Tag: timberline trail 414

RT Length:  7.78 miles

Elevation Gain:  3312’

I slept the night before at Pieplant Mill so I could get an early start the next morning. The last half mile drive to the site was definitely 4WD. There were plenty of campsites along the way.  The Pieplant Mill site has several historical structures to explore… all of them are empty.

For reference, this is Grizzly Peak.  I took the solid line up, the dotted line down, and they both went at 2+.  The ridge on the left looked like it went at 2+ as well, so this is really choose your own adventure once you hit treeline to the summit.

I woke up the next morning to a brisk 25 degrees outside, put on my winter gear, and was on my way.  I started by following the Timberline Trail 414 east.

I continued through a locked gate

Followed the road

And eventually came to a second locked gate, with the trail continuing to the right.

This trail was more of a bike trail, with tons of motorized bike tracks.  I followed this class 1 trail as it wove around the mountains

I’d been hiking for about 2.25 miles total at this point, and was at 10950 when I left the trail and headed northeast to treeline.  I placed a small cairn where I left the trail.

Once at treeline, I followed the rocks east.  The rocks never let up

I was aiming for the ridge.  You can take either the ridge or the gully.  Both are class 2+.  I found the ridge full of large, loose rocks, and the gully full of scree.  Both seemed to go on forever.

Here are some pictures of the gully going up

And the way I took up: the rocky ridge

Here’s the last bit to the summit (both the ridge and gully obviously end at the same spot)

I summited Grizzly Peak at 9:15am

Grizzly Peak:

Now to head back down the gully.  I followed it southwest.  The route was obvious.

At the base of the gully I aimed for treeline

Once at treeline, I headed southwest back to Timberline Trail 414.  As long as you keep heading southwest, you’ll come across this trail.

Now back on the class 1 trail, I followed it as it curved northwest, back to the road

Once at the road I turned left, and followed it back to Pieplant Mill

One of the best parts about the hike was I didn’t see another person the entire time I was there, and the weather was absolutely beautiful (if cold).   I made it back to my truck at noon, making this a 7.78 mile hike with 3312’ of elevation gain in 6 hours.  The ridge really took quite a bit of time to navigate.

On to the next trailhead!