Pilchuck Tree Farm - Arlington, WA

This trail is pretty far North of those of us in Clark County, however, it's worth posting here for anyone looking for an overnight adventure. It's definitely on my trail to-do list for this summer!

This is a shared use trail so be prepared to encounter a few bikers and hikers.

Directions:
I-5 north from Seattle (south from Bellingham) to Arlington exit. Head East about 4 miles to highway 9. Turn left on 9. follow 1.8 miles until you see very steep off shoot on the right. Follow up to trail head.

NOTE from Back Country Horseman Regarding USAGE:

Please, please, please spread the word to everyone you know who rides at the Pilchuck treefarm. This is private property. They grow AND HARVEST TREES.

They are currently logging some of the areas that are most actively used by trail riders. STAY AWAY FROM THE ACTIVE LOGGING OPERATIONS!

Do not use this as an opportunity to bomb proof your horses. Stay far away from operating machinery. One of the operators had to shut down his machine because a woman kept moving her horse closer to his machine and the horse was freaking out. It is extremely unsafe.

Also, respect the vehicles on the logging roads. They always have the right of way. Remember, you are a guest on their private property. Earlier this winter a tree farm employee was hauling gravel to the work party location (they paid for the transportation and gravel for our us). There were several women riding their horse down the middle of the road and refused to get out of the way.

We are on the verge of getting the tree farm shut down, at least while they are logging, if people don't respect the rights of the Pilchuck tree farm management. It's their property. They are extremely worried about riders getting hurt and the liability. They do not have to let us into their property. Please pass this message onto everyone you know who rides at the tree farm.

Happy Trails!

Frenchman's Bar Trail & Vancouver Lake

Have you had a chance to ride your horse along the Columbia River? If not, here's your opportunity!

The trail from Frenchman's Bar (2.5 miles) to the river and eventually down to Vancouver Lake is a great place to go on a hot day to cool off and splash in the water.

This is a shared use trail and is heavily used so your horse should be comfortable with bikes, people walking and running, strollers, dogs, and more.

Water access is available at many points along the trail so there will be plenty of opportunities to get your horse into the water and splashing around!

Parking:
There is equestrian parking on Lower River Road at Frenchman's Bar. Instead of following the road to the left toward Vancouver Lake, go straight and then make a right into the designated equestrian parking area. A sign will mark the spot. Parking can get tight on hot days so make sure you are considerate of others and pull in so that others can use that parking as well.

Directions:
I-5 to Exit C1-1D
W on Fourth Plain Blvd turns into Lower River Road
Follow signs to park

Trail Map

Website: http://www.cityofvancouver.us/parks-recreation/parks_trails/trails/frenchmans_trail.htm

Rock Creek Trails Update

Just a quick note on the trail conditions at Rock Creek.

I rode there this weekend and ventured out the Tarbell Trail in search of Hidden Falls (exiting at the back of the campground). We didn't make it to the falls (must have missed a trail point) but we did travel for a long distance on the Tarbell Trail which was in great condition. There were a few sloppy spots, but nothing that made the trail impassable.

There was quite a bit of fresh rock and drainage that has been put in. Thanks to whomever is working so hard to maintain these trails!

We also went up the opposite side of the Tarbell Trail, across the road and through the clear cut. That trail was also in great condition. We didn't travel quite as far on that one but what we did ride, we didn't find any issues.

It did look though that the Bells Mountain trail is closed? Does anyone have any information on that? I've got a couple emails out and will update everyone when/if I find out more.

Happy trails!

Stub Stewart State Park

I'm staring out my window right now so thankful that this weekend is going to be nice and there's an end in sight to this rainy weather.

Warmer weather inspires me to look for new trails and this one looks like fun!

I've not been to it, but after watching the video (below), I'm hooked! I can't wait to saddle up and head out.

Has anyone been there? If so, let us know what you thought!

http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_255.php

Vital Stats:
Park open year round.

Map:


View Larger Map

Video below is borrowed from the state park site.

Happy viewing and see ya'll on the trail!

Rain & Snow Delay Opening of Capitol Forest

The information below is from a DNR press release issued last night. For the full release, check out their site.

ORV and horseback riders and campers longing to get out and play in Capitol Forest this April will have to wait another month. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which manages the forest, has permanently changed the opening date to May 1.

