Forum Index > Trip Reports > Hoodoo Gulch - MLH - 7/15/11
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Gamuru
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Gamuru
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PostSat Jul 16, 2011 1:02 pm 
Looking for something close to home to tackle I decided to run up the Loop to the Big Four/Ice Caves Trailhead. Just north of Big Four is Hall Peak and Hoodoo Creek. Up the creek is the Hoodoo mine as well as the Morrison Quartz Claim. In the valley below these claims are the mill sites for the Hoodoo, Morrison, Lakeview, Tenderfoot, Peacock, and Marysville claims. The latter four claims being on the Silverton side of the mountain.
Hoodoo Creek Mines
Hoodoo Creek Mines
Hoodoo Creek and Hall Peak.
Hoodoo Creek and Hall Peak.
My goal was to search for and locate the cabin sites shown on the Lakeview Mill Site plat and Morrison Quartz Claim. I headed out from the picnic area over the wooden walkway and across the river. It's at this point that I left the trail and headed into the brush. It wasn't long before I realized how extensive the blow down devastation was from the previous winters windstorms. Trees lay crisscrossed all over the place. Careful planning could have you moving great distances across the log highways they created. Before long, I crossed Hoodoo Creek and made my way across the Peacock Mill Site. I was searching for the old access road, and wouldn't you know it, I found it. Well, kind of.
An old differential cover.
An old differential cover.
A pretty good sign I was on the right road.
A pretty good sign I was on the right road.
I continued up the faint road. It tracked along just like the map showed. Before long it turned north and came to a small, flat clearing in the trees.
Possible cabin site.
Possible cabin site.
I poked around a bit, looking for signs of human habitation. Sure enough, a couple of pieces of leather shoe were found.
Old leather shoe.
Old leather shoe.
Old leather shoe.
Old leather shoe.
After spending about thirty minutes exploring the area, I turned my attention to the cabin site on the Morrison. Now, if you've ever spent any time up this area, you'll know that the woods hide many steep rock faces. The Discovering Washington Historic Mines book even makes mention of these if you go looking for the Hoodoo Mine. I tried to keep to the north of the mountain hoping to keep away from these. I climbed a few hundred feet and wouldn't you know it, I ran smack dab right into cliffs.
Cliffs everywhere!
Cliffs everywhere!
I climbed along the face trying to find a safe way up. Next thing I know I popped out into a slide area. Above were several more cliffs and the sound of falling water came from around corner. I poked around here and there trying to find another way up, but finally decided to make my way over to the water. I'm glad I did. What a view! My GPSr confirmed I was in Hoodoo Gulch. I decided this was as good as any place to kick back and enjoy some lunch.
A snow tunnel
A snow tunnel
Small falls into the snow tunnel.
Small falls into the snow tunnel.
Hoodoo Gulch
Hoodoo Gulch
A closer look
A closer look
Looking down stream
Looking down stream
Sheep Mountain?
Sheep Mountain?
Looking up the gulch and it's very high walls, I decided it was time to head back to the parking lot. Besides, I had a lawn to mow and something was telling me rain was coming. I made my way back around the slide area and around several more sheer rock faces down to the river.
Frog
Frog
Frog
Frog
On the way out, I saw this decent size frog. He paused long enough to get his picture taken. I'll have to get with the NWUE guys to figure out a path to get above these cliffs. This makes the second trip into this area that I've been skunked, but it was still a good adventure.

Don "The definition of a mine is a hole in the ground that belongs to a liar." ~Mark Twain
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Schroder
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PostSat Jul 16, 2011 2:31 pm 
This revived some old memories. I poked around there about 40 years ago & went up Hoodoo Gulch. A few years earlier, my brother went up Silver Gulch and came down Hoodoo. It's pretty difficult terrain. The only shaft I've ever come across on that side is high up just below the Big 4 - Hall Peak saddle and I think that's just a shallow prospect.

