Forum Index > Trail Talk > Middle Fork Road closure update
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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostSat May 09, 2020 8:47 am 
zimmertr wrote:
Thanks for the beta on Otter Falls! Maybe I'll take my girlfriend there this weekend. She's never been before.
That would be the Otter Tail Slides to us locals!

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Brucester
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Brucester
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PostSat May 09, 2020 10:53 am 
This would be better news if I was going back to work Monday.... Sounds like this is a hectic weekend up there, a place to avoid unless you like mall like crowds?!

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zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman



Joined: 24 Jun 2018
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zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman
PostSat May 09, 2020 12:24 pm 
Sounds fun haha. The challenging part is getting up top to slide down. wink.gif

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Bernardo
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Bernardo
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PostSat May 16, 2020 8:42 pm 
Any update on this!

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Brucester
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PostSat May 16, 2020 11:47 pm 
Last weekend I did a MBTH drive by to see just how crowded "it could be" during a pandemic... Before the school, four cars were parked on the right unloading bicycles. A sign of what was ahead? Passed 6 cars leaving on the way in before the one way road. I turned around at the loop "lots of cars lining the road after the TH parking lot". Not the typical bazillion cars, but more than I expected. Not the welcoming forest vibe I was looking for. No masks.... I drove elsewhere to ride.... No masks there either, only mine. 10% risk outside?

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Moose
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PostSun May 17, 2020 7:59 am 
Ran a few trails on the Middle Fork yesterday. The road is indeed fully open, all the way to the end. The lower parking area for Mailbox was packed when I drove by at 7:30 AM. I expected to park along a shoulder near the Middle Fork TH, but the parking lot was open when I arrived. Restrooms were locked, as expected. Garfield Ledges. Ran the connector trail from the Middle Fork TH to the Garfield Ledges TH. There were several cars parked in the lot, but only ran into one couple along the trail. Nice warm-up, and the views from the Ledge are pretty stellar, especially considering the minimal effort required.
Middle Fork Trail. Ran this trail up until the landslide. Maybe 1.5 mi up. Some blowdowns en route but nothing insurmountable. I could've picked my way through the landslide if I was motivated enough, but I wasn't. Ran into two other groups. Photos below for anyone who is curious.
CCC. Returned to the Middle Fork TH and crossed the street to pick up the CCC trail. Ran this until it met back up with the road, then looped back on the road to the car. The CCC TH actually crosses the road at the washout, which I hadn't realized. This trail was very runnable, except for the two creeks, decom'd bridge, and then the last bit which crosses the landslide.
Driving out around 11 AM, every parking area along the road was completely full from Bessemer to Mailbox.

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Brucester
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PostSun May 17, 2020 8:20 am 
Moose wrote:
Digging this shot! Clearly there are trails I haven't done yet. How did the parking lot look? The last parking lot I saw, when I saw it, some classic lyrics escaped into the silence... "I got a 69 Chevy with a 396" (Springsteen lyrics) Great shots, thanks for sharing!

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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks



Joined: 13 Feb 2007
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostSun May 17, 2020 9:46 pm 
Moose -- thanks for the landslide shots on the Middle Fork trail. It sure looks like the bank receded even more this winter with more trees toppling into the slide area. I'll have to get out there with some older photos and do some then/now comparisons.

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Moose
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PostMon May 18, 2020 7:04 am 
Brucester wrote:
Moose wrote:
Digging this shot! Clearly there are trails I haven't done yet. How did the parking lot look? The last parking lot I saw, when I saw it, some classic lyrics escaped into the silence... "I got a 69 Chevy with a 396" (Springsteen lyrics) Great shots, thanks for sharing!
The parking lot was in great shape. We didn't continue onto FS5640 to Snoqualmie Lake TH, though. Yeah, definitely check out Garfield Ledges. Didn't really know what to expect and was really impressed. Whoever built the trail did great work.

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Moose
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PostMon May 18, 2020 7:08 am 
puzzlr wrote:
Moose -- thanks for the landslide shots on the Middle Fork trail. It sure looks like the bank receded even more this winter with more trees toppling into the slide area. I'll have to get out there with some older photos and do some then/now comparisons.
Sure thing. Would be really interesting to see your comparisons if you post some before/after pics!

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Bedivere
Why Do Witches Burn?



Joined: 25 Jul 2008
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Bedivere
Why Do Witches Burn?
PostSun May 24, 2020 9:33 pm 
Drove to the Dingford Gate yesterday. Road beyond Taylor R. bridge is appalling. SUV/truck/high clearance required. There are four significant washouts, three of which have abrupt enough transitions that decent clearance and approach/departure angles are required. The rest of the road is a continuous minefield of significantly sized potholes. It was a bumpy ride.

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Brucester
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PostTue May 25, 2021 4:01 pm 
Recent road conditions past the bridge? Doable with a car? TH volumes or vandalism?

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Noheaperture
Nohea



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Noheaperture
Nohea
PostTue May 25, 2021 4:35 pm 
Should be fine in any vehicle all the way to Taylor river.

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Brucester
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Brucester
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PostTue May 25, 2021 5:31 pm 
How about the road to Dingford?

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Noheaperture
Nohea



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Noheaperture
Nohea
PostTue May 25, 2021 8:03 pm 
Would not recommend going up dingford unless you have a high clearance vehicle ever. I have a 2 inch lift on my forester and it’s still barely enough to get over a lot of sections of the road.

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