[KarlK]

[Brushbuffalo]

[KarlK]

Steeper and longer, yes, but the curious thing is I like hiking & being in the mountains more than ever. So that's a plus.

[Anatoli]

Hi Brushbuffalo! We met snowshoeing today on Anderson mountain. I introduced myself as Garth and my black lab Loki. Really enjoyed our conversation about the natural history of this place. The geologic displacement I referred to as " Nobody's Fault" is quite large and most of it is obscured by forest cover between the 2 parallel North/ south road sections. This area has a remarkable "feel" to it and is a nice contrast to the sublime summit area. The DNR access road (Alger Mountain road) from the south is unlocked September 1 to December 31 annually. Happy Trails

[Brushbuffalo]

Hi Garth, Yes, it was fun meeting you and Loki today! Thanks for your work on the trails. The elongated depression you are referring to is another sackung. I didn't photograph it in my original report here because it is not convincing of anything at all in a photo with the thick forest pretty much hiding it. I explored it in 1996 and it has some deep holes between masses of blocking debris. Kind of eerie. It and several others show clearly in LiDar imagery., which "sees through" all the vegetation and makes this area look like Utah.

[Anatoli]

Yesterday Loki and I made the short but difficult brush crash into the historic Alger Mountain Shingle Mill site on Anderson Mountain ( aka Alger Mountain ). This small community consisted of a mill, rail siding, and 7 or 8 houses, and was reached by trail or steep inclined railroad. Located about 1/4 mile behind (southeast) of the large quarry about 3 miles up the Alger Mountain road, this operation was active 1910-1918. A school for the employees' children was open on site from 1911-1915. Our search for artifacts or evidence was not rewarded: we were only able to locate the site above Dry Creek, large old growth cedar stumps, and the rail grade, switch junction, and tail track spur. A foot of snowcover didn't help. Perhaps further exploration in season with a metal detector will be fruitful. As a hike I cannot recommend it unless you (like me) enjoy the challange of locating and exploring historical sites.

[puzzlr]

[Anatoli]

DNR closes the gate January 1 to August 30th. Still 3 miles one way isn't bad.

[Brushbuffalo]

[Brushbuffalo]

I returned on December 7 and hiked the PNT from the west to the top of Anderson Mountain.There was minimal snow right from the trailhead and about 1 foot on top. The trail is easy to follow. One place you can go wrong is at about 1 mile up from the start on a switchbacking logging road, go LEFT, still on road, until after about 100 yards you find the trail on right. You might be tempted to go right back at that road junction. (There is a lower place on the road where you do go right but it is at the first switchback). Most other places on the PNT are marked with conspicuous white paint stripes on trees or stumps. The final 100' to the summit is steep and challenging with snowshoes on, although it is not at all exposed. It might be better with more snow like there is up there now and probably will remain for much of this winter.

[Anatoli]

Hi BB. I think I know why you were having difficulty finding the Alger Shingle mill site. From your description in sounds like you were at 1500' on the Parson's creek drainage. The creek road crossing was just recently removed and blocked here in the last 2 years. My approach traveled 3 miles uphill on the main road to the large quarry. Park at the quarry and work from the north end south-southeast on the obvious overgrown road. The rail grade is very difficult to discern but parallels the overgrown road slightly west in the depression before the steep 30' quarry walls are reached. This area was thinned fairly recently and the resulting slash makes for very tough going. The best route follows the overgrown road to the east. Check out Google Earth. Both the overgrown road and the rail grade are visible. One can travel southwest from the site over the small ridge through easier terrain and pick up an old quad trail back to the main road. Gotta love a challenge!

[Brushbuffalo]

Actually, Anatoli, I was at the end of the drivable road at Dry Creek, having passed Parson's Creek lower down. However I will next try the approach you recommend. I poked around on that quad trail for maybe 1/4 mile on another day, but didn't get as far as near the mill site. What's some more brush and slash?

[Anatoli]

Visited the Alger Mill site 12/27. Parked at the quarry in about 2 feet of snow. Love my approach Jeep! Stumbled through the tangle and made a small discovery. It appears that the overgrown road, if followed to the creek, circles back to the mill site and the rail grade tail track. The maps show the mill buildings on each side of the tail track with the residences at the northern end of the complex. I believe that the abandoned road was the route used to supply the cedar bolts to the south end of the mill. Probably by either horsecart or tramway. The material flow through the mill would have been south to north, finished product being loaded on railcars to be lowered down the incline 1 mile north. I also have a photo of the Dry Creek railroad trestle during construction, said to be 108 feet tall. Am not sure of this location but Google earth provides some clues. Lidar would really help locate this feature. It may have continued the railgrade across Dry Creek adjacent to the mill site but I won't know until I can investigate further. The small canyon is dangerous to explore in these conditions. Another likely trestle location is at the creek crossing at the end of the drivable road system about 1.5 miles southeast. As BB mentioned, there were other railroads accessing Alger Mountain (Anderson Mountain). One began near Wickersham and contoured southwest to switchback up the southern aspect of the mountain. The current road system uses much of this grade. The high trestle will be where the grade crosses Dry Creek.

[Anatoli]

An additional note re: Anderson Mountain summit. I found mention of the Wickersham Lookout (1941) on Anderson Mountain and searched for it. Made a passable deer trail north from the popular summit viewpoint, down into an interesting sackung, and up to the next knob. Could not locate any physical evidence of the 90' tower, supports, or access trail. No views from here. Will need to just keep looking....