2013 Edition
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Did this hike in 2012. Here's the
Elk-Kings Mountain Traverse trail report.
Trip reports for this hike in 2013 are
HERE and
HERE.
Also, information on Elk Mountain and
Kings Mountain.
GETTING THERE: The Kings Mountain trailhead parking is at about MP 25 on the
Wilson River Highway (Oregon Route 6). There's enough room for a dozen or so cars
and there is a permanent privy on site. No pass is required at this time.
Travel up (north) for 0.1 mile until you come to a well marked 4-way fork. Turn
right (east) and travel parallel to highway 6 for about 3 1/2 miles. This is a
fairly level, easy to follow trail. Go left when you come to a well marked fork that
goes north and up, up, up to Elk Mountain. This is not a "difficult" climb although
there is some bouldering and exposure. I've seen dogs on this segment but I'll bet
they don't like it much.
The hike from Elk to Kings is not hugely difficult but can be confusing to navigate
when there is snow up there. A well waypointed GPS can be very helpful here. Once
the snow melts, the traverse is not particularly difficult at all.
The last 2 1/2 miles from the Kings Mountain summit to the trailhead is all downhill
on a very easy to follow trail. So long as you have a good headlamp, this is an easy
segment even in total darkness.
This is just a mid-week conditioning hike so not much in the way of pictures today.
The bridge over Dog Creek is still out. Best option is this wide but slippery
log.
The weather dorks said the day would start out cloudy and would become warm and sunny.
*I'm* out of work and these idiots make more money than God by making up weather
forecasts... :(
What really happened was rain, hail, very windy and a near blizzard when I got to the
Elk Mountain summit. Still, it was a good conditioning hike. And according to the
log books, I was the only person up here since last Saturday. And that was just the
Elk and Kings summits. Who knows when the last traverse was done...
You can't tell from this picture but it is snowing big time up here. It's too
warm (about 40 degrees) to stick though. I was concerned about doing the traverse
under these circumstances but it worked out ok.
There were a few (but not many) colorful weeds up here. Took these pictures
because colorful weeds make Julie happy. And when Julie is happy, Ell and I are
happy.
The traverse went a lot better and faster than it did in early March. I was
pretty down on myself for losing the trail several times when I did the traverse
in deep snow. Turns out that the trail has been completely obliterated by blowdowns
in one spot.... and partially blocked by blowdowns in several other locations along
the way. So I guess I did a decent job of bushwhacking back to the trail last time
afterall. The entire trail on this hike is snow free now. My BCEP training last
year definitely helped with navigation. On this trip I never even turned on my GPS.
Here's a view from that little viewpoint spur on the way down from Kings Mountain.
This was a good conditioning hike, as I said. I expected better weather but it was
a good hike all the same.
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