Читать книгу Afoot and Afield: Portland/Vancouver. A Comprehensive Hiking Guide онлайн

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DIRECTIONS Begin by driving to Battleground, either by going north on State Highway 503 from Interstate 205, or by going east on State Highway 502 from Exit 9 off Interstate 5. From the intersection of the two state highways in the middle of Battleground, proceed north on Highway 503 for 16.8 miles and turn right on N.E. Healy Road just after you pass the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument headquarters.

After 9.2 miles on N.E. Healey Road, bear left at a poorly signed junction and travel on single-lane, paved Forest Road 57. Drive another 1.3 miles, and then turn sharply left on often unsigned Forest Road 5701. Follow this rough, paved road for 3.7 miles to its end at a trailhead parking lot.

The trail departs from the north side of the lot and drops 50 feet to an intersection with the Siouxon Creek Trail. You turn right and descend through a lovely forest composed predominantly of western hemlocks. On the forest floor are lots of downed nurse logs, mosses, sword fern, and oxalis. After 0.1 mile of downhill, you reach the creek bottom and cross West Creek on a flat-topped log bridge. The walls of the lush side canyon holding this creek are draped with mosses and ferns. Immediately after the bridge, you pass the first of many excellent creekside campsites. After this camp, the trail travels in small ups and downs, gradually making its way uphill but staying about 50 feet above the clear waters of Siouxon Creek. About 0.9 mile from the trailhead is the signed junction with the Horseshoe Ridge Trail (ssss1).