Elbo Creek Trail and down trees report Jan-16-2010

[JayThompson]

On this rainy Saturday I headed up the Elbo Creek trail with some members of the Climbers Group. The Elbo Creek trailhead (that's how Elbo is spelled on the map) starts near the Mt Walker Trail but is on the other side of Hwy 101 and begins a little ways up a logging rd. See map and you will get a good idea. When going up the logging road called Buck Mountain Rd you will see a big pile of garbage on the right. Immediately across from the garbage pile is the trailhead. The trailhead is not signed so it might be hard to spot unless you see the garbage pile.

Elbo Creek Trail parking area

Elbo Creek Trail parking area. Trail is across road from this garbage pile. We wanted to clean some of this up but we didn't have any garbage bags.

Rumor has it that a member of our club has been busy doing trail maintenance on this trail over the last few years. I can't tell you his name but his initials are KK. I am sad to report that there has been a little landslide and some more TLC is in need for the trail but probably not until the rain stops for a while and the hillside has a little time to stabilize. There were probably ten to twelve trees in this slide alone and there were probably 6 or 7 more down trees along the rest of the trail that need to be cleared out. On the maps below I put way points in the areas of the trail where the down trees are.

Elbo Creek Trail Landslide

Elbo Creek Trail Landslide

Elbo Creek Trail Landslide

Elbo Creek Trail Landslide


[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVLUNz7kAzw[/video]
Ron, I told you I would have this on YouTube tonight.

After we got past the landslide, we continued up until the trail looked as though it came to an end. Actually it looked like the trail was abandoned at that point. We followed the abandoned portion for a while which looked as if it turned into an old road grade but we turned around after we got into a boggy area that was overgrown with devils club. When we got back on the trail we decided to follow a flagged route that I am told is going to be the new section of trail that leads up to a road. We followed the flagged route quite a way but lost the trail and bushwhacked for a while before finding the road. We hit the snow line while bushwhacking and we all got pretty muddy and wet but we enjoyed it all the same.

Tired, wet and dirty after bushwacking

Tired, wet and dirty after bushwacking


On the return we got a little lost again but I had my gps on this time to record the route. I am glad I did because I can't find any info at all about this trail. I hope the plan is to continue the trail on to the top of Buck mountain or maybe another of the local peaks in the area as this would be a great alternative trail to Mt Walker.

Elbo Creek map 1

Way points mark down trees
Elbo Creek map 2

Way points mark down trees

[Jim]

Thanks for the report Jay. Was there snow at the upper end of the trail? As I recall, last year that was a snowshoe trip along the road above the trail going to Buck Mountain. Jim

[JayThompson]

No problem Jim. When we were following the flagged route near the top we got a little off route and ended up bushwhacking through some pretty thick brush. We got close to 3000' looking for the road and indeed got into some snow, but just a little that was sticking to the branches from a recent snowfall. No snow on the ground I'm afraid. We made the road our turn around point.

[Craig M.]

Thanks for the report. I never knew that trail existed. I am going to have to check it out sometime.

I also want to go to the top of Crag Mountain which is in the same area. I think it is off of Rocky Brook Road.

[Jim]

Craig,
Willie and Jim Roda did Buck Mt. this weekend and Willie has been up that way a couple of times recently. I think they took Kent Heathershaw up Buck Mt... You might contact Willie, I'm sure he would love to find Crag mt. and climb it with you. Do you have the coordinates for Craig Mt? Jim

[Craig M.]

Jim

According to my GPS Waypoints Book the coordinates for Mount Crag are as follows:

47* 45' 57" N
122* 59' 40" W
Elevation 4380 Ft.

I am going to have to see if there is a Green Trails map for that area. I can't remember for sure but I don't think the Custom Correct maps cover that area. I have topo but I don't know how up to date their maps are.

There is also a Snotel Site on Mount Crag but apparently it is not on the top of the mountain because they list the elevation as 3960 Ft.

Link to Mount Crag Snotel Site