View Full Version : Three Ridges Wilderness and The Priest Mountain
Sir Evan
02-12-2007, 11:38
My friends and I are planning a backpacking excursion over our spring break, coming up in early March. We have been considering a 40 mile/4 day trip in which we would have to hike the Three Ridges Wilderness and to the top of the Priest Mountain in one day. I've hiked the Priest 5 times, so I'm well aware of its difficulty, but I've haven't hiked Three Ridges, so I can only go on what people tell me about it, which is that it is a very strenuous hike. Is it feasible to hike both Three Ridges and the Priest in one day? This is my main question. How challenging of a hike would this be? Has anyone done it? Thanks for your help!
- Sir Evan
Blissful
02-12-2007, 11:56
Why not? Many thrus have done it that way, hiking North to South, from Maupin Field (or from Rusty's) to Priest Shelter. We actually hiked it South to North, stayed at Maupin Field (which I think is more challenging that direction) and went down the mar har trail. I think elevation wise, since you are going down in elevation to Tye River Gap, it would be easier. And you already know about the Priest. Go for it.
Kerosene
02-12-2007, 12:02
Sure, I think that this is very doable if the weather is cooperative and your group is in reasonable shape. It's just under 14 miles from Maupin Field Shelter to The Priest Shelter. Assuming you're heading SOBO, the climb up to Three Ridges isn't too bad, but the descent down to the Tye River is pretty rough and not graded nearly as well as the climb up The Priest. It was a little slippery in the wet as I descended.
[Note that in my section hike I stopped at Tye River to camp since we had started out late due to rain and had cranked out 22 miles the day before, so we were ahead of schedule.]
My friends and I are planning a backpacking excursion over our spring break, coming up in early March. We have been considering a 40 mile/4 day trip in which we would have to hike the Three Ridges Wilderness and to the top of the Priest Mountain in one day. I've hiked the Priest 5 times, so I'm well aware of its difficulty, but I've haven't hiked Three Ridges, so I can only go on what people tell me about it, which is that it is a very strenuous hike. Is it feasible to hike both Three Ridges and the Priest in one day? This is my main question. How challenging of a hike would this be? Has anyone done it? Thanks for your help!
- Sir Evan
:D more like a 2 day hike:cool: neo
going sobo over three ridges is not too bad unless someone has a bad knee - its a whole lot of down after a modest amount of up - there is at least one place and maybe two (can't remember for sure) where one will be scrambling down a short stretch of rock which may be an issue if raining and would definately be an issue if the rocks are iced over.
Almost There
02-12-2007, 20:20
easily done in one day, if you start in the morning. Last summer we didn't start hiking up the Priest NOBO until around noon and we were down at the Tye River before 6pm. It would be a long day by some standards but definitely doable, btw I had a deep quad strain coming down the Priest, so at normal speed I would have been down closer to 5pm.
totally Boagus
02-12-2007, 20:39
Evan,
should be no problem. I have been with a group of older Boy Scouts on a few occasions during what they call "the Three Ridges Burn". We leave from the Humpback rock parking area and hike to Harpers Creek. The next day we drop to the tye, up and over the Preist and back down to the fish hatchery. A big trip for a weekend but the boys tend to run the last mile....... AHH, Youth!
Have a fine trip it's a great section.
TB
trlhiker
02-12-2007, 20:46
I did this last spring except we stopped at Harpers Creek shelter. It took us, not in the best of shape,4 hours to go from Maupin Field to Harpers creek. The next day we were on top of the priest by 3pm. that was with a 30 minute rest stop at the tye river and leaving the shelter at 8;30. So if you are in good shape it is very doable.