[Joey]

In years gone by I have hiked the Thorp Lake fisherman's trail a time or two or three. Before long this trail goes through a really nice meadow with a very small (1 foot wide?) stream. It then climbs over a ridge and drops to Thorp Lake. OK, admittedly it may have been a decade or more since I went that way. So today we drive to the end of the Thorp Creek road, see the trail, hike a short way to a small creek and see two obvious trails directly across the creek bed. We took the trail to the right. It starts out ok and gets into the real woods. This trail is obviously cut out. Someone did a whole bunch of work doing that. Then the trail gets steep and steeper and steeperer. What the... We bailed and slid down the worse bits - did I mention the loose rocks? - on our butts. Option A: Back in the day we danced up this kinda stuff light as a feather without a care in the world. Now as senior citizens we are in over our head. Option B: We screwed up and took the wrong trail. 1. Anyone got good beta on finding the Thorp Lake fisherman's trail from the end of the road? I just finished doing a search and I think we should have gone up the creek bed a bit in order to find the real fisherman's trail. 2. Anyone know where the steep and cut out trail we were on goes to? It seemed to peter out at the base of an equally steep and open slope.

[Waterman]

Have not hiked this trail. But I have to admit that trails I have hiked in the past don't quite square with recent redo's. Memory plays tricks on you. Some of the best trips I have done are the ones that didn't go as planned. Those are the ones that get recalled over a forbidden campfire.

[whitebark]

It's been awhile since I've done the short cut route to Thorp, but I do recall that the trail makes a tricky turn up a stream bed near the start. The first I attempted the route, I missed the turn and ended up on the steep slope like you did. You can eventually regain the trail by scrambling up the ridge, but it is tough going. The trail is easier to follow coming down from Thorp Lake.

[Backpacker Joe]

I do this hike two to three times a year. When the trail FIRST hits the stream you need to turn LEFT and hike straight up the creek! Not long after the trail meanders right away from the stream, then goes left across the stream and heads straight up the ridge. Here ya go. https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8029690&highlight=thorp+lk+lake

[Joey]

Perfect! Thanks BPJ.

[Brushbuffalo]

I remember seeing Thorp Lake in 2001 and was interested in the obvious peninsula that nearly splits the lake in two, which peninsula is almost certainly due to a landslide. It would be interesting to determine the age of the oldest trees on it as a limit for the youngest age for the landslide..

[Kim Brown]

[Kim Brown]

[MyFootHurts]

I actually read this this post an hour or so before doing this trail on Friday. I wouldn't have even noticed the path to the left if I wasn't specifically looking for it. Up a small boulder then along a rocky, steep, brushy creek bed. After about 200 feet of climbing it levels out a bit in open forest then you reach the meadows with the view of Thorp Mountain you were talking about. Then more brush and climbing. Trail ended at some campsites on the north side of the lake. I was also looking out to see if the new mystery trail joined up but saw no sign of it. I also stashed my electric mountain bike in the woods by the gate for the Thorp Creek trail and made a loop out of it.

[Brushbuffalo]