BONANZA TRAIL, near Welches

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rickaand53
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Joined: March 4th, 2014, 10:29 am

BONANZA TRAIL, near Welches

Post by rickaand53 » March 4th, 2014, 10:37 am

Hi,
We tried to go up the BONANZA TRAIL near Welches 2 weeks ago.
That's the one that makes a loop by connecting to our favorite BOULDER RIDGE trail at Wildwood.
We lost the trail when we got to CHEENEY Creek, a half mile up from the trailhead.
We heard the MAZAMA's used to maintain it , and maybe built it.

Does anyone know if this trail still exists, or is maintained, or if someone has been up it recently? It was still listed in Wm. Sullivan's book, 2008 ed.

Thanks

Rick Andriesian

Sandy, Or.

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retired jerry
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Re: BONANZA TRAIL, near Welches

Post by retired jerry » March 4th, 2014, 12:19 pm

several recent trip reports:

http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/vie ... f=8&t=4638

http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/vie ... f=9&t=2528

http://www.portlandhikers.org/archive/view/20838

I could go on. You can google "bonanza site:portlandhikers.org"

Or ask Karl to do it :)

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kepPNW
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Joined: June 21st, 2012, 9:55 am
Location: Salmon Creek

Re: BONANZA TRAIL, near Welches

Post by kepPNW » March 4th, 2014, 12:44 pm

retired jerry wrote:several recent trip reports:
A 2007 report that the trail was overgrown back then?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=bonanza+site:portlandhikers.org
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

pablo
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Re: BONANZA TRAIL, near Welches

Post by pablo » March 4th, 2014, 3:34 pm

rickaand53 wrote:Hi,
We tried to go up the BONANZA TRAIL near Welches 2 weeks ago.
That's the one that makes a loop by connecting to our favorite BOULDER RIDGE trail at Wildwood.
We lost the trail when we got to CHEENEY Creek, a half mile up from the trailhead.
We heard the MAZAMA's used to maintain it , and maybe built it.

Does anyone know if this trail still exists, or is maintained, or if someone has been up it recently? It was still listed in Wm. Sullivan's book, 2008 ed.

Thanks

Rick Andriesian

Sandy, Or.
Rick,

It is possible you missed the continuation of the Bonaza trail at a point where there is a well-used trail down to Cheeney Creek as illustrated in the photo below (Cheeney Creek left, Bonanza right between the poles). The trail down to the creek likely is more traveled than the trail going on up. In general Bonanza trail is pretty easy to follow but can get faint in a place or 2 out beyond the old mine tunnel.

Image

It is a nice woodsy trail, try it again.

--Paul
The future's uncertain and the end is always near.

stevenrbi
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Joined: July 20th, 2013, 10:39 am
Location: SE Portland

Re: BONANZA TRAIL, near Welches

Post by stevenrbi » March 5th, 2014, 12:44 pm

Pablo's picture of the Bonanza trail off from the Cheeney Creek trail in very good. I hiked this trail as far as the Bonanza mine few years ago and it was in good shape. Attached are some pictures of the Bonanza mine when it was active. Everything out side the mine is gone now due to the 64 flood. The last time I was there was just after Halloween and I found, inside the mine, what looked like make shift alters. I was told by a local that there is a Wicca community in the area that makes regular trips to the mine. Bryon Tolle, who lives in Sandy, wrote a book about the mining activity in the Cheeney creek and Salmon river areas during the turn of the century. There was quite a bit of mining activity in the area and you can still find remnants of the mines around Cheeney creek and the Salmon river.
Attachments
Bonanza-2.jpg
Bonanza-1.jpg
Steve

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Splintercat
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Re: BONANZA TRAIL, near Welches

Post by Splintercat » March 5th, 2014, 10:09 pm

Thanks, Steve - fascinating photos!

Tom :)

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bobcat
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Location: SW Portland

Re: BONANZA TRAIL, near Welches

Post by bobcat » March 11th, 2014, 2:45 pm

I did a loop that included the Bonanza Trail at the end of 2012:

http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/vie ... =8&t=10578

Nothing wrong with the trail; crews had actually restored the trail bench in the middle section only a few weeks before. As pablo says, you must have taken a wrong turn down below.

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