[Edit: What I call the Pot Creek Trail is really on Lost Creek - I get the name from the 1956 map and the USGS GNIS names database has the trail as Pot Creek Trail. That it is on Lost Creek ought to make it named as such, I'm not sure which way to go on this. An error on the part of USGS?]  I did some more recon for an Oak Grove Butte hike I want to do so I explored in detail the opposite ends of the route. In a previous post Don mentioned that there was trail on Switch Creek – I can confirm this and it is very good trail. I started out on the wrong side of the creek and I did so in lieu of considerable evidence that the trail took off from the east side of the creek – what was I thinking. I lost the trail once about 2/3s the way up in a spot where the terrain leveled out with lots of downed trees.The trail ends at a road but there was trail going west that I followed into a clear cut where it kept going. How far west does this trail go? [Edit: In re-reading a post from Don in another thread this must be the segment that ends on a road to the west]   Switch Creek Trail has much the character of the Sounds Trail – really neat stuff. There was a ridge segment:   Great trail, here's the map. The 'Lost' label is the level spot where I lost the trail – I was on trail for the return trip.     Here's the Pot Creek (I'm calling it Pot Creek Trail from the name on the 1956 map) section of this report. I was able to locate a trail segment but unfortunately there is a lot of deadfall in this section. I'd have to go out an look some more but it is possible that the trail was spared from the nearby clear cut.   Here's a couple of photos from the segment I located.     This looks pretty good but looking the other way – not so good:     On the map below, the left side of the loop was my ascent through the clearcut, I descended on  the right side through uncut forest of widely varying age. Now that I see the track, I was probably too close to the creek on the way down.

Nice post there Paul! I should have mentioned that I hadn't flagged that bench on the Switch Creek Trail, for I haven't located the tread through there yet. You know flat terrain and a lot of down timber makes tread finding a lot harder. I have been following where most of the game go, up a little gully on the east end of the bench and go along the backside til you reach the westend of bench and pick up the tread again. From there it goes through a couple of faint switchbacks then is fairly easy to follow up to the trail junction with the Oak Grove Butte Trail. I have flagged the other trail down through the clear cut to the road in the bottom, except for about a 1-200 feet section just before it switches back to the left, where I need to do some locating yet. But if you turn straight downhill where my flagging ended in the clear cut, you would run into the tread again lower down. When it reaches the edge of the clear cut, you just follow the ridge and it becomes a road. Further on down the road I located a small segment of the trail before it gets eaten up by another clearcut. So, for the most part the rest of that trail down may be history except for some small segments that didn't get logged. That's good news about the Pot Creek Trail. I believe they call the trail that because of Pot Creek Cabin that it went to. That site I have been to, but the time I was there I didn't have time to explore for trails for I had spent most of the day clearing trails up by Olallie Lake. On another day in the same area I managed to explore for a few hours in the afternoon and went up the west of Lost Creek where I thought the trail went, but didn't see anything but the clearcut. Don

Paul: Here is link to a map of the last trip Don and I did up switch creek.  We ended up following the same path up and down, so I think this is a pretty good representation of the "trail".  We didn't go down through the clearcut, only to the edge of it, but we did go up to the camp up by the road - hope that helps a bit:

Paul: I went out yesterday and explored for the Pot Creek Trail coming down Lost Creek. I found that switchback that you had mentioned and flagged both legs all the way out to the clearcut, but didn't see anything lower down. The upper leg comes out on the ridge where the slope changes from gradual slope above and steep below. I believe that the switchback is the last one going up the hill, for it is the only one that comes  close to the creek and comes  out above the steep slope. I built a rock cairn at the point where the trail is easy to follow down from the ridge. '38 map showing the segment of the Pot Creek Trail located. View of the trail crossing a rock field. View looking down to Lost Creek from same spot on the trail. It looks like the logging activity took out the tread in the clearcut, but I will probably get out there and look again, for now I know where to look. I found some phoneline on the ground out in the clearcut as I headed west looking for tread. Looks like it heads into some uncut timber again, so we might be able to locate some more tread over that way. I will have to see if I can drive up the 5720 road to get up on top. At 3000 feet, there wasn't hardly any snow left. What a difference a couple of weeks make. Don

Nice to see you guys piecing it together. Keep at it and you'll get it figured and we'll have another nice route up out of the canyon. The wire will help.   D2

Donald Presley said:

Paul: I went out yesterday and explored for the Pot Creek Trail coming down Lost Creek. I found that switchback that you had mentioned and flagged both legs all the way out to the clearcut, but didn't see anything lower down. The upper leg comes out on the ridge where the slope changes from gradual slope above and steep below. I believe that the switchback is the last one going up the hill, for it is the only one that comes  close to the creek and comes  out above the steep slope. I built a rock cairn at the point where the trail is easy to follow down from the ridge. [...] It looks like the logging activity took out the tread in the clearcut, but I will probably get out there and look again, for now I know where to look. I found some phoneline on the ground out in the clearcut as I headed west looking for tread. Looks like it heads into some uncut timber again, so we might be able to locate some more tread over that way. I will have to see if I can drive up the 5720 road to get up on top. At 3000 feet, there wasn't hardly any snow left. What a difference a couple of weeks make. Don

