West Millcreek Ridge - July 10, 2022

[scatman]

On Sunday, it was time to go fetch my gallon of water and 32 oz. of Gatorade off of the Millcreek Ridge that I had stashed there two weeks ago for water bottle refills on my failed attempt to hike the entire ridge.

For those interested in the hike along the eastern portion of the ridge a week earlier:

East Millcreek Ridge Report


My wife dropped off my daughter and I at the Elbow Fork Trailhead at 6:00 am, and she would pick us up later in the afternoon at the West Slope Grandeur Peak Trailhead.

Heading up the Elbow Fork Trail, I realized that this was the fourth week in a row that I had been on this stretch of trail, from the trailhead up to the saddle below Mount Aire. I don't ever recall doing that before - hiking a trail four weeks in a row that is.

This hike was approximately eight miles in length, and it took us right at ten hours to complete. We did take a nice break on Church Fork Peak, and a late lunch when we reached Grandeur. The segment between Church Fork and Grandeur was the most difficult with route finding (I failed miserably at this), plenty of scrub oak bushwhacking, and some minor scrambling.

Elbow Fork Trailhead - this is becoming very familiar to me.

Thimbleberries in bloom along the trail

Cow parsnip

Wild pea

Showy goldeneye

Scarlet gila

Sunscreen time at the saddle below Mount Aire

Hooker's onion seen heading up from the saddle to gain the ridge

Stonecrop

Looking back towards Mount Aire, the last peak I reached last weekend before abandoning ship

Retrieving the gallon of water and the Gatorade a week late.

Lupine on the ridge

Penstemon

Already into some difficult bushwhacking. I almost stepped on a large rattlesnake just after this picture was taken. I couldn't get
my camera out fast enough to get a picture of it though as it slithered away into denser brush.

Wild rose

My daughter tells me that this is a one-eyed sphinx. Still bushwhacking at this point.

Still bushwhacking with long morning shadows - or perhaps just a bad picture taker.

Yay, we reached an opening along the ridge, with Wildcat Ridge across the canyon.

Some sulphur buckwheat along a game trail

You can just make out Grandeur Peak in the distance, teasing me like it had the previous weekend.

More off-trail to reach the top of the next hill

More showy goldeneye

My nemesis, Grandeur Peak, peeking out from the ridge.

Shrubby country at this point, looking back and up Millcreek Canyon

Columbine

Nearing the head of Burch Hollow

Common yarrow

The head of Burch Hollow

View down Burch Hollow

Sego Lilies were in bloom across the ridge

View to the north from Burch Hollow

Heading towards Church Fork Peak now

Beautiful mountain mahogany on the ridgeline

Church Fork Peak in the distance

Last hill to climb before Church Fork Peak

Some reptilian company along the way

Nearing the yurt, with the Church Fork Peak cairn just a little further

A good look at Grandeur now

Last stretch before the yurt

The yurt

Another sego lilly

The yurt has a visitor. I knocked, but no one would answer.

What's left of the ridge after Church Fork

Summit shot

A look back to the east and Mount Aire. Also visible are unnamed peaks 8490 and 8319 along with Millvue Peak

Katie, contemplating how we are going to proceed.

Some bees on a Scottish thistle

More columbine

An old aerial target on the ridgeline

Slow goings at this point

You put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking cross the ridge!

More scrub oak to contend with on the next hill. Grandeur still laughing at me.

A look back to the east, this time back towards Church Fork Peak

Another lovely mountain mahogany

A dead mountain mahogany

Western sheep moth caterpillar

Katie, giving it all she's got

The trail up Grandeur is within sight!

Prickly pear in bloom on unnamed peak 7868

I think I can. I think I can.

View back at the head of Church Fork

Summit shot on Grandeur. 85 degrees in the shade at the top.

This one is for @Rockskipper - Flavor Scatman Flav! I knew that you would want to know what time I reached the Grandeur
summit.

