Clockwise traverse of Lynn Peak

I had been planning to do this route for some time, gathering as much information as I could so as not to get our runnng group into any trouble. In the end, I had a partial idea of what we would encounter. The only way to fill in the blanks was to do it!

So yesterday, September 25, 2011, our group of 5 runners, ages from 45 - 63 set out on the route. For anyone lese planning to do it, here are my notes. Times are approximate, to within 5 minutes, I think.

00:00 Start from Rice Lake Gazebo on the Headwaters Connector 

00:17 Reach turn-off to Lynn Peak Trail

01:40 Reach Lynn Peak lookout; trail is well marrked to this point

01:50 After rest at Lookout, reach actual top of Lynn Peak

The trail dead-ends at the peak. About 20m down from the peak, there is a swampy mudhole with a downed tree across it. This is the route! You can see a ribbon beyond.

Just beyond this point, there is a ribbon indicating the trail to The Needles. Then the route heads steeply down a narrow wooded path. The ribbon said it was 2 hrs 40 minutes to The Needles, so we were a bit concerned about the time to the Hydraulic Creek Trail. Once you head down this trail you probably don't want to go back, though.

This trail is pretty well marked although there is a place or 2 you have to look carefully for the next ribbons. Eventually we passed a sign saying "Middle Peak", which I think is what the map calls "Lynn Peaks" - the 2nd and higher of the 2 Lynn Peaks. There is more up and down and then you come to a spot where you can at last see the (south) Needle. Ean said you might as well go up it if you have come this far, but it is not a trivial side trip.

03:15: Reach the Hydraulic Creek Trail

I was glad to see the trail and that we hadn't missed it because it is the only way down in this vicinity! It turns out that this spot is well-marked and would be hard to miss.

04:40 Reach the Seymour Valley Trailway

We stopped a couple times on the way down to get water from Hydraulic Creek and to make calls to arrange for thngs in town, since, as usual, I had underestimated the time required. Hydraulic Creek is long and steep. Ean says it is runnable. I don't know - we have some good downhill runners in our group and I didn't see any running. He must be an uber-goat!

05:18 Down the Trailway (a paved road) and back to the Gazebo.

We had planned to go down to Fisherman's, but by this time we just wanted to get back the fastest way.

This route is a bit of an adventure once you get past Lynn Peak Viewpoint, which is what we wanted. There were lots of people on the trail to the viewpoint, but no one else after. We had good weather. It would be much more difficult in snow or fog. 

Be sure to read the poem on the end of the log 3/4 down Hydraulic!

StevenLee