Hambone Trail Notes
Transcribed by AI from the original scan; may contain errors.
Hambone Trail Documentation Package
Page 1 — Handwritten commentary, 5/22/78, Evans
HAMBONE TRAIL Commentary – 5/22/78 Evans
Trail was flagged by Explorer Post 700 from Abbot Rd to point X. From point X to sign on Salmon River there are a few small flags at critical points only. Apparently the bulk of the trail is mapped incorrectly.
From all indications, this trail should be a priority for reconstruction. A one day trip (starting at Abbot Rd) reflagging and staking any minor trail improvements (creek crossings, unnecessary rolling, etc) should be accomplished soon. The deterrant is the building of a bridge across Salmon River. A trail on the south side of Salmon River would be more expensive and mean approximately two miles of rough trail building, as there is not even a consistant foot path tread on the south side.
Access for reconstruction could be gained by:
- Abbott Rd
- Wading across Salmon River
- Possibly by bushwacking ≈ 2/3 mi from the present end of Salmon River Road.
Once the trail was logged out, the remaining tread and brushing would be an ideal project for supervised volunteers. YCC would work
Page 2 — Handwritten continuation
well as a campout project for the middle section.
Advantages to Re-opening HAMBONE
1. Consistent with the direction given in Salmon River Planning Unit EIS
2. Provide opportunity for dispersing campers as there are excellent potential campsites w/ water sources
3. Provide an excellent loop if Bear Springs re-opened the old Linney Creek Trail. Careful co-ordination needs to occur.
4. The trail is in excellent shape for the number of years it hasn't been maintained and is basically a resource that is being wasted. Most of the reconstruction can be done by volunteers.
Page 3 — Typed report, Page 2 (first page of typed section)
Explorer Post 700 Hambone Forest Camp to Salmon River
August 15 & 16, 1977
Start, Hambone F.C. Water available, Sign marks Trail, Blazes good, Tread visible needs brushing out, Trail shows moderate use for ½ mi. to way trail to Hambone Butte.
Way trail should be brushed out to base of Hambone Butte about 400' and a definite trail established to the top of the Butte to stop the present practice of people scrambling to the top by different routes.
From the Junction with Hambone Butte way trail blazes are good, brush light, tread is poor but visible for about 3/4 mi. to Iron Creek. Iron Creek is 5' wide flowing 6" deep, Area shows signs of light use as a camp site over several years.
From Iron Creek blazes are good to a point about 3/8 mi. passed Helispot # 246, at about the 2720' contour the blazes run out with 2 or 3 false trails. Cross country about 500' on compass bearing 290 degrees magnetic from last blaze and pick up blazes about ½ way down in the middle of a small draw. Blazes good, some tread visible for about 600' to Copper Creek. Stream 6' wide flowing 6" deep. Brush moderate on this section.
From Copper Creek to an unnamed almost dry creek blazes are good, tread deteriorates, usually visible, brush is very heavy with many small 6" or less down trees. From this unnamed creek (NW ¼ Sec. 2TS. 4S.R7E) there is a map error as to where this stream goes also where the trail is. The Firemans map is completely inaccurate. The best of 4 different maps we used is Rhododendron Quadrangle. (After this creek crossing there is a false trail that we followed South for about ½ mi. and elevation gain of 700' to 800'.) Unable to locate the trail we contoured North about ½ mi. crossed to the East side of the Canyon and picked up the trail and followed it out to the sign at the Salmon River. The brush in this section is very heavy with many down trees. Blazes are good, tread sometimes visible.
Continued page 2
Page 4 — Typed report, Page 2 (comment section)
Explorer Post 700 Hambone Forest Camp to Salmon River
COMMENT
Blazing is good the length of the trail. There are two sets of blazes. One about 70 years and a later set 35 to 40 years old, these sometimes deviate slightly.
In several places there are other blazes in the 35 to 40 year group that indicate side trails, we did not check out as they are not on any of our maps.
If the trail was brushed out the tread would be 99% visible, in poor condition.
There are very few down trees that could not be cut out with a 30" bow saw.
A bridge of some sort is a MUST at Salmon River. This trail has indication of some use even now ie: foot prints, old camp fires, gum, and candy wrappers, tin cans.
*Signed:* Wayne H. Harvey
Wayne H. Harvey, Advisor
Post # 700
Page 5 — Typed trail description
Hambone Trail #792
Trail Description
Length: 7-1/2 miles
Hiking time: slow, 4 hours one way
Tread condition: narrow and steep
Brush clearing: narrow and poor
Water: available, except on middle 3 miles
Recommendations for use:
- Hiker – yes, but rugged
- Horses – yes
- Scooters – no, impassable
Snow-free season: mid-June to November
Caution: A rough, steep trail, definitely for the initiated. You must ford Salmon River to get on this trail from the Salmon River Trail. The ford is rough, slick, two feet deep and 50 feet wide.
