Sunday's route enjoyed again today

This past Sunday I walked a new route that I enjoyed so much that I walked it again today.

This simple 3-mile out and back begins at the fork where NW Sulphur Springs Road becomes FR760. The right fork is FR720. If you walk FR720, you'll experience a very pleasant climb from roughly 590 feet elevation to 1000 feet over a mile or so. On a sunny morning, this is a nice alternative to FR760 which is shaded (and at the moment, also seeing some logging traffic). There's plenty of room to park at the fork itself as well as along the road nearby--please don't block the gates in any event.

You'll start off hearing lots of rushing water. At the fork, two streams converge: Soap Creek and an unnamed branch that you'll parallel during the first part of your walk. The forest you'll see is pretty young, but still very scenic especially in this first three-quarters of a mile. As you make the switchback, you may notice that the forest looks a little different. There is more madrone and a regenerating clearcut just a few yards away that likely make this hilltop a little drier than the ravine below. The second three-quarters of a mile amble more or less along this ridge as the road doubles back the way you came (but considerably higher in elevation than where you started). You'll end by passing through some small clumps of Douglas Fir saplings and arriving a turnaround.

There are numerous "unofficial" trails branching off and crossing this road. From the satellite view, it looks as if some of these trails probably connect to dirt roads on private property and may eventually intersect FR760 or FR700. For sure, there is plenty of exploring done out here as the mountain bike tracks and horse hoof prints attest.

Dogs enjoyed this route both times we've walked it. In the summer, I'll need to carry water though as there's not a stream crossing once we leave the parking area. I'm sure that I'll spend plenty of time on this one, though, as it's a pleasant, quiet, and relatively untraveled.