December Picture Challenge

Here it is, our December Picture Challenge!
Hmmm....wonder where this was taken?!!
Make sure you send us lots of specifics to win the $25 gift card. Previous month's challenge pictures can be found here, and here.

Pollock Mountain

Early in the week got a call from Kent, asking if I want to hike up Pollock Mountain with him Sunday. Talk about a friend in need, as I've been going nuts waiting for snow to fall. He will drive, I'll bring the snow shoes. It's a plan.

Funny little coincidence: I have long eye-balled the peaks around Meadows Valley and researched them online, scheming on climbing them. I was studying this one just a few days before Kent telephoned. Pollock is about 8100 feet, and the trail head elevation is about 5200 feet, and trail is about 4 miles.

Here's Kent and one of his border collies, Sky. Also in attendance was Abbie. We hit the trail about 9 AM. Kent hiked Pollock many times and estimated 5-6 hours up, 2-3 hours down. Plenty of time to avoid hiking in the dark, as long as nothing went wrong.

This is mostly what I saw of Kent: long legs and superior fitness. Kent volunteered to take photos of me, and Sky. I believe it's 3 miles to Pollock Mtn. Lookout from here.
Kent allowed himself to be photographed. Around 6800 feet, steep trail & 12" of snow. Kent far ahead. Jenni suggested I product test Atlas Back Country snow shoes, and the time had come. Strapped them on and flipped up the heel lift bars (visible behind my left heel). Instead of hiking the trail, which zig-zagged many switch-backs up the slope, I hiked straight up. The crampons provide incredible traction, and heel lift bars assist greatly on steep ascents. Caught up w/ Kent at Cold Springs. Replenished our water.
Cold Springs Saddle about 12:45 PM. Ate food, took pictures. Chilly wind.
Kent set off while I looked for my gloves.
Couldn't find my gloves. Off I go, catch up to Kent. Again.

More steep hiking and we reached a small saddle below the summit. About 1:30 PM.

Just behind that rocky top is the summit. Kent said he'd gone straight up the rocks before, but not with Abbie and Sky, so he took the trail.

Going steep and straight had worked for me this far, so I decided to try it. Snowshoed as far as I could, then strapped the snow shoes and poles to my pack and started climbing.

I scaled over two giant boulders and looked up. I decided it was too dangerous to pursue this route. Put the snow shoes on and headed back to the trail. Time wasted and I was really tired.

Half way around I met Kent coming back. He already reached summit and came back to check on me. About 2:15 PM. So close to summit, but Kent didn't want us hiking in the dark.

Kent was greatly relieved when I told him I brought a good headlamp and a powerful flashlight. To the top.

Picture time. Kent took most of these.

Coming around to give back the gloves Kent lent me.

Looking to the Southwest

South

The restroom is secured with cables so the wind won't blow it away.

I brought the phone, so we called our wives and told them we may be back long after dark.

Didn't take more photos, and it's a shame because we had a blast heading down. The combined stability and flexibility of the Atlas snow shoes enabled us to descend 1200 feet off-trail. As a result we made it back to the truck easily before dark. Thank you Kent.

P.S. - found my gloves on the trail down.

November Picture Challenge

Here it is again, our once-a-month contest to test your familiarity with area attractions, landmarks, etc.....the first person to correctly identify the above picture wins a $25 Mud Creek gift card. Woo-hoo! Just e-mail us your best guess, but keep in mind that broad answers can be trumped by a more specific one. The winner will be notified in the December Mud Creek newsletter, just in time to do some Christmas shopping!

Lunch at Grass Mountain Lakes

Tuesday we braved the chill and the hunters to hike up to Grass Mountain Lakes. We arrived at the trail head about 10 am. There were two horse trailers in the parking lot and the sky was spitting snow. Expected high of 34 degrees. Cold! The trail was covered in a couple inches of snow, so we could tell we were the first on the trail that morning other than the rodent, fox and deer.

In some places through the trees it was difficult to spot the trail. Only a few horse hoof prints under the snow gave it away. Out of the trees the path was clear and the colors were amazing.We were bundled up pretty good, but still had to stop and pull out an extra pair of gloves & neck gaiter Gordy was carrying. I was enjoying spotting all the little tracks in the snow. Then in some thick trees we came across some wide oval shaped tracks. Much bigger tracks than what we had been seeing. The oval was about 4" from side to side with no claws on the toes. We didn't see any big cats watching us from the trees, but you can bet we kept an eye out.Note how nicely my "I am not a deer" flag on my pack blends in with the flora. I'll have to ask around and find out what these bushes are called. The stems & leaves had both turned the same rich rust color, like they had been painted. Right before the first lake the trail opens up into a perfectly flat meadow. Here we found more interesting big tracks. These were oval from end to end, and did have visible claws. My boot measures about 4 1/2" across the bottom of the laces. Owwww-ooooooOOOO! If there hadn't been snow on the ground we wouldn't have been aware of all the critters around us.
Down by the first lake we could see a hunter's camp set up, so we didn't go all the way down to the water. Instead we continued on to the second lake and checked it out. There didn't see to be a connecting trail from there to Coffee Cup, so we bushwacked up the hill until we found the trail again.
Gordy made us some hot beverages and a delicious lunch of teriyaki chicken and rice on the saddle with his MSR stove. Lunch with a view!
Those freeze dried meals really are handy. I've only tried the chicken & turkey flavors. One of our customers said the chicken & noodles tasted exactly like the turkey tetrazzini, but I could tell the difference. The turkey tetrazzini had big pieces of asparagus in it! We took some more pictures and enjoyed the view in all directions. It was a gorgeous day. We could just make out the Seven Devils in the distance. A couple of hunters came up the trail while we were eating lunch and continued on up the ridge, but they were the only ones we saw on the trail. Never did see the ones on horseback, so they must have camped farther in. During the drive down there were several pickup loads of hunters cruising up and down the road, especially around Goose Lake & the campgrounds.
We had kids to pick up from school, so we booked it on down to the car. There just wasn't enough time to hike into Coffee Cup Lake. Next time we will bring the kids with us so we have enough time. Coffee Cup is just 1/2 mile past the saddle but not at all visible from where we had lunch.

