| - | Bruce Tropple Horse Camp | |
Submitted by MarlaineMcCauley
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 13.21
6/18/2020 - 6/20/2020 - Camped at Bruce Tropple Indian Camp Horse Camp. For those who haven't been there in a while, there are only 2 horse camp spots in Indian Camp. The best advice is to arrive on Thursday no later than noon otherwise non-horse campers may have taken over the designated horse camping spots.1st Note: due to the forest fire 3 years ago, trails may have been bulldozed over, or no longer accessible. In the horse camp, between the 2 campsites looks to be a trailhead. Don't take it. Once you climb the very steep trail, you end up in a barren wasteland due to the forest fire with no visible trail to follow and downed trees everywhere. There are other trails to ride so just avoid this area.2nd Note: Middle Fork Teanaway Trail - lots of downed trees and overgrown brush making the trail very challenging or hard to see. Lots of river crossings as well. The river was still a little high in spots but passable with a sure-footed and experienced trail horse. Due to COVID these trails have not been cleared by BCHW or DNR or USFS. I would rate this entire trail MOST CHALLENGING. When its cleared it would be a mix between Easy/Moderate with Challenging in some sections.We rode the Middle Fork Teanaway Trail and turned onto Way Creek Trail to make a loop. Way Creek trail looked like it had been cleared. It has steep inclines, narrow trail in spots, with dropoffs on one side. Part of the trail was muddy with spring runoff but not difficult. Some switchbacks as well. Again, sure footed trail horse will be needed on this section of trail. Making the loop back to camp, we encountered more downed trees on steep inclines. It was a workout for both rider and horse. The last section of trail before arriving at camp was through the barren wasteland of forest fire bulldozing. The trail was wiped out but with a GPS you can navigate where the trail should be - we were able to pick up the trail the last mile or so before popping out onto Middle Fork Teanaway Road with just a short leisurely walk back to the horse camp.SUGGESTED RIDING IF YOU GO THIS SUMMER BEFORE TRAILS ARE CLEARED: Instead of the marked trails like Middle Fork or Yellow Hill Trails, ride the Middle Fork Teanaway Road north from the horse camp past the Middle Fork and Yellow Hill Trailheads. Continue on the access road until you see a yellow gate straight ahead (the road will begin curving to the right). Proceed to the yellow gate (there is a trail around the gate) and ride in that area. These trails are part of the northern section of Teanaway Community Forest. Use a trail map or GPS or smartphone to track your ride so you know how to get back to Indian Camp and. It can be disorienting with all the trail loops. These trails are wonderful and you'll get to explore a part of the Teanaway Community Forest that you might not otherwise see if you camp at Teanaway Campground.The Horse Camp at Indian Camp was roomy, places to highline or set up portable corrals. We had two good-sized LQs in one campsite with plenty of room. Picnic table and fire pit included. Discovery Pass required.I hope this helps.
|
|
