Overnighterlanding: A two day exploration of Tamihi Creek Valley

[CR-Venturer]

I've been itching to explore this valley just on the north side of the border with Cascades National Park. Previously, we had done some exploring here during our snow wheeling trip, and before that with my buddy's UTV, but we had turned back for various reasons.

Originally, I was going to do this trip with a good friend of mine, but unfortunately he couldn't make it due to health reasons, so I was flying solo. I had done quite a bit of map recce with satellite photography, and it looked promising.

My plan was to follow this route down into the valley:

The first night I planned to drive the side track marked in blue to find an epic camp spot that appeared on sat photos, as well as in this photo taken from the peak of Mt. McGuire:



The following day, I would explore the roads at the end of the valley that appeared to switchback their way up to almost the top of the saddle between Spencer peak and Canadian Border peak. I was hoping to get up to the top of the road and then scramble the 300 or so meters to the saddle crest for epic views.

I got everything packed up and headed out much earlier than I expected, thanks to my kind wife cancelling a doctor's appointment of her own accord to let me go.

The weather was gorgeous and everything was going splendidly. However, in the immortal words of Robbie Burns, "The best laid plans o' mice and men gang aft aglee."

This was the start of the "road" up to my epic camp site:

What road you say? Yes, that's what I said. This road:


That sign you see peeking through the trees on the left explains that this road is deactivated as part of a forestry renewal project. It's been a very long time judging by what I saw later, but for the time being I knew I had to pick a new site. No matter, there was another mountain camp site that looked almost as promising on satellite only a little way down the road.

When I got to the road branch, it looked to be in far better condition, although several boulders had fallen over the road which I had to weave my way very carefully around, which made for some extremely sketch (and exciting) driving, especially without a spotter. It was going pretty well for about 3 or 400 meters until:

That wall of dirt goes about 8 to 10 feet down on the left. This photo is very deceiving; it makes it appear as though there's a fairly easy line on the right side, but it's actually extremely cambered and dodgy, and rolling down that massive washout was looking pretty likely. What you also can't see in this photo is the massive boulder right beside me with logs sticking over its edge. I decided discretion was the better part of valour here, especially since I was solo with nobody to spot me or help if I got myself in hot water. Back down past the boulders, thinking skinny thoughts, I drove on.

I ended up going all the way to the end of the road to just before the switchbacks started, and found myself in pin striping hell:

The road got dodgy and didn't show any signs of improving, so I turned around and headed back, finally settling on a decent campsite in a clearing in the road. More to follow soon!

 

[CR-Venturer]

I tried out a little side track I had passed at the start of "Pinstriping Hell" but found that it ended in a big mass of erosion washout:


Luckily, I had passed a decent open spot off the side of the road which others had obviously used for camping. It had decent views of the cascades to the south and a peakaboo view of the Canadian Border Peak to the east, so I stopped and got camp set up.



Once I had everything set up, it was about 3:30, too early to start dinner, so I went around picking up some garbage. It's annoying how much trash people just leave in the wilderness, but I know I'm preaching to the choir on here. Here's just a small bit of the garbage I picked up around camp:
I had some beef and vegetable soup for dinner around 4:30, and after that, with the sun beginning to set, it was time for a pipe and some frosty ale at the campfire's edge.

I camped with my old backpacking tent and an air mattress I filled up with my air compressor. It worked well enough, but it definitely made me want to get an Ozark Trail cot tent even more. I think it's the perfect solution for my particular rig, and definitely easier on my wallet than a RTT would be. In any case, this setup was fine, and the extra small tarp I bought at the dollar store for $2.50 worked perfectly as a vestibule to keep my boots and firewood dry.

As the sun set and the evening darkness came on, I was treated to a spectacular view, which I apologize that my cell phone camera wasn't able to capture especially well - the moon rising over Canadian Border Peak.