October Picture Challenge

Just fer fun, we thought we would start a once-a-month contest to test your familiarity with area attractions, landmarks, etc.....the first person to correctly identify the above picture wins a $25 Mud Creek gift card. Woo-hoo! Hope this one isn't too tough for y'all. Just e-mail us your best guess, but keep in mind that broad answers can be trumped by a more specific one. The winner will be notified in the November Mud Creek newsletter.

Heavens Gate Lookout

School was delayed a week this year, so we were able to sneak in an afternoon at Heaven's Gate Lookout with the girls the last week of August. This is a great place to take out of town visitors who have seen all the local lakes & trees already. From the lookout you can see 4 states; Idaho, Oregon, Washington & Montana. Canada too, I suppose, if you have really good eyesight.

It was surprisingly chilly for late August, but then the whole summer has been very mild. Here we have the gang bundled up & posing at the parking lot sign, before heading up the trail.

To get to the lookout from New Meadows, you head down to Riggins turning left on Seven Devils Road. Seven Devils road climbs up through an interesting residential area and then turns to dirt after a few miles. Once you arrive at the top you have a choice of parking in the large lot, going on to Seven Devils campground, or continuing on to the lookout parking area. From the lookout parking area, you have a 3/4 mile hike up to the lookout itself.

Excellent views in all directions. Here Gordy is looking north, with the seven devils behind him. Below is looking down towards the parking lot. You can see Oregon & Hells Canyon in the distance.

They did a great job with the signage. This one points out six of the seven devils: Black Imp, The Goblin, The Ogre, Tower of Babel, She Devil and He Devil.

Don't forget to pack a picnic lunch. Only one bench to sit on, but plenty of rocks.

The views from the lookout restroom can't be beat. More modern facilities can be found at the main parking lot, but this one certainly has it's charm.

I wouldn't want to make the climb back up to the lookout from the facilities in the dark.Looking towards Montana.Another must see is Seven Devils Lake. To find it you drive to the campground, park near the marked trail head and hike about 1/2 mile. It's a very small lake, but it gives you a taste of the seven devils lakes that can only be accessed by several hours of hiking.

Loon Lake Loop

The Loon Lake loop, either on foot or by bike, is one of those things we have wanted to do for a long time. Last summer we were riding every Tuesday and the Loon Lake loop was on the list of things that were going to get done...then it was on fire, and no longer an option. That's what procrastination will get you!

This Tuesday when Gordy's ride with a friend fell through, we decided at the last minute to ride Loon Lake Trail. We made rushed arrangements for the kids to have a place to go after school, packed up the bikes and headed up Warren Wagon Road to Secesh Meadows. Gordy liked the public phone booth Secesh offers:

Not far past Secesh Meadows is the Chinook Campground and the Loon Lake trail head. We had opted to do the shorter 11 mile loop, rather than the 20 mile loop from Ruby Meadows. The trail heading downstream starts nice, wide and level. Very soon it starts to climb and the edge drops away to the Secesh River below.

I haven't been on my mountain bike much this summer, so I just didn't realized how much of my carefree biking attitude I lost when I crashed last summer. The more we climbed the more I realized what a big chicken I had become.

Speaking of my big crash... this lovely couple came into the store the other day. I don't think they have been in since they were here visiting last summer. So they were telling me about being at Burgdorf this weekend and how a mountain biker there had taken a big fall, huge gash on his head, split his helmet in two....and of course, right way, "we though of you!" they said. Hmm. Yes, the fame of my 'mad skillz' lives on.

The trail climbed and dipped for 3.3 miles along the Secesh, according to my odometer. I walked the parts that really wigged me out. Gordy did not walk.Looking downstream from the bridge:At 3.3 miles (or 4, according to the guidebook) you have the option of crossing the river or continuing on to Whangdoodle Trail. I think this is a hotsprings but I need to do more research to be sure. I just liked the name.

We crossed the bridge and started the climb through a considerably more fire-swept area. It was steep climbing for a third of mile or so. I fell off my bike twice here and the second time managed to clear out my odometer with my flailing. Mad Skillz!

I found that taking pictures was a perfectly valid excuse for stopping along the trail. Gasp, wheeze, pant.The trail goes in and out of the burned areas. I kept kicking myself for not seeing this before it burned.

Impressive number of bridges built along the trail.

Some feathered friends along the trail.
Here Gordy has found a solution for what to do with the bag of crackers while trying to snack along the trail. You simply hang it off your pack strap with an ordinary household clip. Genius!Looking upstream from one of the bridges.

The area is clearly recovering from the fire. It was beautiful even with the fire damage, and will be spectacular again one day. Mother Nature doing her thing.