guaranteed an encounter (strange noises, someone sees something indistinct on infrared, tell-tale signs...)

Anyway, Road L 1100: first mile is rocky and you need to go slow. The rest is pretty standard for a gravel road, except for the last 2.5 miles to the TH, which requires speeds of less than 10mph and a lot of attention. You can do it in a passenger car, but I'd recommend something with a little more clearance (an SUV or pick-up is more than adequate). last weekend I left SE Portland at 7:45am and was at the TH at 9:30am. Coming back took 2 hours, and that was during rush hour. Don't underestimate the amount of time added if you hit all the lights wrong around Battle Ground. Long story short - leave early, drive slow, and don't sweat it. Absolutely worth it.

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Jason
http://www.borrowedtimes.blogspot.com

Last week, coming home, we went straight west out of Battle Ground to I-5 (rather than south to I-205/SR-500); I don't know if it was any faster, but it FELT faster.

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http://adamschneider.net/photos/
http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/

I hiked from Grouse Vista today. Lots of bugs at the very top. Went through Washougal via Washougal River Road. Road is excellent. 45 minutes from Glenn Jackson Bridge.

You were not on Road L-1100 if it was as you described. Road L-1100 is a two lane gravel road and does not have any of the deep potholes like Forest Road 41. It was being graded on Tuesday (6-30-09) when we drove up it. I plan for 1.5 hours to drive to the trailhead because the last 2.5 miles have to be taken very slowly.