Comments on: Drunken Charlie Lake http://roughstuffnw.org/archives/52 Wed, 22 May 2013 09:20:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Shane J. Bryant http://roughstuffnw.org/archives/52/comment-page-1#comment-553 Shane J. Bryant Wed, 22 May 2013 09:20:32 +0000 http://roughstuffnw.org/?p=52#comment-553 Decided to do this hike on a whim while in the area before realizing that the Dosewallips Rd is washed out and that the area had burned last year, but I''m very glad we went anyway. Here are some important points to consider:1. The road is washed out 3.5 miles before the Lake Constance TH, not 4.8 miles like the WTA guide says. So there are 7 extra miles to contend with.2. Take a bike! Bike the 3.5 miles, stash your bike, and enjoy the ride back down to your car after your hike. Your feet and knees will thank you!3. The previous review from April says there wasn''t a trail, but there is now. Most of the downed trees from the fire have been cut and there is an obvious trail up most of the first half. The second half wasn''t affected by the fire and is in normal condition. But like the sign at the TH says, it''s a "route" not a trail! Hiking and route-finding skills are necessary!4. I didn''t find the burned out section all that unpleasant. It''s an interesting opportunity to see life spring back after a wildfire. 5. If you can do Mailbox Peak, then you can do Lake Constance. 6. The trail is no longer overused due to the limited access and is starting to recover. Hiking immediately adjacent to Constance Creek is stunning, the lake is an amazingly unreal shade of blue, and there''s a good chance you might have the trail to yourself (especially on a weekday).7. This is a very challenging hike. Leave the kiddos at home and only attempt if you''re comfortable scrambling up sketchy sections of bedrock and then descending those on the way back. Decided to do this hike on a whim while in the area before realizing that the Dosewallips Rd is washed out and that the area had burned last year, but I”m very glad we went anyway. Here are some important points to consider:1. The road is washed out 3.5 miles before the Lake Constance TH, not 4.8 miles like the WTA guide says. So there are 7 extra miles to contend with.2. Take a bike! Bike the 3.5 miles, stash your bike, and enjoy the ride back down to your car after your hike. Your feet and knees will thank you!3. The previous review from April says there wasn”t a trail, but there is now. Most of the downed trees from the fire have been cut and there is an obvious trail up most of the first half. The second half wasn”t affected by the fire and is in normal condition. But like the sign at the TH says, it’’s a “route” not a trail! Hiking and route-finding skills are necessary!4. I didn”t find the burned out section all that unpleasant. It’’s an interesting opportunity to see life spring back after a wildfire. 5. If you can do Mailbox Peak, then you can do Lake Constance. 6. The trail is no longer overused due to the limited access and is starting to recover. Hiking immediately adjacent to Constance Creek is stunning, the lake is an amazingly unreal shade of blue, and there’’s a good chance you might have the trail to yourself (especially on a weekday).7. This is a very challenging hike. Leave the kiddos at home and only attempt if you”re comfortable scrambling up sketchy sections of bedrock and then descending those on the way back.

]]> By: Pat S http://roughstuffnw.org/archives/52/comment-page-1#comment-354 Pat S Tue, 19 Apr 2011 04:54:21 +0000 http://roughstuffnw.org/?p=52#comment-354 If you''re trying to make us jealous . . . well . . . it''s working. Nice early-season outing. Thanks for the great report. If you”re trying to make us jealous . . . well . . . it’’s working. Nice early-season outing. Thanks for the great report.

]]> By: Jimmy Livengood http://roughstuffnw.org/archives/52/comment-page-1#comment-353 Jimmy Livengood Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:37:30 +0000 http://roughstuffnw.org/?p=52#comment-353 Thanks for the pictures, Alex. That was a great ride, really nice road conditions. Fun to get the 29er out for a ride, but would''ve been fine on 35mm tires. It was also nicely inclined, with only a couple of 1 or 2-block long small-ring climbs. Roscoe was very tired that night! I think we''ll stick to single track where he can keep up better (vs. these fast road sections). Thanks for the pictures, Alex. That was a great ride, really nice road conditions. Fun to get the 29er out for a ride, but would”ve been fine on 35mm tires. It was also nicely inclined, with only a couple of 1 or 2-block long small-ring climbs.

Roscoe was very tired that night! I think we”ll stick to single track where he can keep up better (vs. these fast road sections).

]]> By: sam http://roughstuffnw.org/archives/52/comment-page-1#comment-352 sam Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:01:08 +0000 http://roughstuffnw.org/?p=52#comment-352 Thanks for the post, I''m glad to see a new route. This looks like a ride I''d like to try. Thanks for the post, I”m glad to see a new route. This looks like a ride I”d like to try.

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