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Gamuru
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PostSat Jul 16, 2011 2:47 pm 
The Hoodoo is suppose to be about 430 feet deep. I know Jimbo has been up there. I'm hoping he'll chime in to let me know if it's visible in the picture I took and about how far up there it is. biggrin.gif

Don "The definition of a mine is a hole in the ground that belongs to a liar." ~Mark Twain
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H. Hound
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PostSat Jul 16, 2011 4:48 pm 
Stay out of the gulch, and in the Forrest on the right side of the gulch if you want to get to the mine. You will hit the wagon road that goes from the mine to Silverton, WA (not very wide). The wagon road goes right to the mine, and the last bit is blasted out of a cliff face.
Picture 118 (Large)
Picture 118 (Large)
Picture 124 (Large)
Picture 124 (Large)
More pix if you are interested.

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Gamuru
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PostSat Jul 16, 2011 4:52 pm 
Cool pics! up.gif

Don "The definition of a mine is a hole in the ground that belongs to a liar." ~Mark Twain
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iron
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iron
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PostSat Jul 16, 2011 5:22 pm 
awesome looking gulch. great eyes to see all the remnants!

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Jimbo
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PostMon Jul 18, 2011 12:36 pm 
Just seen your post, Yep like H. Said, stay right. From what I remember you should hit an old camp, all alder tree's and Crap about.. Head back and to the right, lot's of little cliff's but you can find a path up and hit that wagon trail. You keep going and just as your ready to give up POOF there she is...... I do want to revisit this place some day....

Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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Jimbo
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PostFri Oct 28, 2016 10:01 am 
Talk of a revisit this weekend ?

Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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tmatlack
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PostSat Oct 29, 2016 2:02 am 
Gamuru, et al, Good hunting! Not sure it would help you historical mine/trail/ hunters, but Fred Kruger at the Granite Falls Historical Museum has this historical map overlay software that can layer in old, older, oldest maps of the MLH/Granite Falls area. I don't know what sources he uses for his oldest overlays, but he is a user friendly dude and might be helpful. Tom

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Jimbo
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PostSat Oct 29, 2016 5:47 am 
Plan is set for Sunday, For now we have 2-5 peeps.

Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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PostMon Oct 31, 2016 3:49 am 
Trip on hold.

Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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Schroder
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PostTue Nov 29, 2016 5:44 pm 
Another perspective by blending a couple of images

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Jimbo
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PostSat Sep 23, 2017 8:06 pm 
Gave it a go today, party of 3. NO FIND confused.gif We took a different path, just over the slide area and UP. Long story shot, we figure we needed to go up a bit more and around a cliff band. Gawd that brush is so damn think, this is crazy hiking. Planning on next weekend again.

Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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Chief Joseph
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PostSun Sep 05, 2021 7:51 pm 
We went up HooDoo gulch yesterday, not our intention but it was pretty cool, some huge boulders up there, some precarious looking. We saw some old steel cables up there so there must have been a tram running down the slope at one time? We went up to the right of the waterfall and the brush was brutal, I think we went a bit too far right since we encountered some cliffs, but were climbable and used a rope in a couple of places. Once we gained about 200-250 feet we came to a kind of flat area with woods on the right and hoo doo gulch on the left. We were again trying to find the hoo doo mine. For some reason I decided we should go left and see if the gully might be doable since we were above the falls....and no. By that time we were pretty tired so traced our way back to the creek bed below. I think on our next attempt we will exit the creek bed to the west and try to follow the forest uphill until we hopefully find the old road that leads to the mine. That brush is so brutal and going uphill, it seemed we were in a Mangrove. shakehead.gif Good workout though, about 2 days to recover..

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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Chief Joseph
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PostSun Sep 05, 2021 7:56 pm 
So we followed the gulch south until we reached the huge boulder in the 2nd photo. It was impassable at that point unless you can do technical terrain, but probably no more than a 20+ fall...so technical climbing but only up about 200'. That would be cool to go up silver gulch and down hoo doo...The trail up silver gulch is actually a privately maintained trail...you need permission (or brush bypass) We saw signs of fairly recent trail clearing and I think some use it as an approach route to climb Hall peak. But we were surprised by the trail maintenance for sure. Wondering if someone could post a map of the old wagon road that ran from Silverton to the Hoo Doo mine? I see that Schroder posted a map, but I wasn't able to enlarge it in order to make it out.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.

mosey
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