From the Strother Creek crossing, we pass through Doe Run bottomland that may need puncheon or boardwalk work before entering USFS land.  Due to land ownership restrictions,  we have to cross a short ridge, which we accomplished with four switchbacks (if additional land/easements are acquired in the future, we can alter the switchback route).  Once in the next bottom, our options are again limited, so we routed the trail down the bottom, then up to a pine/cedar area via a hill-side cut and a climbing turn.  The trail proceeds to the edge of a clear cut, makes a climbing turn, then heads around the hillside just yards from the USFS border as it ascends the next ridge.

At this point we enter a recently logged area that is overgrown in brush, weeds and sticker-bushes.  For the next hundred yards or so, we did not place individual flags, as it was nearly impossible to walk through the area (click here for a picture).  The route is a straight line with a 5-8% grade to the next flag near the gully top, just out of the clear cut.

From here the trail begins its descent to the County Road 836.  The grade starts out at 5-8%, rounds the ridge end, then continues at 8-10% before making two switchbacks and before reaching the bottom.  The trail then follows the road for a few hundred yards before crossing.  A few places in the road-side stretch may beyond the capabilities of the trail dozer and may be put in by hand.

A note on the route from the clear cut to 836: the original plan called for us to continue south to near a ridge-top gravel road, then make a quick turn, following the ridge until 836.  The ascents and descents near 836 with this route plan were not acceptable, so we decided to cross 836 in the bottom.  A good examination of the topographic map of this area will reveal our revised route yields a better trail.

Once we cross 836, we routed the trail for quarter-mile along the bottom slope of an older clear cut.  The side-slope trail will not be difficult to establish with the trail dozer, and is preferable to the bottom which shows signs of frequent washouts. When the trail emerges from the old clear cut, we begin an ascent at an average 8-10% grade with one switchback and one climbing curve before crossing a saddle at a gravel road.

The trail proceeds relatively level for another quarter-mile, contouring at about the 1200-ft level until it crosses a logging road.  We switched the trail to the East side of the slope, as their are two proposed timber sales on the West slope.  The trail at this point is just below the ridge, and continues at this level until we start the descent to Highway J.

There are two switchbacks in the descent to get the the edge of USFS property at a section marker.  At this point an easement has been granted to the highway, and we did not flag these last few dozen yards pending a review of the easement particulars.  At this point, the North Karkaghne Section ends.   (Click here for a picture of the last flag we tied!)

- John Roth & Paul Nazarenko