The decision to move the date back one month came about last year as a result of discussions with representatives from user groups in the area and feedback from the recreating public. This new season brings Capitol Forest’s season in line with the Yacolt Burn Start Forest season, which was changed five years ago at the suggestion of user groups.

“We know from the Yacolt Burn season change that there will be an immediate positive impact on the protection of natural resources,” said Brian Poehlein, a recreation manager with DNR’s Pacific Cascade Region.

DNR staff also expect the season change will reduce the amount of maintenance needed on the trail systems in Capitol Forest by keeping traffic off saturated soils during the typically rainy month of April. This, too, was a lesson learned from Yacolt Burn.

The new season open and closure dates had unanimous support from the user group representatives. The closing date was moved back one month to December, which still offers seven months of outdoor recreation opportunities for ORV users, horse riders, and campers. Trails in Capitol Forest are open all year for non-motorized use, except for horses.

For more information about recreation in Capitol Forest, contact Brian Poehlein at 360-575-5021 or brian.poehlein@dnr.wa.gov.

New Trails at Pilchuck Tree Farm

Check out this article that ran in the Arlington Times.

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/north_sound/arl/news/41032694.html

Good work Traildusters!

Beach Ride (BCHW) Oct. 10 - 12

The Back Country Horseman of Washington are holding a beach ride this coming weekend. Here are the details.

Peninsula Saddle Club / Long Beach Rodeo Grounds
Contact person: Diann Wallin 360 642-2829

We have pens on a first come, first serve basis. You can also come with your own portable pens. We have dry camping only with no hookups. We also have restroom facilities, but no showers. Showers are available at different locations in the area.

Normal cost is $20 per night, which includes one vehicle with two horses. Each additional horse is $5/night, and each additional vehicle is $10/night.

BCHer's will be charge $20.00 per night per horse rig. $10.00 charge for extra vehicles & $5.00 charge for over two horses will be waived as long as we prove to clean up after ourselves & cause no harm to the grounds.

Please pay & fill out camping info in small building located at stop sign as you arrive. You can pay by the night if you wish. Make sure yellow tag is clearly visible in vehicle because volunteer that checks up on fees may come by while you're out riding.

Trailhead closures

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Dickerman and Lake Twenty-two Trailheads Closed for Improvements The Mt. Dickerman Trailhead parking area closes Sept. 29 through April, 2009. Construction will increase the parking lot from 20 spaces to 70 to add parking for the Perry Creek Trail. A connector trail will be built from the Perry Creek Trail to the Dickerman Trailhead, and when it is finished, the Perry Creek Road will be closed. Mt. Dickerman Trailhead is located on the Mt. Loop Highway at milepost 27.3, east of Granite Falls.

Lake Twenty-two Trailhead parking area will close approximately Oct. 13 until the end of the year. The parking lot will expand from 30 to 48 spaces, gain new toilets and signs. Some parking will be available across the highway in the nearby Hemple Creek Picnic area. Lake Twenty-two Trailhead is located on the Mt. Loop Highway at milepost 13.2, east of Granite Falls.

For information about road and trail conditions go to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest site at: http://www.fs. fed.us/r6/ mbs/.

Bob Pickens
DNR Recreation Manager
Pacific Cascade Region
360-596-5145
bob.pickens@ dnr.wa.gov

Hunting Season Schedule

This was passed around BCHW and it's a good thing to know!

Check out the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife link below for a complete schedule of the hunting season and locations.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/seasons.htm

Remember to be safe on the trails this time of year!

Trail Clearing - 3 Corner Trail

Just thought I'd share. Here's an excellent opportunity for all of us that use the trails in the area to pitch in and offer some support to maintain them. Note, this is happening on Sunday.

Click here to see the Trail Map

Hello Friends & Neighbors,

Coming up this weekend we are having a trail clearing and clean-up on the 3 Corner Rock Trail. The plan is to stage two groups, one will start at the top and work down to the 1440 and another start at the 1440 road crossing and work down towards the trailhead; this means that it will all be working downhill. The bottom has already been started and cleared, so now it’s a matter of connecting the top to the trailhead. The work will include removing blow down, brushing; tread maintenance, culvert clearing, and trailhead maintenance. If you plan on coming out please bring work/hiking boots, long sleeves/pants, H2O, lunch, and favorite tools that could help in the trail maintenance. DNR will provide hard hats, gloves, shovels and various other tools that we have.