Once the moon rose higher, the night was so clear and the light so bright, I could easily see without my LED lantern. I hung out by the fire for a while watching the stars come out, then it was time for bed. The night was incredibly mild for late November, and I was surprised to find I was toasty warm without a heater or anything. My sleeping bag certainly proved itself.



I knew that rain was in the forecast for the next morning, so I was very thankful to have the canopy with me. It made everything much more pleasant. More to follow about day 2.

 

[JCWages]

True adventure! :) Looking forward to the rest.

 

[CR-Venturer]

The following morning I woke up to a light, sporadic rain, which I actually felt quite thankful for, as I had anticipated a torrential downpour. Breakfast was bacon and eggs, which were delicious, and being eager to get going on the next leg of my adventure, I decided to forgo the morning fire. I packed up my camp, loaded up the V, and set off back down the road toward Canadian Border Peak at about 0700. I had run into some guys out hunting in an early model Subaru forester, and they had given me some interesting info about some nearby trails, which was nice.

Not long after setting off from camp, I encountered a big, heavy blacktail buck with three points on each side of its antlers, not counting the brow tine. I stared for a while before I realized I should try and snap a picture. Sadly, as a result, my photo is pretty much crap:

You can just make out the white around his tail. If you click on the red circle to zoom it, you can just make out his body. He would have made some excellent eating. Howcome I never find big bucks like this when I go out hunting?! lol Ah well, he got to live another day as I wasn't hunting on this trip. I continued on and parked the CR-V at the entrance to "Pinstriping Hell," slung up my survival pack, and started the hike up. I was hoping to scout the trail on foot and see if an attempt in the V might be in any way possible.

The first little section of trail before the first switch back was tough, but doable. It remained quite narrow with some steep washouts, cambered bits and such, but definitely driveable. Around the first switchback, however, it was a different story.

Erosion and landslides had turned what was once a proper forestry road into a boulder field with barely a walking path. I doubt a built jeep would be able to make it through this, and I think a UTV or ATV would struggle. Certainly the CR-V had no chance in its current configuration. I continued on, however, wanting to scout as thoroughly as possible.

The hike up was fairly pleasant with only a few scraggly branches reaching into the trail. There were a few nice views. Tomyhoi peak, with its distinctive bowl/saddle filled with snow:

The cut line that shows the Canada US border:

Several washouts and landslides made the track extremely treacherous for any wheeled vehicle. The more I saw of this trail, the more I thought that only a motorbike or maybe a narrow ATV might be able to make it.


After just shy of an hour of hiking, I came to the first "junction" in the road. One former track, now completely obliterated and overtaken by trees, turned off to the left, while the main track continued to the right.
This used to be a road:

I bush bashed this for a hundred meters or so, but it was way too much of a slog and I gave up quickly and returned to the main track. Very soon afterwards, I found a spot that I figured was totally impassible even by a motorbike:

That little gap at the high point is only just wide enough to walk. I figured the rest of this trail was probably easily walkable, however I had only come maybe a third of the way in an hour of hiking, and I still wanted to scout that deactivated road I had wanted to drive on the way in, so I decided to turn back to make sure I had enough time to scout fully. I definitely want to return to this trail one day and hike to the very top. The walk back down was much faster, and before long I was back at the V and rolling on again.

 

[CR-Venturer]

So far, the rain had mercifully been limited to a few scattered drizzles, so I was hopeful for the next leg of exploration. The open clearcuts at the top of this deactivated road would have spectacular views, and all night I had been imagining the possibilities of bringing a group of guys with chainsaws to clear away the deadfall and make our way up to the summit once more. My mind churning over the potential legal issues, physical challenges and time commitments required to make it at least marginally driveable once more, I arrived at the start of what was once a track wide enough for logging trucks.