Now it is time for the awful decent down the West Slope Trail. Looking back up at the summit of Grandeur

It looks awfully dry on Parleys Ridge to the north

Trying to give some perspective to the steepness of this trail coming off the west side
of Grandeur. My knees were mush after descending.

The chauffer awaits at the trailhead - a toasty 99 degrees I might add.


Well, I didn't get nauseous on this one, which I'll take as good news. I was pretty tired though after finishing.


The End.

 

[kwc]

“The segment between Church Fork and Grandeur was the most difficult with route finding (I failed miserably at this), plenty of scrub oak bushwhacking, and some minor scrambling.”

So … who exactly is creating the route for the Yellowstone adventure? And who will be leading the merry band through the off trail portions of said adventure? Asking for a friend …

 

[scatman]

“The segment between Church Fork and Grandeur was the most difficult with route finding (I failed miserably at this), plenty of scrub oak bushwhacking, and some minor scrambling.”

So … who exactly is creating the route for the Yellowstone adventure? And who will be leading the merry band through the off trail portions of said adventure? Asking for a friend …

That would be @TractorDoc. He has some thermal areas off in the sticks that he needed to get to on this one.

 

[TractorDoc]

Nicely Done Hugh!

I'm curious about the Yurt. Is it private or can I make a reservation on recreation.gov to stay there? Is there a path I can ride my e-bike up to it or do I have to hack my way thru the rattlesnake laden brush to reach it?

Tell Katie her summit facial expressions are priceless.

And who will be leading the merry band through the off trail portions of said adventure? Asking for a friend …

Hugh has one of those GPS things from like 1987. It will give us a general idea of where to go. . . but I consider the waypoints as more of a suggestion than anything definitive.

 

[scatman]

Nicely Done Hugh!

I'm curious about the Yurt. Is it private or can I make a reservation on recreation.gov to stay there? Is there a path I can ride my e-bike up to it or do I have to hack my way thru the rattlesnake laden brush to reach it?

Tell Katie her summit facial expressions are priceless.


Hugh has one of those GPS things from like 1987. It will give us a general idea of where to go. . . but I consider the waypoints as more of a suggestion than anything definitive.

Katie is all business.

The yurt is privately owned. No e-bikes allowed. The only way to get there is hacking your way through unfortunately.

Those waypoints are golden! The eXplorist 100 will lead you to the promised land.

I'm thinking that we could leave our navigation to a magic 8 ball. Every time we reach a location of interest, we ask the 8 ball which direction to go. What do you think?

 

[TractorDoc]

Those waypoints are golden! The eXplorist 100 will lead you to the promised land.

Ah, yes. I forgot you upgraded from the old white one.

I'm thinking that we could leave our navigation to a magic 8 ball. Every time we reach a location of interest, we ask the 8 ball which direction to go. What do you think?

"Signs point to Yes."

Although I'm a bit concerned about the weight/size the 8 ball itself will bring with it. I'll be maxed out with all the extra camera batteries and rations I have to haul with me. . . is there a way we could turn the ball into a flask so it could serve a dual purpose? I think they are filled with alcohol anyway. After a couple sips we might only get "Reply Hazy Try Again" for a response.

If the 8 ball does not work out I'm sure we could fashion up a couple dowsing rods to guide us.

 

[Rockskipper]

Well Jeez Louise - no wonder you had trouble on your first hike if you were carrying that huge clock! What you really need to take along is a small side table to rest it on so you can take a break.

 

[Rockskipper]

PS @scatman I'm sending you some special soap for your Yellowstone trip. You're welcome!

 

[scatman]

Ah, yes. I forgot you upgraded from the old white one.


"Signs point to Yes."

Although I'm a bit concerned about the weight/size the 8 ball itself will bring with it. I'll be maxed out with all the extra camera batteries and rations I have to haul with me. . . is there a way we could turn the ball into a flask so it could serve a dual purpose? I think they are filled with alcohol anyway. After a couple sips we might only get "Reply Hazy Try Again" for a response.