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Don, I do not recall that segment through the rock field, that's a great find - this was first class trail back in the day. Like you point out, there may be more pieces but with switchbacks cut off by the clearcut. The next round of decent weather I want to get back out that way - this Saturday is looking like no rain. BTW, In the clear cut I kept running into these objects composed of screen and a wire holder - some device to aid reproduction I suspect. They are all over the place. --Paul

Paul, Was the switchback you saw 1-200 feet from the creek? We may have seen different ones. I don't have a GPS. So this is my rendition of where I went on Sunday that I put on the '38 map.

Donald Presley said:

Paul, Was the switchback you saw 1-200 feet from the creek? We may have seen different ones. I don't have a GPS. So this is my rendition of where I went on Sunday that I put on the '38 map. [...]

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I did get close to the creek - on the map I posted you can see the east/west line of the trail segment I located - it seems to be close to yours and it could be I gave up too soon in following. At any rate, this is worth another trip out.   I have an extra GPS - a Garmin 60csx like Rob's if you want it - you could turn it on at the start turn it off at the end and hand to Rob to download tracks periodically. You and I are at opposite ends of the spectrum as far as GPS goes, I carry no less than 4 - well, 5 if you count the GPS in the Personal Locator Beacon I carry. And I still get lost...   --Paul

Paul Turner said:

I did get close to the creek – on the map I posted you can see the east/west line of the trail segment I located – it seems to be close to yours and it could be I gave up too soon in following. At any rate, this is worth another trip out.   I have an extra GPS – a Garmin 60csx like Rob's if you want it – you could turn it on at the start turn it off at the end and hand to Rob to download tracks periodically. You and I are at opposite ends of the spectrum as far as GPS goes, I carry no less than 4 – well, 5 if you count the GPS in the Personal Locator Beacon I carry. And I still get lost…   –Paul

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I would like to get back up there this weekend myself, but I may have other things going on, like working on some trails if the snow has cleared from some of  the mid-elevation ones. The lower trails have been cleared, so we are basically waiting for the snow to melt to work on the others. But I don't wait around, I go exploring for the abandoned trails that we seem to have so much of in our district. If my plans change, I will let you know.  I am pretty much an old school map and compass guy ever since I took an Orienteering course  in college back in the 70's, as well as belonging to a local orienteering club for several years. My wife bought me a SPOT Messenger so that I could let her know where I parked my rig and where I went, but the tracking feature is basically useless, only giving a point every 10 minutes, if it can get out, and not a path as a GPS unit does. But should I get hurt or totally lost, I can ask for help from my wife and other friends on a list which is a plus. I have seen those little black mesh and wire cages on several of the clear cuts on the Upper Clackamas: the one near Switch Creek, the one near Lost Creek , and the one near what I call the Oak Grove Butte Trail Cutoff or OGB Cutoff for short, that  trail that comes out of the canyon between Switch Creek and Pot Creek Trails. I need to get back to that one, for I didn't have any flagging wth me when I found that one back in March. I think those cages gave the seedling trees some protection from the rodents gnawing them down. They seemed to have worked for the most part. From looking at your GPS track you must have gone as high as the road or landing at the top of the clear cut. I walked out it a ways to see if it was driveable, but it isn't. They had placed some logs and stumps on it, and is grown in with brush near the powerlines. I am hoping that the 180 spur road off the 5720 road is driveable at least out to powerlines to get closer to where the old trail may have went through. Might have to wait a while longer for the 5720 to get cleared of snow. Don

I wish I could join you guys to explore a bit, however I will be at a horse farm in Beavercreek wtih the Scouts.  I'm only there part of the day to fill in for another adult, but it means I can't really get out and hike at all..... If you do end up going out, post what you find.  Don, if you'd like to borrow my GPS, you are welcome to it.  Just let me know. Rob

How strange to see this thread!  I have been out of ciculation for a while after quitting a horrible job and starting a guide and outfitting service, but I still have been doing trail work, camping and research.  Well last week I decided to research Pot Creek and figure out what remained.  Then I log on here, and see THE SAME work done by you guys.  Go figure. Well Don and Eva and I headed out to Pot Creek last weekend to camp and explore.  After much thrashing about, we found trail from the cabin site all the way up thru the clearcut above, switchbacking its way thru the mess and beauty.  It is flagged all the way to where Don was previously.  The tread is in fair condition, but it is remarkable to have survived clearcuts and time.  Don brushed out the lower portion, but I had to split at 7 AM on Sunday due to a puking child.  Fun in the woods! We pretty much determined the location of the cabin, now only a square depression near Pot Creek where the original trail descended, as evidenced by the remains of a bridge and iron water pipe. It's a trail with potential: good views, well graded, nice origin with camp.  However, it needs a destination.  Oak Grove Butte?

