Wednesday, September 05, 2007

FāvRun: National Forest Road 23 Washout

Name: NF23 Washout/Closure
Type: Out-and-back
Distance: 2/4/6 miles
Start: Mile 35.8
Washout: Mile 34.8
6-Mile Turnaround: Mile 32.8

This out-and-back route has (nearly) unlimited distance options, but I recommend 2, 4, or 6 miles to make use of the 3-mile section closed to motor vehicles. (Caution! Even though the road is closed, someone moved the barricades on the north end of the closed section, so be alert for the rare vehicle.) Most of the road is shaded in the morning and later afternoon, but you'll want a hat and shades during midday runs on sunny days.

Start at the intersection of NF23 and NF90, about 0.2 miles past mile marker 36 from Trout Lake, and head up the hill past the concrete barricades. The road is paved for about the first 500 yards and climbs for the first ¼ mile. After descending for ½ mile, the road slopes up the remaining distance to the washout (another ¼ mile). Here is this route's main attraction: a 30-feet-wide canyon where the road used to be--the small culvert was no match for last winter's rainstorms.

Turn around at the washout for the 2-mile option, or cross the makeshift path on the right and continue up the (increasingly steep) hill for a longer distance. From the washout, the road climbs for about 1 ¼ miles, passing mile marker 34 (turn around at the top of this hill for the 4-mile route), before descending for about ½ mile, crossing a bridge, and climbing past the (moved) concrete barricades and mile marker 33. Keep going all the way to the 'T' intersection for the 6-mile course.

This run is very pleasant with great views of densely forested ravines and valleys, and c'mon, how often do you get to see a riverbed where the road used to be? For those concerned with such matters, the dirt road continues past the 6-mile turnaround for a few miles to the left and about 10 miles to the right, so longer distances can be accommodated.