Cooper Spur beta?

[ryland_moore]

Anyone been up there recently? Thinking of heading up Sunday and climbing the Spur Monday morning. I am sure Tilly Jane is still the best access to Tie in Rock rather than Cloud Cap (road closure?)

 

Also, anyone ever carried skis over for the descent on the S. Side?

 

Finally, we are thinking about bivying at the car and doing the thing in one push with a shuttle car waiting at Timberline. Crazy or no? How much time? If I remember, from Cooper Spur to the TJ cabin is around 2 hrs. How far from the cabins to Tie in rock? I think it will be about 3-4 hrs. from Tie in to Summit. Any thoughts are appreciated.

[ScaredSilly]

Rather than descending to Timberline consider traversing around on the Newton Clark coming back to the spur. I did this traverse years ago in the fall. Was a great decision.

[Displaced Native]

About a week ago I was up at Tilly Jane cabin. Trail up was mostly dirt until the last quarter mile. Some patches of snow but they served more of a nuisance than anything. From the Cabin on up it's several feet of snow. I'm a fatty, move about 1000 feet elevation per hour. We hiked up to the Climber's Shelter...was just on a walkabout, had no real plans other than exercise.

 

Not sure if I said anything helpful or not, but my fingers like typing.

 

Steve

[Frikadeller]

About a week ago I was up at Tilly Jane cabin. Trail up was mostly dirt until the last quarter mile. Some patches of snow but they served more of a nuisance than anything.

 

How did the road look?

[Sanchez]

See my TR from today.

 

Road is closed, forever. Mt hood Wilderness act just passed into law, so easy access to TJ and Cloud cap is by special invite only now...

[billcoe]

See my TR from today.

 

Road is closed, forever. Mt hood Wilderness act just passed into law, so easy access to TJ and Cloud cap is by special invite only now...

 

WTF? You just drove up there. They close it after you got off?

 

Oh, dis is joke no?

 

No?

[Sanchez]

No we parked at TJ trailhead and hiked in the old fashioned way. There's a sign there saying all motorized vehicles are not allowed on the road anymore and the gate looks pretty permanent. I'm not sure if certain groups will still have access, like the crag rats and all that, but then how do you justify keeping the road clear of slides and trees? Seems like they could grandfather this one into the wilderness zone...

[billcoe]

There's a sign there saying all motorized vehicles are not allowed on the road anymore and the gate looks pretty permanent.

 

If this is true, I suspect that this is but the start of what I was discussing earlier. Basically what you are (or will be) getting here in my view is more empire building by the federal government. You will see new rules and regulations coming towards you now that are justified by this. The conflict resolution gives the federal workers job security as they need to create more hires to adjudicate and manage YOU.

 

 

 

explain bill - what do you mean a faux wilderness?

 

I meant 2nd and in some places 3rd growth forests, which are so abundant and in fact planted and managed to be cut for our use as lumber being taken out of rotation and "protected" whatever that means.

 

Meantime, the tools will have another reason to restrict your usage and access due to the closeness of and use by a large amount of people who are otherwise doing minimal harm to the area. (see Fairweathers note above) It will come about in a matter of years, mark my words, you will be in the unfortunate position to see this happen if it passes. So they do have some major roads and developments through and throughout it and exempt the wilderness from that a few feet away: more bullshit. I'm tired of always getting MORE laws, MORE restrictions, MORE bureaucrats which end in LESS freedom. Especially if when there is no reason for it like in this instance. They tried to sell this by telling us "Oh, Mt Hood is a crown jewel and we should protect it". From what and why? It's doing fine as is, there are already numerous laws and restrictions in place and the area is essentially the same as it's always been. I understand some folks wanting to not have their drinking water trashed, you cannot travel into the Bull Run watershed at all. Understandable. However, there is watersheds protected all over the place and you don't need an act of congress to get there. No one will be putting in MORE roads in this area, so why do this wilderness thing at all? Pointless.

 

If they would put the last few strands of old growth in the PNW out of rotation I at least can get behind that in a big way due to the science and biology and need for preservation of a diversity that is disappearing fast and near gone except where it is preserved.

