Wednesday, November 18, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
19
STA carves out new trail The Nugget Newspaper Crossword
By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service
Last week the Sisters
Trails Alliance (STA)
announced that they had just
completed a new trail and
invited me to check it out.
This trail is so new that I
could still see, in the fallen
pine needles, the blue paint
marks that were used to
mark the trail9s construction
route. It was a great feeling
to learn that the STA is con-
tinuing to expand on their
already impressive inventory
of local trails.
Gary Guttormsen served
as STA9s host and guide, and
we met at the new tempo-
rary trailhead for the Upper
Whychus Creek Trail (see
related story, page 3). The
actual trail beginning is
found across the Three Creek
Lake Road from the (perma-
nent) Whychus Trailhead, so
we walked the road back to
that official starting point.
STA9s new trail, com-
pleted under the purview of
the Forest Service, ascends
Peterson Ridge to join up
with the Peterson Ridge Trail
(PRT) system, but starts out
on completely flat ground.
This is a narrow single track
footpath only 3 no horses or
cyclists, please; and it soon
becomes apparent why it is
unsuitable for any means
other than foot travel.
This is a short connector
trail, only about half a mile
to the summit of the ridge;
but the trail itself is rated
as difficult, and for good
reason. Because of the lava
rock jumble that constitutes
Peterson Ridge, there is no
easy path up the rocky ridge.
So, when the trail reaches
the base of the ridge, it goes
steeply up. Then, after a few
short switchbacks, it gets
really steep 4 almost hand-
over-hand steep.
Because of Forest Service
COVID restrictions, the STA
volunteer crews were limited
to a maximum of eight per-
sons; and they were required
to maintain social distanc-
ing. As a result, the project
took a bit longer to complete
than originally planned.
In fact, while the trail
is substantially complete,
more work is planned for
the future. The plan for the
very steep trail segment
through the rocks includes
a provision for rock step-
ping stones, but the rocks
intended for the steps are too
big to be handled by a single
person. Therefore, the major
rock work will have to be
conducted in a post-COVID
timeframe when workers can
be close enough together to
move them into place!
As a result, persons with
mobility issues should not
attempt this very difficult
trail for the foreseeable
future. Further, for safety
reasons, this trail should
not be attempted if there is
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any significant snow or ice.
There was a slight smatter-
ing of snow on our trip up
the ridge last week, but it
proved not to be a problem.
After passing through
the rocks, the trail crests
the ridge near a lone pine
tree and joins up with the
PRT-west at a marker post
that wisely warns against
equestrian or cycle traffic
down the route we had just
completed.
There is a rock promon-
tory near the spot where
the trails meet that makes
a nice spot to lounge about
and enjoy the vistas that take
in all of Central Oregon9s
mountains and extend even
beyond Grizzly Peak near
Prineville. Just a few feet
past the trail junction is a
nice picnic table if you have
planned for a more formal
stop atop the ridge.
As nice as this trail is for
providing another access
to Peterson Ridge, the real
advantage is the fact that it
creates the opportunity for
multiple loop trail options
within the existing trail
system. For example, con-
tinuing south of the ridge,
the PRT connects with the
Whychus Overlook Trail,
which, in turn, can con-
nect via the Whychus Draw
Trail to the Whychus Creek
Trail and a variety of other
options.
It is hoped that this new
option will alleviate conges-
tion on the Whychus Creek
Trail by offering alternative
return routes that will reduce
hiker encounters on the basic
out-and-back route along the
creek.
T h e S i s t e r s Tr a i l s
Alliance is an all-volunteer,
501(c)(3) nonprofit com-
munity organization dedi-
cated to outdoor recreation,
education, and the planning,
constructing and mainte-
nance of walking, hiking,
cycling, and equestrian trails
in Sisters Country. Volunteer
help and new members are
always welcome.
For further information
about STA or performing
volunteer work on trails
or other outdoor-related
projects, contact the orga-
nization at 541-719-8822.
Additional information can
also be found on their web-
site at www.sisterstrails.org
or follow STA on Facebook
at Sisters Trails Alliance.
To reach this new trail,
simply head south on the
Three Creek Lake Road
(Elm Street in town) for a
little over four miles. The
trail begins on the east side
of the road directly across
from the Whychus Creek
Trailhead parking lot on the
right (west) side of the road.
Due to construction from the
Plainview Dam project, that
parking lot is temporarily
closed and a temporary lot
is located about a hundred
yards farther south.
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