We will be meeting at 9:00am at 3 Corner Rock Trailhead for staging and getting materials.

So get your self up and drag some friends up to the trail on Sunday and help clear the way from the top down. Thank you for your all of your help and I look forward to seeing you all there.

Sincerely,
Nick Cronquist
Community Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator
Pacific Cascade Region
(360)274-2016
Nick.Cronquist@dnr.wa.gov

Beacon Rock Trail Open

This came through BCHW and I wanted to share:

Good Afternoon, Beacon Rock State Park's multi-purpose trail access is now open through the Equestrian Trailhead. This includes horse, bike, and foot traffic access throughout the backcountry trails.

Thank you for everyone's patience during the process of this project. We have had many calls and visits from park users inquiring about the reopening of the trails, so if you know folks who have also been waiting please pass it on.

Contact the park if you have any questions.

Have a great day,
Breeanne Jordan
Office Assistant
Beacon Rock State Park
509.427.8265

Rock Creek and a Trail Course

I've had a great "horse" weekend and thought I'd share just a few pictures with everyone.

Saturday and friend and I wandered out to Rock Creek and took the Tarbell Trail up into the hills ... literally up into the hills! Most of the 7 miles we rode were uphill. The horses were so tired! But it was an amazing day to be out and about.


The picture below is from the top of the trail looking down the path we'd just come from. The light was great and made everything look so peaceful!


Half way through the ride, we ran into someone's tree fort. I couldn't resist shooting a pic. It reminded me of something I would have done as a kid.

Today I headed up to Winlock to participate in a trail training course. The two arenas at Good Life Stables were set up with various "scary" obstacles such as bubble machines, noodles on posts that horses had to walk through, bridges, hula hoops, water, horns, umbrellas and more.

Participants were able to work through the course at their own pace which meant that everyone had an opportunity to work through any issues that came up. I spent the majority of time at the Winnie the Pooh bubble machine. :)

And finally, here's my horse, Sunny, thankful to have made it through the scary day and even more thankful that dinner was waiting at the trailer!

Elbe & Tahoma Trail Details

There was recently a discussion on the BCH board about some trails I'd never heard of but after the discussion, they sounded like must visit trails. So ... I thought I'd cross post here in case anyone else wanted to check them out.

This information as well as the awesome pics were provided by Diane K who is a frequent rider of these trails. The pics were taken in Nov and as you can see, it's still beautiful!

I love it up at Elbe, I go camping up there November, December (beautiful with the snow fall). We just got back from a ride August 1 - 3rd.

The trails are great... they have trail maps for everyone at the sign's posted in a little box at the two areas as you come in by the handicap ramp and the other by the shed.

You have horseshoe pits to play, water for the horses, camp fire pits, the covered shed for gatherings, and lots of highline area just under the trees and away from the camp area but close enough to where you can see you horses. Basically right on the other side of the road.

When you come into the grounds, you stay straight. It breaks off into two roads and I would suggest to stay left. If you stay left you can pull into the campsite and pull out on the other road. These sites will mean your horses are closer and you
can pull in or back into the spots. You can unload the horses and highline them right close to camp (closer then the first drive in).

You have two bathrooms, one by the handicap ramp just as you come in and one by campsite 6 I think (I usually like campsite 9 it is a back in site).

You have the lower elk spur which is a nice ride and yes the trail does start to climb. Then you have does crossing to the upper elk spur which is still going up but no drop offs. I took this trial system I am explaining with a 15 yr old girl with no riding experience. (Prior to taking her on this ride however I went and took her on the handicap loop just to see her riding experience.) I asked her prior to going up how she was doing and she said fine. I asked her if she was scared yet and she said she left scared down at the bottom just at the bridge. We climbed across to the holly trail and rode that back. It was a great ride.

FYI Does crossing is also nicknamed the Peanut Loop.

Normally I ride Does crossing on up to the upper elk spur and then take that to Peggys crossing, the upper elk spur follows the road and is very wooded so no steep drop offs. You just have to be careful as Fawn Crossing connects to the Upper Elk spur and there is one place that is like a Y you want to stay to the right. The sign is up ahead alittle and hard to see coming this way. However Fawn crossing is a cut off and a very nice trail to ride that connects to the Holly Trail.

