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  • Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas

    I noticed that this obscure trail was included in the index, and wanted to point to a very interesting description of a kayak descent down the South Fork that begins from this trail:

    http://www.oregonkayaking.net/rivers/sf_clack/sf_clack.html

    Pete Giordano was part of this rather daring trip! The trail description on this website describes a continuation up the east side of the canyon from the South Fork, but I'm wondering if there were other trails in the area (particularly along the South Fork or Memaloose Creek) that once existed? I mention this because photo of the lower falls is shown on an older MHNF map from the late 1950s. It amazes me that this particular pair of streams was apparently never the focus of a recreation trail, given the proximity to Portland and concentration of waterfalls.

    Tom Kloster
    Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas
  • Re: Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas (#)
  • 4/8/06; 9:05:47 AM ¦ by Pete Giordano
  • There is a short old trail which branches off the old road up the S. F. Clackamas. It doesn't go very far but with a little bushwacking you can make it up to the base of a beautiful, 2-step, 70 ft. waterfall. Didn't see any trail up above the falls but didn't bushwack for very long.

    The trail down to the SF Clack is very nice. Big, old growth and some nice geology. Would be cool to figure out where the extension is on the other side of the creek. We didn't look around very much given we had other objectives.

    pete
    • Re: Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas (#)
    • 4/8/06; 11:56:13 AM ¦ by Tom Kloster
    • Thanks for the info, Pete. So that's yet another waterfall, upstream from where you put in on Trail 516? I'm not sure what you mean by the "old road" up the South Fork. In the Oregon Kayaking description, there are two 30-foot drops, a series of ledges, a 120-foot drop and and the final 60-foot drop just upstream from the confluence.

      The Oregon Kayaking description includes a reference to an old path between the 120-foot falls and the lower falls that caught my attention, and made me wonder if there was once a streamside trail. But I would assume there are also abandoned access roads used to construct the (abandoned) water conduits, too. Lots of history in that canyon - it would make a great spot for a new trail, especially given the low elevation and potential access from OR 224. I'm also curious about what lies upstream on Memaloose Creek, since at least one falls is mapped there, too. Lots of possibilities!

      Tom Kloster
      • Re: Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas (#)
      • 4/9/06; 8:37:40 AM ¦ by Pete Giordano
      • There didn't seem to be another waterfall upstream of the upper trail access on the SF Clack. I only hiked up another 1/2 mile or so and didn't see anything.

        Hiking from the main Clackamas upstream on the SF, there is an old access road for the waterworks that includes a few tunnels. It is still in good shape for hiking except for the long tunnel that circumvents the 100+ waterfall. That one is a little rough and you need a flashlight. Once above the 100 ft. waterfall and the old waterworks, there doesn't seem to be any trail that I could see. Fairly easy to hike up the streambed in the summer when there is no water.
        • Re: Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas (#)
        • 4/9/06; 7:27:02 PM ¦ by Donovan
        • Be aware that if you go up the similar pipeline road up Memaloose Creek beyond the screens to the tunnel that was prepared for a higher intake which was never built that there may be people living in the upper tunnel and I am not sure how they feel about visitors.  We just walked through but didn't meet anyone although we sensed they were nearby.
          This entire area would be a popular feature and could be easily developed.  It is BLM territory.  I have no idea how they feel about it.
          We cleared Hillockburn Trail last week.  Left one tree at the beginning to discourage cars from driving down the beginning of the trail.
          Tommorrow we will clear Grouse Point from the 4611 road (now that the snow is gone) down to the river.
          • Re: Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas (#)
          • 4/9/06; 9:05:25 PM ¦ by Tom Kloster
          • There's an abandoned road up Memaloose Creek, too? Interesting! I noticed what appears to be a bridge over the South Fork very near the confluence with Memaloose (on Terraserver). So does the old access road approach the falls? I guess I'd have to brave those tunnel people if that's the case.

            Tom Kloster
            • Re: Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas (#)
            • 4/10/06; 8:20:42 AM ¦ by Pete Giordano
            • Yes, there is a bridge over the SF at the confluence with Memaloose Cr. and an old road that goes up to what looks like an old water intake spot. Beyond this there is another 1/4 or so of bushwacking/creek walking to get to the bottom part of the falls.

              Haven't seen any people up in the tunnels but I wouldn't be too suprised if that was the case. Bummer.

              pete
              • Re: Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas (#)
              • 4/11/06; 10:26:10 PM ¦ by Tom Kloster
              • Pete, I'm starting to see that you've walked or paddled pretty much all of these streams! Can you describe the Memaloose waterfall in terms of height and volume?

                Tom Kloster
                • Re: Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas (#)
                • 4/12/06; 9:41:29 AM ¦ by Pete Giordano
                • Memaloose waterfall? Let's see...big. From the top looking down it is a beautiful 30-35 ft. vertical plunge into a round pool with sheer cliff walls on all sides except the exit. It turns 90 deg. to the right and then slides down about 50 ft. at about a 50 deg. angle. Probably 1/4 the volume than in the SF so I'd think in the summer it would mostly wet rock on the slide section. Probably 50-75 cfs.??

                  The first time I hiked in was from the top. Don't know any landmarks as I just stumbled upon it. It is possible to traverse the whole thing up in the forest on the right-side (as you look downstream) but the terrain is steep and in spots a fall would be unpleasant. You can acutally hike all the way to the bottom and then out the SF which is what I did. The second time I was up there I hiked in from the bottom but stopped at the base of it. It might be possible to climp up the right side from the bottom (looking upstream) but it looked slick and dangerous to me.

                  I mostly bushwack around the creeks in the Clackamas drainage. Don't do much hiking on the trails except to access things like Roaring River, SF Clackamas, and Fish Cr.  There is some cool stuff up around Rod and Trout Cr. up on the upper Collawash.

                  pete
                  • Re: Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas (#)
                  • 4/28/06; 4:28:06 PM ¦ by Tom Kloster
                  • A noticed a few more clues about this area on the 1967 MHNF map this week (and I'm embarrassed to say that it was because I finally picked up a manifying glass so that I could once again read the tiny print that was so easily read 20 years ago!) regarding the Hillockburn Trail. The map shows the trail cotinuing east of the South Fork Clackamas to a junction with Trail 514. This trail stubs ends a short distance to the south of the junction at what is now a closed road, No. 240. Trail 514 descends northeast from the junction with 516 to a crossing of Memaloose Creek, then climbs to Road 310, also closed. Both roads 310 and 240 are spurs off Forest Road 45.

                    Trail 514 looks to be a continuation of the series of trails that follow the Molalla/Clackamas Divide. A section to the south that climbs to Memaloose Lake looks to be numbered 521, which doesn't make sense, since that is now the number for Huxley Lake. This map does not show a number for Huxley Lake, so it's unclear if I'm simply reading this wrong (due to the inevitable fold in the map at the very wrong spot!)

                    Tom Kloster
                    • Re: Hillockburn Trail 516 - South Fork Clackamas (#)
                    • 4/28/06; 5:04:15 PM ¦ by Donovan
                    • Duplication of trail numbers occurrs because there were more Districts before.
                      516 is easy to follow across the river (except for in one area) to the 242 spur.  I think we talk about it on the Hillockburn Trail 516 page.
                      Have not found 514.  May be a liitle left but most is logged over.  There is not much generally left of trails or even segments of much interest in the 45 Road country.