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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Oct 13, 2014 - 11:18am PT
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BUMP
Good news!
I was talking to a guy from Probyn last week (they have the forest tenure for the area north of Chehalis Lake, including Eagle Creek) and they expect to replace the non-load-rated bridge across Chehalis River and/or build a new bridge across Eagle Creek within the next 2 years. Should lead to improved access to the Chehalis pks - maybe back to the old 45 minutes from the car to Statlu Lake standard.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Oct 14, 2014 - 01:53pm PT
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The way the mills are retooled nowadays you can cut down 30 yr old sticks and it's good.
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maurop
Gym climber
B-dot
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Good news!
I was talking to a guy from Probyn last week (they have the forest tenure for the area north of Chehalis Lake, including Eagle Creek) and they expect to replace the non-load-rated bridge across Chehalis River and/or build a new bridge across Eagle Creek within the next 2 years. Should lead to improved access to the Chehalis pks - maybe back to the old 45 minutes from the car to Statlu Lake standard.
Dru, any leads on whether they think this will happen soon (like this spring)?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 30, 2015 - 07:32pm PT
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Time to bump this thing.
With the weather we've had this year, everything in the Chehalis (and the Rexford/Slesse area) should be in perfect nick. Anyone been out and about?
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 26, 2016 - 03:17pm PT
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BUMP.
The bridge is replaced. You can drive to Stalu Lake trailhead again. The oldroad's brushed out but walkable to Grainger TH.
Apparently it's pretty thrashy getting to Nursery Pass still.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Jul 26, 2016 - 03:40pm PT
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Any 4x4 with clearance should do it. Not Subaru Legacy passable just yet
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 26, 2016 - 03:46pm PT
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Any 4x4 with clearance should do it. Not Subaru Legacy passable just yet
Don Serl used to heading for the Chehalis as going "Datsun bashing"
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psathyrella
climber
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Just wanted to bump this thread with approach notes, since the above ^ was extremely helpful in figuring out which bits of mcclane were up to date and which were not.
As far as FSRs, follow the clubtread directions linked from numerous places. Or, just plug statlu lake into google. Both send you on chehalis/mystery FSR. I.e., the new bridges mentioned above ^ shorten the walk required for the chehalis/mystery FSR drive, while the old FSR described in mcclane (along chehalis lake) is forever defunct.
Overall, it should take 90 min driving from the sumas border crossing to where you park [apologies for yank bias].
Once you are near the end of the FSRs you have three choices:
1) the old overgrown road described in clubtread. You can drive down this a few hundred meters and park, but better just to walk. This is the current/established hiker path to statlu lake. Be careful of the waterfall, and note the fresh SAR tape and heli pad. Probably 2hr walk from here to statlu lake.
2) follow FSR north, cross eagle creek, and bend back around south to park much closer (40 min walk) to statlu lake. Until Sept, this requires chatting with the extremely friendly guy living in a trailer guarding the logging equipment, so he opens the gate for you.
3) take the FSR south, cross the chehalis river on the other new bridge, then follow the south side of the chehalis river toward statlu lake, parking probably 45 min walk from statlu lake. Until sept, this would require getting a different (and slighly less friendly) security guy to open the gate for you, which he may or may not do. Next year, they will not be logging either of these parcels, so both roads should simply be open.
Routefinding for the trail between statlu and upper statlu lakes appears to have been done by a crew of coked up three-legged hermit crabs, but it is extremely well-flagged and beblueberried beyond all expectation.
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