Aesthetic Description
This trail affords interesting views of the Salmon River area, from bluffs close to the river to overall views from high intermediate ridges.
The landscape starts in deep river canyon and climbs intermediate ridges to the mountain top.
| Miles from start | Miles from end | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 9.3 | Start on Salmon River Trail #742 at Road S-38. Hambone Trail starts 1.9 miles further up the trail. |
| 1.9 | 7.4 | Start on Hambone Trail. Ford Salmon River. |
| 2.8 | 6.5 | Viewpoint of Salmon River. |
| 3.6 | 5.7 | Follow along bluffs over Salmon River. |
| 4.2 | 5.1 | Cross Copper Creek. |
| 5.5 | 3.8 | Cross Helispot #246. |
| 7.2 | 2.1 | Cross meadow. Trail poorly marked in meadow. |
| 7.7 | 1.6 | Start up Hambone Mountain. |
| 8.4 | .9 | Cross ridgetop; abandoned trail departs to left. |
| 9.0 | .3 | Enter Hambone Springs Campground. |
| 9.3 | 0.0 | End of trail at Road S-457. |
Page 6 — Typed directions with handwritten annotations
To reach start of trail, go east from Portland on U.S. Highway #26 for 42 miles to the Salmon River Road (just before Zigzag, Oregon). Turn right and go 5 miles. (This road becomes forest Road S-38 after 2 miles.) The trail starts on your left at the first concrete bridge. You pass Green Canyon Campground 1/2 mile before the trail.
To reach top end of trail, drive up the Clackamas River highway to Road S-45 at North Fork Guard Station. Turn left on S-45 for about 7 miles to Road S-457 and turn right on Road S-457. Go about 15 miles on Road S-457 to Hambone Springs campground. The trail starts from the upper left corner of the campground.
Handwritten annotations below:
Harvey – 3/4 mi from S.R. trail – X county
- It does not X Bighorn C.
- Comes down a canyon ≈ 300 E of existing sign on E side then 1/4 mi from—
- From sign 300' E to cany – up W side X es to E side (~1,000' not flagged).
① exist sign (flagged S- 3-400' X es Cr bottom) (sawed logs) on E side of Cr → then 1/4 mi further – map shows it on W. Side – but ?able
3/4 mi from Sign to flagging needs to be reconned
Ridge bet. Cu + re Crks
Page 7 — Handwritten notes (back of a page)
DAVE ALL – 1930's Sal. River G.S.
Rolling Riffle G.S. (3rd R.E) West end
Salm Mt Tr → from Gr. Canyon 30% grade
phone line still prob remains
[box drawn around:] Kinzel Sites → Salmon Riv.
→ full of erosion
Page 8 — Handwritten field notes, page 2
HAMBONE TRAIL (PARADISE VALLEY on 760-9T?)
Start: 50' West of Bighorn Creek (Section 2 4S 7E) with Sign: HAMBONE TRAIL
- HAMBONE SPRINGS – 8
- COPPER CREEK WAY – 2
- Bighorn Way – 1
good blazes/tread – tread is earth
grade +20 fn ≈ 200', then rolls -10 to +10
DF, Cedar 2-4' diameter, sahlal, Ore. grape
Reopen tread by cutting down log (≈ 30+) + a min. of brushing
trail parallels Bighorn Creek – tread deteriorates
Rebuild tread, cut down logs (30+) min. of brush.
Note: could construct tread on E side of Bighorn from start to this point
trail crosses Bighorn Creek
good blazes, good crossing
Tread disappears, blazes fewer but followable
Small red flagging is used at critical points starting here
trail parallel to Bighorn Cr.
grade +10, sidehill 30-40
DF, Cedar 4-6' diameters, fern huckleberry
large amount of blowdown
trail crosses small live creek (good campsite potential)
blazes/tread hard to find – look for log cut in creek + blazes opposite side
[bottom line partially illegible]
Page 9 — Handwritten field notes, page 2 (continued)
tread is rock + earth
trail is on ridge between Bighorn + other creek
grade +20-30 fn ≈ 200 yds.
