Bell Creek Loop Hike 5/26/2012

[jamesthehiker]

Enjoyed the Bell Creek Loop as described on this site and had a great workout. I did the loop clockwise to get the Oneonita stream crossing out of the way. It was flowing heavy and I couldn’t find any good logs to cross. So I went upstream a ways and did the old rock jumping with a short wade about knee deep. The problem was once I got across I had to get through a thicket of that plant with all the needles…not a whole lot of fun. Unless you are comfortable and prepared for crossing heavy flowing streams I would suggest waiting another month or so to let this stream slow down a bit.

The loop trail was simple to follow and there were only a couple big trees to scramble over. The brush is quite overgrown in a number of sections so my pant legs remained wet all day. All in all it was an awesome hike with no one seen after passing the triple falls area.

[Eric Peterson]

MCDS - check out that last picture. That log is like 6' in diameter!!

Wow, no snow either up there, awesome news!

Thanks for the TR JTH!

[Peder]

Well done and I see that the log for mcds is still there! I have been thinking of doing the loop starting from Larch Mountain (or off the hairpin below ), so it is good to know that the snow is (mostly) gone!

There are ways to avoid the (nasty) ford. Descriptions can be found on this website. There is a bridge 1/4 mile below the ford.

[joerunner]

Bell creek is one of my favorite trails. Thanks for the report.

I was on the Horsetail trail by and beyond the Bell Creek jct. yesterday. I used that big log to cross Oneonta creek on the way out(it was slippery) and just forded it on the way back. Either way was a bit dicey.

[kepPNW]

There are ways to avoid the (nasty) ford. Descriptions can be found on this website. There is a bridge 1/4 mile below the ford.

That really makes too much sense. So you're suggesting (if coming up Oneonta Trail 424 from Triple Falls) not crossing that second bridge, and just staying on the east side of Oneonta Creek, following it up to Horsetail Creek Trail (425)?

[Eric Peterson]

Karl, there is a nice user made path now there, yes! It's on the mapset too!

[kepPNW]

Karl, there is a nice user made path now there, yes! It's on the mapset too!

Along the east side of Oneonta Creek? Cool! I was just looking at the mapset, thinking about what to do tomorrow. Never done this loop, and it's on a short list at the moment. (Was surprised the Bell's Creek trail wasn't on NWTopos, too!?)

[Eric Peterson]

Yup! Me too that's why I got started converting GPS tracks into hardcoded red lines
in the first place! Even though NW Trails just said to send me the tracks, I wanted
to add them myself. I will eventually send most of the tracks to him so he can
update though...

[kepPNW]

Karl, there is a nice user made path now there, yes! It's on the mapset too!

Okay, it's just a tragedy that this isn't on the FG entry for Bell Creek! Following its advice, using the standard ford would've been a hike killer today. That thing was just raging!