Soda Peaks Lake, Trapper Creek Wilderness May 29-31 2009

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rcPDX
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Soda Peaks Lake, Trapper Creek Wilderness May 29-31 2009

Post by rcPDX » May 31st, 2009, 7:53 pm

I hiked in Trapper Creek Wilderness this weekend. Some notes:

I started at the Trapper Creek Wilderness Trailhead, hiked the main trail to the Soda Peaks Lake Trail (133). The huge bridge over Trapper Creek on the Soda Peaks Trail is gone. The ford is pretty easy (a little over knee deep) on the upstream side of the missing bridge. Two other guys crossed there and said that the bridge was there last fall when they last visited. This was my first hike on this trail so I don't know. The path to the ford was obscure, so it makes sense that the bridge has only recently washed away.

There's enough snow on the high end of the Soda Peaks Trail to get lost on. I found the lake OK, and it was still mostly snow and ice covered with a few feet of open water at the west edge of the late. A group of 4 guys were camped there and said they had a hard time following the snow-covered trail to the lake so had just bushwhacked up. I took a number of tries following the trail back down - we all ended up bushwhacking downhill to find trail again. There's some blowdown on the trail but it's easy enough to climb over or around.

I headed back to the main Trapper Creek Trail but didn’t bother with going to Observation Peak since I had enjoyed enough snow for this weekend trip. I took the Big Slide Trail between Trapper Creek Trail (192) and Observation Trail (133). The GP website says about the Big Slide Trail: This trail connects Trails #192 and #132, forming a loop opportunity in Trapper Creek Wilderness. The trail has a very steep grade, poor tread, and is difficult to follow. This trail is recommended for experienced hikers only.

I would like to second that description. It is a rough trail and very steep. It's only .7 mile long but took me a long time (can't tell you how long because I camped along it on a nice little knoll). There are little aluminum diamonds nailed to trees marking the path, and at least one very elaborate diamond shaped wooden plaque marked "BST".

Observation Trail back to the main trail and back to the trailhead is a delightfully easy trail after the steepness of the other trails on this weekend outing. All in all, a nice weekend get-away.

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drm
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Re: Soda Peaks Lake, Trapper Creek Wilderness May 29-31 2009

Post by drm » June 1st, 2009, 8:16 am

The Forest Service removed that bridge late last year since they considered it dangerous. The trailhead for that trail is now the Iron Mike trailhead, which is on the south side of Trapper Creek at the Government Mineral Springs campground. It's a much quicker/shorter access than using the Trapper Creek trailhead.

It's very confusing because a few years ago the trail from Iron Mike was washed out and the Forest Service told everybody to take the Trapper Creek Trail, which then went over the bridge. Then they removed the bridge and fixed the Iron Mike trail, but the other description is still on websites all over.

The Big Slide trail is a lousy trail, almost a talus slope at places. It's one of the more primitive trails that was created and is managed by the Mazama's.

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Water
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Re: Soda Peaks Lake, Trapper Creek Wilderness May 29-31 2009

Post by Water » June 1st, 2009, 1:39 pm

I figured this would be pretty well snowed in-happy to hear someone had the tenacity to truck on up there through the snow. Any info on the folks camping up at the lake - snow camping or were there cleared off spots? also how did the talus slope up above the lake look? I'm trying to get a feel for conditions up there.. excited to go back once the lake melts out -- did it seem like the lake was more melted than the area around it?

thanks for any additional details!
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rcPDX
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Re: Soda Peaks Lake, Trapper Creek Wilderness May 29-31 2009

Post by rcPDX » June 1st, 2009, 7:01 pm

The guys camping were on a dry spot just beyond the lake outlet. They had a couple of tents on the pretty big spot. I chose not to hike beyond them around the lake so I can't tell you how it was on the other side of their site. The talus slope was completely snow covered. There was only 3-5 feet of open water along about 1/3 of the lake shore, the rest was snow and ice covered. The snow quickly increased in depth under the trees and back from the lake. No, it didn't really seem like the lake was more melted than the land around it. I was surprised at how much snow was on the hillsides and on the lake. The water was flowing very well at the lake outlet, so who knows, with the warm weather the melt might be quick. Along the shore, the snow reached all the way to the lake shore to within 6 feet of it. It was heavy snow cover. I've never been there before and am curious as to how it looks when snow-free. Maybe I'll go back sometime.

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drm
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Re: Soda Peaks Lake, Trapper Creek Wilderness May 29-31 2009

Post by drm » June 2nd, 2009, 7:45 am

rcPDX wrote: I've never been there before and am curious as to how it looks when snow-free. Maybe I'll go back sometime.
Check out http://www.deanmyerson.org/sodapeakslake. Soda Peaks Lake is one of my favorite areas.

Funny thing about snow meltout. Last year, I camped at the lake in mid-June and the hike up to the lake was completely snow free. There was some snow on the shaded south side and a few patches on the trail up to the ridge. Despite this warm weather and less snow this year than last (particularly on the Washington side of the Gorge), the final snow melt seems to be slower. This reinforces my belief that warm spring rains melt snow faster than warm sunny days (which are colder at night and the sun don't shine everywhere).

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Water
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Re: Soda Peaks Lake, Trapper Creek Wilderness May 29-31 2009

Post by Water » June 2nd, 2009, 2:40 pm

a favorite area of mine too - funny though, mt. mitchell approx what.. 15 miles NW of Soda Peaks is so much more melted out this year than last. Last year we went fathers day weekend and at the first small stream crossing on the N. side started encountering a few feet deep of snow than only abated for 5 foot stretches on a few occasions on the eastern side. Where you come out of the trees generally had about 5-8 foot of snow last year June 8th~.. and this year there was none as of May 25. Guess things can be so fickle too about one spot getting an extra foot or two of snow and somewhere 10 miles away getting none, even at the same elevation...

rain at 50degrees is way more potent for reducing snow than an 85 degree day with ambient temperatures right above snowpack hovering at 40-50 degrees, I'd definitely agree with you.
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