[pct-l] Eagle Creek alternate - do mapmakers reflect or define reality?

[David Tamblyn]

The 2 miles up the ridge to Indian Springs from the jct on the Eagle Creek trail remain my benchmark to define "steep" @ 800' of elevation gain per mile - for backpacking anyway. A lot of calories burned on that one.  And the trail was much less defined. 

Dave

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."


Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 1, 2013, at 9:39 PM, David Hough on pct-l <pcnst2001 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> Seeking to correct an asterisk on my PCT diploma, I intended to follow the Gorge trail and then the Eagle Creek trail from 
> 
> Cascade Locks to Wahtum Lake where this alternate connects with the official, equestrian route that descends via Benson Plateau.      
> 
> I'd hiked at least to 7 1/2
> mile camp in the 1970's but hadn't done the Eagle Creek alternate since I started intentionally section hiking the whole PCT.
> 
> 
> But as I studied my maps I realized I had a quandary - the Wilderness Press describes the alternate as following the Eagle
> Creek trail from Wahtum Lake to the Gorge trail.       But halfmile's map describes the route starting at Indian Springs,
> taking the Indian Springs trail to Eagle Creek trail, and then deviating from the Gorge trail at the end to follow the paved bike
> path into Cascade Locks.      The latest edition of Yogi's book seconds these motions.
> 
> So what's the official unofficial route anyway?      Revised maps have been cause for warfare at various times in history, but this
> seems less contentious than that.      Still, if you want to make a point of hiking the whole trail, maybe you need to do all the
> principal alternates too (there's a bunch around Mt Hood).     And what about the parts of the official route that have been
> closed for years with no sign of ever reopening?   (I'm thinking about the frog closure in the Angeles NF).
> 
> I thought about these points as I climbed up the Indian Springs trail.     Schaffer describes it as pretty bad news going down and
> worse going up.       With an average grade of 20%, there have to be some parts more like 30%.
> 
> However I found the ascent tolerable on a cool day (July 28), 
> 
> and my achy old joints would have much less enjoyed coming down that steep grade.
> Still it was mostly shaded and most of the tread was in very good condition.     Somebody had even sawn a number of 4" trees
> that had fallen at awkward heights - recently, some time this year.      There are still a number of trees across the trail, but easily
> stepped over.
> 
> Somebody who was absent-mindedly expecting a formal trail junction with the PCT would have missed it and perhaps cruised
> on down to Wahtum Lake anyway before noticing.      But the Indian Springs trail ends at the Indian Springs Campground road
> about 40 yards or so from where the PCT crosses the same road and the two trails are not in sight of each other.
> But if you searched for the actual Indian Spring, you'd find the trail too.
> 
> I suppose the resolution to my quandary would be to go back and hike the 3 miles back and forth on the Eagle Creek trail
> between the Indian Springs trail junction and the PCT junction.       If I ever go back to Wahtum Lake - a long drive from the nearest
> freeway - maybe I'll do that.
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