Red Lodge Creek Plateau Trail Building Project

**Montalaskan** · 08-12-2014, 10:24

I took Friday off last week to head up with the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Foundation and the USFS to help re-route the Senia Creek Trail on the Red Lodge Creek Plateau near Red Lodge, Montana.

The trailhead was moved in the past few years down to the end of the West Fork Road due to fire, and the trail re-routed. It starts at around 7800 feet but after a pretty intense first mile or so, you are over 8800 feet. Eventually, the worksite was around 10,000. For a ~4 mile hike, it's an intense one.

We were fortunate to have horse packers bringing in lots of gear for us, so packing light wasn't a big priority. Lots of creature comforts, a nice big cook tent and big bear boxes for all the smelly stuff.

I fell somewhere in the middle on the hike up and ended up hiking alone, which I actually like. Although, I wish I had my dog with me. The only issue was that I missed the tiny flag that marked the campsite and went another mile or so before I started thinking something was wrong. I turned around, walked to a ridge and saw the big white cook tent way down below. Just what you need when you are worn out already is another two miles and 1000 feet gained.

So as I finally got to camp, the thunder clouds were moving in and I had to set up fast. Unfortunately, tree selection isn't exactly stellar, many of the trees having been burned in 2007, and many of the others too close to each other. I ended up choosing poorly in my haste.

During dinner, the thunderstorm rolled in and we got hammered with lots and lots of rain. We also lost one of the camp dogs, who was scared by the thunder and ran off. Fortunately, he was found the next morning in the parking lot of the trailhead, safe and sound. Pretty lucky little 15 pound dog to make his way down that trail in the dark, all alone, with bears and mountain lions and so forth out there!

So bedtime came and my campsite was soaked except for under my tarp. It was then that I noticed the large pile of bear scat about 5 yards from my setup. It was a few days old, but not exactly what I had hoped to see. The other issue is that with the rain, these fairly young lodgepole pines had become flexible. So when I got in my hammock, my tarp ridge line loosened up enough that when the wind blew, the tarp was flapping pretty intensely.

The next day, after a hearty breakfast, we hiked up to the Plateau and dug trail and build cairns. It was hard work at 10,000 feet. I'm definitely going to have to work on my cardio, big-time. We kept entertained while working by tossing dirt clods for the director's dog, who has enough energy to power a medium-sized city.

It was on the hike up to work that I discovered my left heel had two large blisters on it, which would hamper me the rest of the weekend. Sunday's hike out was a painful one with my dominant foot so torn up and sensitive.

This was my first outing with my new Jarbidge UQ, and I can testify that my butt was nice and toasty the whole time!

Overall, great trip, well worth the pain. Next time, I'm getting to camp earlier than some of the ground dwellers so that they don't take all the good treed areas before I can.

Pics! (Click for full-size)

The view from the Plateau towards the valley and Luther, MT

The work crew digging trail. In the background are East and West Rosebud valleys, and Mount Wood, the second highest peak in Montana.

Panorama facing northwest towards Luther.

Panorama featuring Bare Mountain.

**2ply** · 08-12-2014, 17:37

Thanks for your work on the trails. Great looking scenery out there. That was one lucky lil dog.

**Alpine Dad** · 08-12-2014, 22:12

Those are some terrific photos. And not many trees. Looks like the entire group was working hard on this trail. I am sure your hard work is appreciated by many.

Cheers

**Montalaskan** · 08-13-2014, 12:44

Fortunately, we camped below the tree-line. That was one question I had for the organizer. "Are you SURE there are trees I can hang from!?" Otherwise I'd have brought a *gasp* tent.

Unfortunately, many of the trees had been burned in 2007, and were brittle, so I avoided those. And the others were younger, so there were lots of low branches, and not very many choices for places to hang (once everyone had claimed their ground, as I was last to camp.)

I wish I could have worked the whole trip, which ran through Tuesday, but I also know that I would have had a rough time doing so with the blisters that I had. Planning to do the whole trip next year, or a different ABWF trip. The work was tough but rewarding, and as a bonus, we didn't have to look far for rocks when building cairns.