12.5 miles of hiking • 3250' elevation gain •
Really nice "training hike" up Salmon Butte. The first 1.3 miles is along a decommissioned roadway, which has been valiantly turned into a fairly nice trail. From there on up, it's a lush old forest, with a very comfortable, mostly duff, trail underfoot. The grade is consistent nearly the entire way, only leveling off a little bit along the final ridgeline before cutting up to the summit. Views were non-existent due to weather, though I think they'd be just splendid on a nice day! Most of the trail is totally forested, with only a couple viewpoints on the way up.
Virtually no snow to speak of! Isolated patches above 4200', only in forest canopy openings, and all between 2-12" deep and hard-packed. Crazy!
Comments
Roman
January 25, 2015
Nice - so little snow up there now! I got turned around by 3+ feet of fresh powder (and blowing snow) in late December. I liked how well-graded this trail is, and how many rhodies up there...
Karl
January 26, 2015
Mike: First time there, but won't be the last! Excellent jaunt up a perfectly comfortable trail. Yes, still a bit of evidence of the old lookout, but not much!
Roman: This June-uary is just incredible, isn't it? I was thinking this would be a nice place to hit in June, when the high country is still under snow and the rhodies are blooming down here!
Elsie
January 30, 2015
I did this one two years ago and heading back to the car on that old roadway, I encountered two deer mulling about. Magical few moments, as I watched them graze. Eventually, I decided I need to get back to my car, so I gently continued walking. One deer turned, squarely faced me, and started walking toward me. I froze and backed off (since I had continued walking, I had come within 10 yards of it, expecting them to run off!) The other deer, seemingly uninterested, decided to casually walk off into the woods, and the brave one eventually decided to follow. I was by myself, so this was definitely a heart-thumping experience! Thanks for the nostalgia :)
Karl
January 31, 2015
Very cool story, Elsie! I'll bet that gave you pause. :-)
Mileage Mike
January 25, 2015
This is one of our favorite hikes and it looks like you had a great time. Amazing that it's accessible in January with little snow! Are there still pieces of glass at the top from the old lookout or has someone picked them up?