Robert Koscik said:

How strange to see this thread!  I have been out of ciculation for a while after quitting a horrible job and starting a guide and outfitting service, but I still have been doing trail work, camping and research.  Well last week I decided to research Pot Creek and figure out what remained.  Then I log on here, and see THE SAME work done by you guys.  Go figure. Well Don and Eva and I headed out to Pot Creek last weekend to camp and explore.  After much thrashing about, we found trail from the cabin site all the way up thru the clearcut above, switchbacking its way thru the mess and beauty.  It is flagged all the way to where Don was previously.  The tread is in fair condition, but it is remarkable to have survived clearcuts and time.  Don brushed out the lower portion, but I had to split at 7 AM on Sunday due to a puking child.  Fun in the woods! We pretty much determined the location of the cabin, now only a square depression near Pot Creek where the original trail descended, as evidenced by the remains of a bridge and iron water pipe. It's a trail with potential: good views, well graded, nice origin with camp.  However, it needs a destination.  Oak Grove Butte? [...]

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Fantastic work you guys have done, I'll have to get back out there and check it out. Your efforts are appreciated. As far as a destination, Oak Grove Butte works but I can't see anything but a road walk once on that plateau from the maps I'm looking at - at least there is trail at either end. I'm going to take a stab at Oak Grove Butte this coming weekend provided the snow levels are high enough. --Paul

A little clarification on the posting for the Pot Creek Trail: There is a 200 yards  plus gap between the lower leg of the upper switchback and the upper leg of the lower switchback. Either the trail swings further to the west out into the clearcut, or there is a switchback between the two located switchbacks that I haven't located  yet.  Paul, if you were to head straight down the edge of the clearcut from the upper switchback, you would run into the lower one. The upper trail segment is fairly easy to follow as well as being flagged, but hasn't been touched. The lower switchback is cleared of most of the brush, but there are numerous logs to step or climb over. Where the trail comes out into the clearcut below the lower switchback there are a lot of logs and the path of the trail is less distinct because of the logging disturbance. The trail comes out on the 4660 road a few hundred feet below the Lost Creek crossing near a pullout that is on the southside of the road. The trail continues below the pullout, but isn't readily obvious until you step off the berm of the road. I cleared that section down to  Lost Creek. There is one insulator on a tree in this section. The trail between Lost Creek and Pot Creek isn't recognizable that I could tell, probably do to creeks overflowing or changing course through the years. There is part of a footbridge on Pot Creek that is covered with at least a foot of gravel. Once you cross Pot Creek you arrive at the Pot Creek Cabin site with numerous large trees and seems to be a popular camping spot. Following the dirt road will take you out to the 46 road. Don

More info from Don's exploration yesterday (I just tagged along to help do some brushing and see the trail).  I brought my GPS, but since we spent a lot of time brushing out the upper parts of the trail, there is a lot of "jitter" that throwns off the total mileage.  As Don said, parts of the trail are very easy to follow, but there are a lot of places through the clearcut that are difficult.  You can see we took different paths up and down, and a lot of it looks like it "could" be tread, but is probably more game trails than anything.  There are a few sections in the clearcut that definitely looked like tread, but a lot of it is rather indecipherable.  I think at some point you just have to pick a route, brush it out and then walk it a few times to make it clear and it will be fine.  It will just take some work. The upper section, while the trail was very noticable, there are a LOT of logs to go over/around/under.  One spot has an 8'+ deep hole from a root ball you have to navigate through.  So, now for some pictures: Here is the trail track we took, overlaid on an aerial photo (shows where the clearcut is) – on the way down I marked where we felt comfortable that we were "on the trail" and then when we felt we had lost it:   Here is what I think the actual route of the trail is probably (or should be):   And lastly, here is our actual trail track overlaid with what I think the real route of the trail is.:     The bottom line is that there appears to be a little over a mile of trail discovered here, probably a mile and half or so, maybe a little more, but of that, about a quarter of a mile or so is very indistinct and needs more work to create a suitable path.  A lot of the upper section REALLY needs to be cut out to be passable, as it is pretty rough right now.  That upper section is a nice section of trail, with some really nice trees.  A couple of nice viewpoints, too. I think it deserves some more work, and it might turn into a really nice trail.

Rob, thanks for the posting of our GPS track from yesterday on the Pot Creek Trail, it really helps to visualize where the path of the trail out in the clearcut ought to be. A lot more work still needs to be done locating the tread out in the clearcut, but we added more footage yesterday. A little here, a little there, and pretty soon we will have most if not all of it located. There are going to be gaps from the logging disturbance, but as long as we can connect the segments together we may eventually be able to bring the trail back from oblivion. Don

Don you are the Energizer Bunny don't know how you do it.  I guess I would too but then little kids need takin' care of.