[Jordan]

Hello everyone.  I am looking for any information about the road out of Galena that follows Salmon Creek and heads up towards Hard Pass?  I was on it last about 20 years ago and did not go all the way to the end.  I am assuming the road has been washed out since then like all the other roads in the area.  Anyone been on it lately.  Anyone walked to Hard Pass from there?  Looks doable.  Is there any easier way to get to Hard Pass?  I've been to Gulch Lakes and looks like it is accessible from that route if necessary.  Anyone with any experience up there?  Thanks again.

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[Nancyann]

Jordan, I walked up it three years ago, but it didn’t go very far. I’m wondering if the creek eroded it away to the point where it just disappeared.

[Sky Hiker]

It seemed like there was someone looking for the same info last year. Did you try doing a search then contacting that individual? Seems there was something about those old bridges being washed out making it difficult

[Jordan]

[Jordan]

[Nancyann]

I walked up an old road that goes up Salmon Creek, not Silver Creek, but it doesn’t go very far.
The road up Silver Creek towards Mineral City has had some volunteer work being done on it according to some posts.

[Nancyann]

I think you are talking about the road that goes up Mineral Butte, which I have been up and wrote a trip report about.

[Jordan]

Yes, up towards Mineral Butte.  Thanks, I'll take a look at your post.

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[Nancyann]

PM Steve Erickson, he is the expert and Mike Collins also. 

[timberghost]

[Schroder]

The old road up Salmon Creek FR6330 was last logged in the 60's by my memory. I would think you'd barely be able to find the road bed.

[Joey]

The orange on this map is the USFS "road closed" GIS overlay.

https://mappingsupport.com/p2/gissurfer.php?center=47.909746,-121.461067&zoom=14&basemap=ESRI_scanned_topo_USA&overlay=Trail_yellow,Trail_black,Motor_road_open,Motor_road_closed&txtfile=https://mappingsupport.com/p2/special_maps/recreation/USFS_recreation.txt

If you turn that overlay off and change the basemap to "ESRI aerial clarity" then you can easily see parts of the road.  There is not any way to know the date of the aerial.

The map will work offline (and show your geolocation) but there is a trick to it.

For documentation:
1. Click "Map tips" upper left corner
2. Also see the homepage https://gissurfer.com

[Nancyann]

Thanks Joey, That is interesting that your map shows a trail continuing up Salmon Creek after the road ends. I didn’t see any sign of it when I was up there. However, the road wasn’t too bad after it splits off and heads up towards Mineral Butte, just need clippers and a saw. Unfortunately, you reach a landslide and after that you actually have to crawl on your belly to make any progress. Easier to see the roadbed though.
Steve knows the best route up.

[Joey]

@Nancyann
That is an old logging road going up Salmon Creek on the USGS topo.
If you change the basemap to "ESRI aerial clarity" then you can follow that road.
It does some switchbacks and then gave access to an area that is obviously logged.

No doubt much of the road is overgrown with alder since sunlight could reach the ground.  But if you zoom in on the aerial then you can easily see the difference in vegetation.

[Nancyann]

Thanks Joey, these maps are fun to look at. The switchbacks eventually lead up to Mineral Butte, and we did get halfway up the final set, but haven’t been back since. Lots of wild country to explore. I think the first explorers went over Hard Pass to get to the upper reaches of Silver Creek and the future site of Mineral City and there was a reason they named it Hard Pass.