At the start, I definitely felt there was a line to get in, under the tree on the left, that could be accessed with minimal effort and a bit of careful driving. Not long after I started up, however, I found the first obstacle that gave me serious doubts:

I believe this is an old wooden culvert or log bridge which had rotted and given way, leaving holes about three or four feet deep with a stream running under. The sections that remained could maybe support a vehicle, and were spaced wide enough to permit the wheels to roll over, but definitely a very sketch proposition. The ground was also very boggy through here, but determined to scout thoroughly, I continued.

It quickly became a bit of a bush bash, with scrub trees reaching out into the track. It still seemed that it might be doable with a bit of work, however, so I pushed upward in hope until finally I met the end of all hope of ever driving this road again:

Massive boulders and trees growing right in the middle of the old road bed. The shale boulders are extremely loose and wobbly, as well. I walked over them to avoid the scrub trees. It only got worse from here.


The picture doesn't quite do it justice, but this massive boulder looked like it was barely hanging on to the edge of the slope. Needless to say, I didn't hang about under it:

The rain began pouring down, but I was never cold as this bush bashing drenched me in sweat. I actually took off my coat and tied it around my waist, as I was working hard climbing through the tangle of trees and scrub. My persistence was at times rewarded with some beautiful views, though. Mt. McGuire loomed overhead on the far side of the valley:

Looking toward where I began this exploration:

I pushed onward and upward, weaving my way through deadfall, tangles of thin trees sprawled over the track, dodging Devil's Club all over the place. Curiously, I found my way to a section of road that was basically still in driveable condition. I found it strange how some sections were all but obliterated by nature's advance, and yet in this section, the road was still basically clear:

Sadly, it didn't last, and I found myself back into the bush bash:

I had slogged up here for over an hour in the pouring rain, I was thoroughly drenched and my water bottle was running low. I checked Gaia to see how far I had come. The result wasn't exactly encouraging. The star marks my furthest progress:

I had to concede that nature had truly conquered, and this ghost of a road was essentially impassable even on foot. Sure, maybe with some serious determination and a machete and several hours, you might make it to the top, but it was a total mess. I turned back. It took an hour to get to where I had gone, but the way back down took only half the time. On the way, I also picked up more trash, including a lid from an action packer, which was very weird because I found it a good ways up the track, past a lot of bush bashing. How did it get up there I wonder?


Anyway, I headed onward to explore the track the Subaru guys had told me about. They said there were some wrecked vehicles hidden back there I wanted to see. More to follow.

 

[CR-Venturer]

Having left the brutal slog up and down the mountain, I hopped in the V, cranked the heat, cracked a pepsi, and drove on. I found the track the Subaru dudes had told me about without much trouble. Not too far into the track, I found the wrecked truck and car they told me about:
An old Jeep Comanche and a Volkswagen Golf/ Jetta. This rather horrendous mess smacks of homeless drug addicts stealing cars. There was a huge mess of random crap all over this area. (Pic edited to remove bad language).

She's seen better days.



This lovely old lugged steel bike frame was in remarkably good shape. If I had the time and money for a project, I'd actually consider taking it home and rebuilding it.

It says stolen...methinks the graffiti is correct lol.

On my way home, I checked out a few side tracks and found a neat little camping spot tucked away in the woods. It looks like a favourite of local yahoos, though, as it's not very far in. It's a good spot to know in a pinch, though, just in case.

This fallen log wasn't cut back quite enough and getting past it, it popped both my front center caps off, but thankfully I noticed they were missing, back tracked and found them! I took the axe to the log on the right of this pic, lopped off all the branches and just heaved it out of the way. Going back was a breeze after that.

After this, I headed back down to the main road, aired up and headed home. Ended up getting back earlier than expected, which my wife was happy about. All in all, it was a great little trip that resulted in a lot of good exploring and track recce, but left me with still new places to explore in the area, and thus a reason to return!

Cheers!

 

[rzims]

what a great adventure....thanks for sharing

 

[CR-Venturer]

what a great adventure....thanks for sharing

Thanks for reading and commenting :D