Asunto: Re: weekday hikes
i am looking right now at MARCH: friday 24th AND tuesday 28th march. STARKER FOREST/ MCCULLOCH PEAK. HARD LONG STRENUOUS DIFFICULT. FOR THE INTREPID.we meet ready to hike at the barn at 10am. hikers can figure out carpooling as needed. 2 liters water and snacks for the day and lunch and full-on rain gear and good boots. i carry microspikes. poles are good. there would be gravel logging roads and some trails. it is muddy and snow is predicted under 1800 feet for friday but who knows. nothing is on the ground right now. we can poll hikers at certain points to see how they are doing as the routes are connected and can vary. we will be flexible if there is a problem. we start at the parking at tonka and starview (the barn) and go past a couple houses into starker. we wind around on road - up and down - and get to a nasty, brutish and short VERY steep trail (hands may be needed ) leading to the south cardwell ridge line road. then it is reasonably gentle ridgeline and a choice : circumnavigation of mcculloch peak (gentle road climbing ) and a summit of the peak (2200 ish) and we take the skillings road down; or, we can do the direct (not gentle ) hike to the summit and take skillings down. these are for very strong hikers with endurance. there are no facilities of any kind. cell service is spotty. folks would need to let me know at least 48 hours in advance. email is best.ellen gradison