[pct-l] PCT open north of Belden

[Trekker4 at aol.com]

I've reworked the trail conditions report for Sierra  City to CA-36, to fit 
on one sheet front & back, for those that may be  picking up the fire 
closure from last year. I can't attach it, so I'll cut it  and try to paste it; I 
don't know if it'll stay on two pages that  way. If anyone wants the .doc 
file, email me off-list.
 
Bob "Trekker"
Big Bend Desert Denizen, and...
Naturalized  Citizen - Republic of Texas
 
 
2009 PCT  HIKE – Sierra City to CA-36 Notes 
Trail Condition  Report: Quincy-LaPorte Road to Highway 36/Chester
>From 5/21 to  5/27, Coyote and I hiked the 100 miles from the 
Quincy-LaPorte Road to Highway  36/Chester.  After some more traveling around, I just got 
back home and  wanted to make a trail report.  
Snow 
Was above 6400’,  but in drifts that were few and passable, with two big 
exceptions:  1. An 8  mile stretch from Data Book mile 1272.8 “Path on a shady 
left where road turns  counterclockwise” to a bit after Data Book mile 
1280.2 “Clear Creek” (Clear  Creek’s headwaters are in a well shaded bowl, 
hence the snow at 6190  feet).  We were on snow here, taking turns between map & 
compass work  and route finding.  It was a bit of a slog, but we had fun.
The vicinity  of Frog Peak: Data Book mile 1302.7 “Wide Lumber Road” to 
1306.9 “Road  26N02”.  We lost the trail under snow, and we could see no 
blazes.  We  wound up going cross-country (map and compass) to refind the trail. 
  
