Getting There
For this WTA trail work party, we stayed at the Oklahoma Campground. From WA-14, just east of the Dog Mountain Trailhead, is the turn-off at Cook, WA. The campground is 14.2 miles north on Cook-Underwood Road.
This trail has an upper and lower start point. Our crew leader took off to meet volunteers arriving in the morning. The rest of the camp crew left not long afterward but we didn't know which trailhead we were meeting at. Two cars of us drove to the lower trailhead. It's on a potholed dirt road that gets more narrow and overgrown as we progressed. The trailhead was hidden in the foliage somewhere but we knew we'd gone to the wrong spot.
I managed to turn around (about a 5-point turn) and we headed back to the campground. I saw our crew leader's truck coming up the road to intercept us. I quipped a dad joke "guess we went to the wrong trailhead." (In hindsight, since the "wrong" road went right by our campsite and we didn't see the CL's car, we should have deduced it was the "other" road. Oh well.
We drove to the correct meeting spot, about 6.3 miles from the campground on NF-1840. We rendezvoused with the others and started out.
The Hike
Elevation Gain: 1,040 feet
Maximum Elevation: 4,176 feet
The forecast said the afternoon temperatures were going to be just under 100 degrees, at least in Trout Lake, WA. We lost an hour with the trailhead confusion but we had a good crew that worked fast and efficiently.
There was a small team of brushers with power equipment, a few folks had loppers, and we did a lot of treadwork including knocking off berms, rebenching, and creating a few drains.
As we made our way up the trail, I was feeling sluggish. Even though I had electrolytes, snacks, and water, I wondered if I was out of shape or it was the heat. Of course, I had some tools but not anything too heavy. I was somewhat glad to learn others were feeling the same. Maybe it was environmental.
We were scattered for lunch but I ate with Dave and Dax. Afterwards, the small teams continued to leapfrog. The trail seemed to get steeper, the higher up we climbed. I had to stop a bunch of times to rest and lower my heart rate.
Eventually, I reached the bottom of the clearing. The brushing crew had dropped their gear and continued to the top. I kept my bag but dropped my tools but kept my backpack. It was really hot out of the trees.
I rounded the last switchback and gained a little boost of energy. Whew! What a view from there. 180 deg panorama with Mt Hood to the south and the tip of Mt St Helens to the north.
We lingered for a bit until everyone had made the hike to top of the ridge. We admired the views and took photos for a bit. Before we started the trek back down, the CL took a group photo.
It was great to retrace our steps and admire the trail work on the way down. Back at the cars, I was happy to ditch my packs and cool down. We ate chips and drank sodas or Gatorade, and enjoyed some watermelon.
A good day and we completed all the things we set out to.