Once you get to the Camp Site (whoever is putting it in GREAT JOB it will be nice once completed) you can go around the blue gate by a trail and connect to Bucks Crossing up ahead of the culvert on the left side of the road. At the top you just have to start watching on the left side for the trail or you can take Peggys crossing (lots of switch backs and it does climb which can intimidate a experienced rider or someone that does not like steep trails).

Take Bucks Crossing down to the Lower Elk Spur and there is a couple of water crossing on Bucks Crossing so the dogs and horses can drink. When you get to the T take the Lower Elk Spur back into camp.

As you can tell I have never rode this system :).

If you take Peggy's Trail remember your camera. On a nice day you can take pretty photos of Mt Rainier.

Nice area lots of tree cover and the trails are awesome.

When I was up there I didn't run into any bees which was a good thing as sometimes you have bees nest along the trail but this year you don't or at least I didn't notice. You will have fun it is a great area and very nicely put together easy access off the road and very well kept.

DIRECTIONS:
I do not take Hwy 7 way too many corners under 20 MPH and very steep hills.
I come from Olympia take Hwy 12 into Yelm go through Yelm to McKenna. Go Right follow this to Hwy 7 and instead of going Right I go straight ahead and into Eatonville. Go Left and follow this all the way to the T at the Lake which is a steep hill going down. Go Left on Hwy 7 and follow through Elbe and keep going straight. At Mile Post 5 turn on blinker left and then turn into horse camp. Sign on left side of the road looks like a street sign says DNR Horsecamp.

Love it! If you have never been there and can handle trails that are between a 1.5 to a 3.5 go for it.... however, Bull Run (another great trail on the system) I would classify as a 4.5 along with Peggy's crossing which has alot of switch backs but I wouldn't pass them up for anything... Great system go and enjoy tell the person that doesn't want to go :p and go.... Just my opinion you'll love it.

Other resources for information on this trail:

• Location - From DNR this PDF shows the location of the trail system. It takes awhile to download.
• Purchase - Here you can purchase a map for $1.00
• Mount Tahoma Trails Association- Lots of great info here - maps, directions, etc.
  

Beacon Rock - Hamilton Beach Trail Update

This came through from the BCHW group who had contact Beacon Rock State Park for a status update. Below is their response.

"... we are making progress. The road washout repairs are in the bidding process, so that is moving along. I believe work will be starting sometime next month, by then we'll have a better idea on the timeline for completion. The bridge contract has been awarded, but awaits the road repairs before anything can happen."

BG Lake - Trail Maintenance

An amazing amount of work and dedication go into maintaining our local trails, keeping them rideable, open, and awesome so that we can all enjoy them.

But did you know that no one person is responsible for these efforts? Local clubs and organizations (such as the Washington Trail Riders Association - WTRA- and the Back Country Horsemen - BCH) pick up a lot of this work, but really it's all of our responsibility to keep these trails going.

Right now the WTRA, in coordination with the park rangers and the WSU Small Acreage program, are working on the Battle Ground Lake Trail.

Perhaps you've noticed the new trailhead at the end of the parking area. This was built as the new trailhead and next to it, they are putting in some manure bins. The bins will ensure that the droppings left by our horses is set up to compost and therefore become a usable by-product for our community.

Once the bins are in place, you need only grab the wheelbarrow that will be there, pick up your manure, and dump it into the bins.

Doing this one small thing will really help keep the parking area clean and usable for other groups that share the space. For some reason, non-horsey people are not all the keen to step in horsey poop. Go figure.

In addition to the opportunities to help with the bins, you can also help keep the trail clear and rideable. Generally the WTRA schedules a couple work parties to cut back weeds, blackberry bushes, etc. but this year has been a bit hectic so they need our help to keep the trail clear. Barbara Thomas, president of the WTRA, said she will be scheduling a work party shortly (look for more info on that soon) but in the meantime, there's no reason why all of us can't be helping out as we're working our horses.

And think, it's a great training opportunity to make your horse stand still as you cut back some blackberries!

For more information on how you can be involved in the Battle Ground Lake Trail project, contact Barbara Thomas at 360-896-7123.

NOTE: They are currently looking for strong, strudy individuals to help place the 12x14 posts for the manure bins. If you or someone you know might be able to help for an afternoon, please contact Barbara ASASP!

Washington and Oregon Fire Updates

Here is a great link you should bookmark if you do any trail riding.

InciWeb is an up-to-date site that lists the fire locations as well as the current status of the fire. It's a very useful tool to keep checking out if you're heading out on a trail.