S. Curve
on Ridge above and parallel to Bighorn –
good blazes/cuts to follow
visible tread covered w/ moss
brush (rhody, huck, 2-4" diameter trees) heavy
DF, Hemlock 2-4' diameters
grade +10 – +15
on W. side of ridge overlooking Bighorn –
trail rolls -10 + +10 w/ one short +20 pitch
sidehill grade ≈ 60-80
tread → excellent 18-24" (reopen tread)
↓ smaller trees across trail
Switchback left (marked by 3 red flags + large root wad)
Explorer flagging starts here (consistent)
Bighorn Way Tr straight ahead (?)
marked by red flagging
visible tread
grades +15 for ≈ 400'
Cross Ridge point
Switchback Right
trail rolls +15 to -15
trees X trail ≈ 8-16" diameters
minimum of brush (sahlal)
Page 10 — Handwritten field notes, page 3
-30% for ≈ 200'
Cross small, live creek again
potential for campsites
reconstruct stream crossing (higher to maintain grade + eliminate the +30 and -30)
Short pitch +30
Switchback Right
grade +15-20
hvy. brush starts again (small trees, vine maple)
trail rolls unnecessarily -15 to +15 (straighten it out)
grade +2
Cross Ridge point
grade +12
North facing slope 20-60 side slope
partial view of Hunchback – hear Salmon Riv. below
hvy brush – rhody, vine maple
Across from Pyramid (Hunchback)
tread starts to deteriorate (widen by sloughing)
grade rolls -5 to +5
Two red flags on footpath heading NE towards Salmon River
tread needs reworking; heavy brushing
water above trail
3-4" diameter 12' high hemlock growing in center of tread
Flats appear to be below trail
Small, uproot in tread
Two red flags mark way trail heading NE toward Salmon R.
50' beyond way trail heading up hill
Page 11 — Handwritten field notes, page 4
grade -30 for 50'
Cross small live stream (intermittent?)
grade +30 fn 50' (reconstruct stream crossing)
Cross Flats
good blazes, no tread
Cross larger, live stream (≈ 400' from last crossing)
Bluffs across Salmon River, just east of creek crossing
good opportunity for campsites
END OF SURVEY – EVANS 5/10/78
Note: Red flagging continues to Abbot Rd.
Comment: Bridge across Salmon River
There are several (≥4) 4-6' diameter cedars and DF on S. side of Salmon River that would provide bridge material – some would require winching.
Span of River is ≈ 60+ ft wide
A bridge similiar to Linney Crk is suggested
Undoubtedly replacement would be needed every 1-5 years, depending on river conditions
Page 12 — Topographic map with annotations
This is a photocopy of the Rhododendron, Oregon USGS topographic quadrangle (N4515–W12152.5/7.5, 1962 edition) showing the Hambone Trail area. The map shows Bighorn Campground, Rolling Riffle Campground, Devils Peak, Goat Creek, and the Hambone River/Salmon River area with contour lines at 40-foot intervals. Three points are annotated in handwriting:
A – Start of trail – sign (Start of Evans Survey)
B – Start of Explorer Post's Continuous flagging
C – End of Evans Survey
The title written on the map reads: RHODODENDRON, OREG. HAMBONE TRAIL
Page 13 — Typed official trail record
HAMBONE
Un Logged | Revised ___________
Trail No. 1377 | Maint Class. M-3 | Length 6.0
Starting Point: On Highrock Road at Hambone Springs Camp Ground.
Ending: Salmon River Trail in SW¼, Sec. 35, T. 3S., R. 7E.
0.00 Sign at this point at edge of road reading:
Hambone Trail
Salmon River Trail ——6
Paradise Valley Camp——2
Page 14 — Regional forest map (photocopy)
A photocopy of a regional forest/road map showing the area around the Salmon River, Zigzag, Rhododendron, and Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon. Visible named features include: Hambone (area), Iron Cr., Salmon River, Linney Butte, High Rock Pk., Signal Buttes, Tumbling Cr., Devils Peak, Still Creek, Zigzag, Rhododendron, Welches, Lost Cr., Wildcat Mtn., Old Baldy, Eagle Creek, Lookout, Squaw Mtn., Sandy River, Marmot, Brightwood, North Fork, Abbott Barn, Frying Cr., Linney Cr. GS (Guard Station), Rolling Riffle GS, Mudd Creek, and many numbered roads (379, 403, 394, 393, etc.). The map is oriented with north approximately up and appears to be a Fireman's or administrative forest map.
Page 15 — Regional USGS/forest map (photocopy)
A photocopy of a broader regional map showing the Mount Hood area of Oregon, including: Mt. Hood, Mount Hood Wilderness (WILD area), Eden Park, Bald Mtn., Government Camp, Still Creek, Zigzag, Rhododendron, Bennett Pass, Barlow, Wasco, Badger Butte, Crane Prairie, Bonney Butte, Grasshopper Point, Dobry Pt., Timberline area, White River, Sandy River, Clackamas River area, Lost Cabin, Frog Lake Buttes, Clear Lake, Twin Lakes, Umbrella Falls, Iron Creek, Barlow Butte, and many other named peaks, meadows, and landmarks. Numbered routes including 319, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 329, 331, 332, 333, 349, 395 and others are marked. This appears to be an administrative or recreation map of the Mt. Hood National Forest region used for reference in the Hambone Trail planning documents.