Getting stuck in the dark is something that no hiker likes to do. However, sometimes the personal victory of beating a trail makes it worth the risk.

After work on a recent Friday, I decided to go for a hike in the Tarbell area outside Battleground. Tarbell itself is a 30 mile loop trail with several spurs that lead up various hills and small mountains in a very rugged area. The idea was to take a quick drive north, hike to the top of Silver Star Mountain, and head home. However, considering my history with the Tarbell, I should have known that it wouldn’t let me off that easy.

My first two trips to the Tarbell Trail System were both spawned from stories about great mountain biking trails in the area. My first trip was planned to be a ride up Larch Mt., followed by several miles of downhill singletrack. After 5 miles of unrelenting uphill riding and the start of what would turn into a heavy snow, I decided to call it a wash.

My second trip to the Tarbell met a similar, though warmer, fate. I again decided to try Larch Mt., but from a different trailhead. After 4 miles of uphill I had gone through well over half my water in the blazing heat. Again, I turned around and headed back.

My third trip turned out only slightly better. This time I decided to give up on the bike and try hiking up Silver Star Mountain. It was early spring, had been fairly warm, and Silver Star tops out at about 4400ft. I figured I would only find snow at the summit. I was wrong…

The road to the trailhead

(more…)