Washington - http://www.inciweb.org/state/49
Oregon - http://www.inciweb.org/state/38/

Happy trails!

Battle Ground Lake Trail

Chances are, if you own a horse in live in Clark County, you've most likely visited Battle Ground Lake state park and ridden through the trees and around the lake.


For those of you that haven't been out there, you really should make it a point to go at least once.


The horse trail is approximately 5 miles and is easy to ride. The trail is well maintained year round so it's even a good place to ride when the rain sets in.


The pics here were taken in January and as you can see, there is a bit of mud, but the trail is still very rideable. And yes, there actually was a sunny day in January!


If you're thinking of heading out along the trail, here's a link that will help you. It has a trail map, information on usage, and more.


Who knows, maybe I'll see you out there!


Driving Directions:
Located 21 miles northeast of Vancouver, Wash., on the state's western side in Clark County.


From I-5 southbound:Take exit #14, and follow signs to city of Battle Ground. Drive to east end of town. Turn left on Grace Ave. (in front of Foodliner Grocery), and follow signs to park, approximately three miles from city of Battle Ground.


From I-5 northbound:Take exit #9, and follow signs to city of Battle Ground. Drive to east end of town. Turn left on Grace Ave. (in front of Foodliner Grocery), and follow signs to park, approximately three miles from city of Battle Ground.


Map:
Trail Map

Footing:
There are some small rocks in places and the upper trails can be quite rocky with large rocks. The trails are solid though and rideable year round.

What to bring:
There is camping available onsite and horse corals on the upper trails. There is an outhouse 1/2 through the trail ride. It is wise to bring water.

Parking:
There are two parking areas available for horse trailers. Both have pull through parking available.

Seasons:
Year round.

Happy trails!

Horse Camps - Gifford Pinchot National Forest

I just found this map online and thought I'd post here. It lists the horse camps in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Pretty neat resource!

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/trails/documents/horsecampmap2006.pdf

Goat Rocks Trail Update

Got this today from Back County Horseman.

USFS has got Trail #96 cleared from Berrypatch Trailhead (Chambers Lake area) to Snowgrass Flats. Bypass Trail #97 has also been cleared - connects #96 to 2000 (PCT). Snow levels are preventing stock passage on the PCT after Snowgrass Flats.

The PCT in the Cispus Basin has some serious problems. The trail is washed out at the falls and not passable for stock. Pacific Crest Trail Association will be working on the washout the 3rd week of August.

Here's a map I found online. If someone has a more up-to-date map, please feel free to provide a link.

And a few other helpful details (from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest):

Southeast of Seattle and Mt Rainier near Packwood, the Goat Rocks Wilderness is a 105,600 acre wonderland. The Goat Rocks Wilderness is a portion of the volcanic Cascade Mountain Range in southwestern Washington between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams.

The Goat Rocks are remnants of a large volcano, extinct for some two million years. This ancient volcano once towered over the landscape at more than 12,000 feet in elevation, but has since eroded into several peaks averaging around 8,000 feet. The cluster of rocks and peaks have become known as Goat Rocks because of the bands of mountain goats that live here.

Goat Rocks Wilderness features mountainous terrain with elevations from 3,000 feet to 8,201 feet on Gilbert Peak. Much of it lies above timberline, providing out-standing alpine scenery. Many high-elevation trails remain impassable, due to snow, until July and snow can return as early as September.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
GPNF (360) 891-5000; WA Tourism (800) 544-1800.

SEASON:
Jun. - Sep.

RATING:
Moderate

BASE CAMP:
NFS Walupt Lake Campground

Email me if you have any additional information on this ride. I haven't been but sounds like a good one to check out!

Beach Riding Update

I just got a great email from Mani that has some fun stuff to check out at the beach. Take a peek and let us know if you have any other ideas!

I think Long Beach, Wa is definitely the best riding beach out there. It goes on forever, is really straight and flat, and there are several places that accommodate horses.

If you want to spend the weekend there are several boarding options right in the city of Long Beach. Go to http://www.funbeach.com and look for horses under activities.

We have stayed at the Red Barn Arena, you have to ride through town to get
to the beach.

If you are are just going for the day I would head up the peninsula to the Ocean
Park beach access and unload horses there. There are fewer people then there are right in downtown Long Beach.

Have fun, Mani