Muddy Fork Crossing on Timberline Trail
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Hikes including this location
- Muddy Fork Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Muddy Fork Loop Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Timberline Trail around Mount Hood Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
- Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
- Latitude, Longitude: 45.39209, -121.74644
- Elevation: 4195 feet
Description
There is a somewhat difficult crossing of the Muddy Fork on the Timberline Trail that involves more than one channel. The area was completely torn apart by flash floods in 2002 and some of the surrounding forest ended up in the river's debris field. The north branch of the Muddy Fork is a rock hop or ford by July. The south branch has ripped a new channel through the thickets of alder and cottonwood and, from one year to the next, may necessitate a fresh diversion - hikers coming here in the spring before trail crews arrive should expect to find their own way. In between the two main channels are one or two gullies that may or may not be running depending on the amount of glacial melt.
Towering above at the head of the valley is a citadel-like formation that splits the two main channels. A tall two-tiered waterfall spills the north branch from the Sandy Glacier. Below the crags of Yocum Ridge, three tall seasonal waterfalls, between 500 and 700 feet tall, spill into the valley.
There is drinking water just before and just after the crossing. The best camping spot is just south, where there are two sites in the trees at the bottom of the slope.
The Pacific Crest Trail used to go along here but was shifted west because of the difficult crossing here.
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Contributors
- Splintercat (Tom Kloster) (primary)
- User:retiredjerry