If the 8 ball does not work out I'm sure we could fashion up a couple dowsing rods to guide us.

I'm fairly certain the 8 ball will work. Epic!

 

[scatman]

Well Jeez Louise - no wonder you had trouble on your first hike if you were carrying that huge clock! What you really need to take along is a small side table to rest it on so you can take a break.

Can't blame the clock on my failure because I didn't take it on that day. I snagged it off Ebay, and the rope that came with it was too short to fit around my big head, so I headed to REI on Saturday to get some climbing rope to do the trick.

 

[scatman]

PS @scatman I'm sending you some special soap for your Yellowstone trip. You're welcome!

View attachment 111634

Is this so I have an enjoyable time while in the Yellowstone backcountry, or to make sure that I don't return? Can you buy a bar of this at Whole Foods?

 

[Rockskipper]

You got some really heavy duty rope, I hope, to match the clock. Gotta go for aesthetics.

And the soap sells only on a website that starts with How to...enjoy Mr. Bubbles. Whole Foods does sell the bacon if you want to make your own. Just add soap.

 

[scatman]

You got some really heavy duty rope, I hope, to match the clock. Gotta go for aesthetics.

And the soap comes with a book, but I hate to reveal the title, you can probably guess (I didn't write it). It sells only on a website that starts with How to...

The rope is heavy duty, the clock on the other hand is unfortunately not.

I think I might have wrote it.

 

[Rockskipper]

I like editing after you quote me just to mix everything up. I enjoy chaos and confusion.

 

[scatman]

I like editing after you quote me just to mix everything up. I enjoy chaos and confusion.

Sorry about that. I think the soap is something that I could slip into @The Trout Whisperer pack while he isn't looking.

 

[Rockskipper]

If you're going to go, go big. Use real bacon. Those crumbles you buy for salads are easy to hide.

 

[scatman]

If you're going to go, go big. Use real bacon. Those crumbles you buy for salads are easy to hide.

Gotcha.

 

[Rockskipper]

Watch out for that grizz they call the Bacon-ate'er.

 

[Ugly]

First, I am glad you finished off that ridge and got down the front of Grandeur. I was tired Saturday, I do not think I got out of bed until after 8 and then I got conned into doing some task or other around the house as free labor, before going to work.

On a different note. I know I am from the south side, so maybe there is an easy explanation, but what is happening here?!
It is just so casually placed in your last shot.
Is this guy going to float down the front of Grandeur? Is there a secret underground waterslide? Is this a new fad I am unaware of?

Last time I was at that parking lot the cop or rec person was waiting impatiently for me to take off my spikes so he could lock the gate at 959pm or whenever it was about 1 minute to the time it closes. It was winter, and I was in a hurry, so I had no clue I was supposed to be looking for a water slide or a pool.

 

[scatman]

First, I am glad you finished off that ridge and got down the front of Grandeur. I was tired Saturday, I do not think I got out of bed until after 8 and then I got conned into doing some task or other around the house as free labor, before going to work.

On a different note. I know I am from the south side, so maybe there is an easy explanation, but what is happening here?!
It is just so casually placed in your last shot.
Is this guy going to float down the front of Grandeur? Is there a secret underground waterslide? Is this a new fad I am unaware of?
View attachment 111637

Last time I was at that parking lot the cop or rec person was waiting impatiently for me to take off my spikes so he could lock the gate at 959pm or whenever it was about 1 minute to the time it closes. It was winter, and I was in a hurry, so I had no clue I was supposed to be looking for a water slide or a pool.

You south siders just aren't hip. You've got a keen eye there @Ugly. You know I was wondering the exact same thing. I asked Sheila, "Where are they going with those pool floatation donuts?" It was 99 degrees, so maybe the heat got to them? Either that or Parley's Creek has a lot more water in it than I imagined.