Blowdowns  
Wow, where there ever.  I’d say at  least 200 in the 100-mile stretch.  
Most were a couple to a few inches  across, but there were some old monsters in 
there as well.
We believe this  trail is passable to hikers with stamina and experience, 
including some  map/compass skills, extra snacks, level heads, and senses of 
humor so they don’t  go to sleep pissed off.  In short, by the time thrus 
get here, they will be  physically and mentally well prepared.  This trail is 
definitely not  passable to equestrians until the pack/maintenance teams get 
in  there.
Details
* From Data Book mile 1235.6 “Quincy-LaPorte  Road” to mile 1251.5 “Middle 
Fork Feather River” there were just shy of 30  blowdowns.  Most were only a 
few inches in diameter.
* the climb out of  the Middle Fork Feather River is a doozie, with about 
15 blowdowns before you  reach the next data point at Deadman Spring Saddle, 
mile 1252.9.  There is  one in particular where the trail tread goes up and
around a monster.   The trail is also overgrown just before the saddle.  
* there is a  stream about a ¾ of mile before (South) of Bear Creek, mile 
1255.0.   Between this stream and Bear Creek there’s a 12 – 15 foot section 
of trail that  has fallen away, leaving a narrow, gravelly and slippery 
tread.  Even if  there were no blowdowns, this would not be a good spot for 
horses.    
* from Bear Creek to Seasonal Spring, mile 1259.8, there’s about 20  
blowdowns.  Not big, but plenty of branches, they bar the trail to  hooves.
* From Sunny Crest Saddle, mile 1261.2 to Lookout Rock, mile 1261.8,  there’
s only a couple small blowdowns.  
* the climb from the Middle  Fork of the Feather River to Lookout Rock felt 
like forever, but a quick  watering up at the seasonal spring just before 
Lookout Rock, mile 1261.5,  followed by a .3 mile jog to reach the rock in 
time for sunset was a nifty way  to end the day.  There’s good (dry) camping 
at the rock.
* From Lookout  Rock to Big Creek Road, mile 1265.4, there were about 10 
smaller  blowdowns.  Nothing major for hikers.  
* From mile 1262.8 to just  past Clear Creek, 1280.2, we were walking on 
snow, so could not count  blowdowns.
* From Clear Creek down into Belden there were about 20 small,  annoying 
(watch for branches at eye level) blowdowns.
* the hike down into  Belden is a foot tenderizing pounder, but the views 
of trees and the river  valley are pretty.  And no, the exposed switchbacks 
you see across the  valley are, thankfully, not the trail; they’re a PG&E 
service road.
*  Belden is a fine stop for good bar food, beer and soda, with a very 
small store  for a very limited resupply of snacks.  The resort is being rebuilt 
under  new ownership.  They hope to have the rooms ready to rent by next (’
10)  summer.  
* We had heard rumor that the climb out of Belden was closed,  but it is 
open as far as we know.  I talked with the rangers in Quincy over  the phone 
before the hike, and applied in person for the California Fire Permit  at the 
Lake Almanor ranger station.  The station is located on the  outskirts of 
Chester.  I told all of the rangers our route (the PCT), and  no one
objected.  (I got the permit in Chester because I left my car up  North, 
and we took a bus and hitched South to the trail head on the  Quincy-Laporte 
road.)  The locals in Belden warned us of an exposed climb  for the first few 
miles (it is), the blowdowns (there are), and the emerging  bears (we saw 
the butt-ends of two running cinnamons), but otherwise told us of  how 
beautiful the Chips Creek canyon is (yep, it is), and wished us luck (we are  now 
fans of ice cold Blue Moon beer served in pint glasses with orange wedges... 
 and the Belden Burger *drool*).  There is also no closed trail signage  
(zip,
zero, nada) as you ascend out of Belden to begin the 13 mile  climb.  
* yeah, the climb out of Belden is 13 miles.  There are  dozens of 
blowdowns; there is grass with thorny seeds.  The first two or  three miles are 
exposed.   
* there is no cabin at Williams Flat,  mile 1295.5.
* This is important: About a mile North of Myrtle Flat camp,  there is a 
split on the trail.  One trail goes up, and the other  down.  The trail going 
up has a pile of sticks across its path, a  traditional indication that says 
“don’t go this way”.  However, the  official PCT Guidebook map, as well as 
the Plumas County National Forest map,  shows that this “blocked” path is 
the PCT.  According to these maps, the  PCT parallels Chips Creek up the 
valley, but never crosses it.  Coyote and  I were confused.  We decided to 
follow the new tread, which goes down  towards the creek.  It looks like the PCT 
has been rerouted to a ford  across Chips Creek.  When we came upon this 
ford, however, it was looking  dangerous: white water above, churn with no 
view of river bottom on the ford  proper, and white water just below the ford.  
We turned around and decided  to check out the “official” route.  Oh my.  
It is overgrown, to the  point that we had to take out packs
off, and crawl on our bellies while  pushing our packs ahead of us up hill.
We found out the reason for the  reroute: a tributary flooded and gauged 
out a large swath of trail.  We  wound up climbing down a cliff to a rocky 
beach at the meeting point of the  tributary and Chips Creek.  We managed this 
cliff descent because halfway  down we discovered that someone had left a 
rope looped and carabineered around a  log… in the middle of a cliff (!)
Talk about trail magic.  Anyway, we  made it down the cliff, forded Chips 
Creek in a spot much more amicable than the  location we had seen downstream 
(in fact, someone had erected two cairns on the  other side of Chips Creek,
which is why we forded at this spot).  We  then made our way away from the 
creek and found trail (!?) that led up to a  refording of Chips Creek 
further upstream, and a junction back to the official  trail.  
So long story short, this section of trail needs, at the least,  some 
blazing to show the new route.  I know bridges are expensive, and  labor 
intensive to build, and can be washed away the spring after they are  built, and 
yeah, we were passing through way early in the season, but I think it  would be 
worthwhile considering one for the new ford route.  Also, let’s  get the 
word out that there is a new route here.  I dug through my pack and  looked 
more closely at our maps.  I noticed on my printout of Halfmile’s  maps, that 
there is a data point on the “wrong” side of Chips Creek, right where  the 
ford is.  So, his map is the only one I have seen, so far, that even  hints 
at the new route.  
* Route finding in snow is fun, especially if  you know darn well that you 
*will*, eventually, encounter either the trail or a  forest service road… 
and have no worries about your food. 
* Bears emerging  from hibernation are gangly and cute: when they are far 
away, and/or are running  away from you.  
* Bears run very, very, very fast, even over very  uneven ground.
* I’m guessing that the halfway monument, mile 1325, came  after the Data 
Book – it isn’t listed.
* The Data Book point “Highway 36”,  mile 1335.8, lists a gradient of 0.9 
over 1.5 miles.  The reason for this  is because you walk over a simple but 
lovely wooden bridge, through a  picturesque grassy field, wind your way 
through scattered pines, go through a  livestock gate…. and then climb a dusty, 
dusty, f-ing grade 12 slope over the  last quarter of a mile.
* The Heitmans are awesome angels.  Be sure to  say “Thank You,” and leave 
a donation.  Oh, and cover your nethers (Rule  #4).  

Coyote and H.R.  HuffnPuff
Team Bad Wizard '08





A few weeks ago it was posted  that the first 5 miles of trail north of 
Belden were still closed because of  last year's fire.
This was posted on the PCTA Trail Conditions page today:  "As of June 1, 
2009 the trail is open A section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)  near the 
town of Belden and north to the Plumas and Lassen National Forests  boundary 
has been re-opened. The PCT sustained some fire damage due to the  Canyon 
Complex fires which swept through the area in June, 2008. For local trail  
conditions, contact the Mt. Hough Ranger District, (530) 283-0555, or visit  
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/plumas, "
Hopefully the trail will stay open this  year (or at least until I get 
there!). Unfortunately, there were a lot of  lightning strikes yesterday and 
more expected through the weekend.

AsABat
 
 


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