 

It's typical make believe do-gooder and weak-sauce feel-good politician crap Ivan that will serve no effective cause but to restrict your freedom and decrease the amount of timber available to cut, thus raising the cost to build a new home etc etc.

 

It's stupidity that should be opposed and I hope it stays down. Others feel differently for sure.

 

Madrone is a a worthy cause IMO to spend ones time writing letters about. Not this.

 

Go re-read the thread and decide who you choose to believe now.

[Winter]

First, TJ is not wilderness yet as it is contingent on the FS processing a subsequent land exchange. Second, the Cloud Cap road was explicitly left outside the boundaries of the TJ wilderness additions to allow for continued public access. Any closure of the Cloud Cap road is solely a result of the Forest Service deciding it doesn't want to maintain the road and/or allow public access. Talk to them about it.

 

BTW, Bill the wilderness proposal for the TJ area resulted from MHM's well-documented proposal to cut runs and build lifts throughout the entire area from the base of the existing facility all the way to Cloud Cap. The TJ trail would have been a lift corridor. Cloud Cap itself would have been a top lift terminal, and the clearcut ski runs would have been interlaced throughout the headwaters of the watershed for the farmers in the upper Hood River Valley. You should go talk to the local pear farmers, who were heavily in favor of the wilderness bill, and tell them they are stupid make-believe do gooders.

[Frikadeller]

No we parked at TJ trailhead and hiked in the old fashioned way. There's a sign there saying all motorized vehicles are not allowed on the road anymore and the gate looks pretty permanent. I'm not sure if certain groups will still have access, like the crag rats and all that, but then how do you justify keeping the road clear of slides and trees? Seems like they could grandfather this one into the wilderness zone...

 

WTF, that sounds like a load of bullshit if you ask me!!(I know, no one asked.) BTW, there has always been a "Permanent gate" at Cloud Cap Road. But, now they are limiting access? That stinks of more bullshit. There is an established car camp ground at cloud cap saddle, complete with bathrooms and all. Are they closing that as well, permanently?

 

Or.....Could the "special closure" be because of the recent wildfire, and the FS is concerned about dead fall, etc. on the road? From what I saw when I was last up there in the fall, right after the fire, it looked like the FS fire crews had cleared any potential hazards from the roadway. (burnt snags, potential deadfall etc.) Something about this story sounds not right. Why would the FS go through all that work to secure a road access, only later to close permanently?

 

On another note, we as the users of the area, and subsequent "owners" (you pay taxes, right?) could always just arrive with bolt cutters and cut the lock on the gate. Bring a chainsaw to clear the road, and viola, access. Hell, one coule even show up with a mini track hoe, and "remove" the gate permanently.

Edited May 24, 2009 by Frikadeller

[Displaced Native]

On another note, we as the users of the area, and subsequent "owners" (you pay taxes, right?) could always just arrive with bolt cutters and cut the lock on the gate. Bring a chainsaw to clear the road, and viola, access. Hell, one coule even show up with a mini track hoe, and "remove" the gate permanently.

 

If you follow that logic, then that says I can also go onto any public road and dig Burmese Tiger Traps in the middle of the travel lane if I want. After all, I own it, right? Or since I "pay taxes" I can go up to Tilly Jane and take back my old rough cut lumber and use it in my new McMansion that overshadows your property.

 

Come on, seriously..are you 'effin kidding me? You think it's kosher to show up with bolt cutters or heavy equipment and disreguard federal law? It's a three mile walk. Call it a warm up. I'm a horribly obese fat ass and can make three miles.

 

Steve

[ryland_moore]

Not sure about the road closure part, but the gate is the same type of gate at all FS roads closed due to snow.

[sneaky_steve]

Climbed cooper spur last night. 2.5 mile maze up to the last public shelter (which is free of enough snow to stay in). The left Tilly Jane trail has a lots of down trees and lots of snow. We followed the ridge up. Route was in great condition with a few soft spots that eased the calf muscles just enough...

 

There are two medium-size slid paths that came down the initial incline after Tie in Rock, probably within the last 3 days. Snow is consolidated well now. Feel free to PM me with any questions.