Hey Guys!!
I did make it out, but not on Saturday, I went Sunday, and it was a good time. I'm glad I waited because the coast range has some pretty good showers, and there was fresh mud, and puddles to splash threw.
However, it was still pretty dry underneath.
The route I went was:
Went down highway 6 towards tillamook, and got off at before.. or after lees camp, on a road called North Fork creek road. There's a small bridge you go over right off the highway. and just to the left is a small parking lot, and straight ahead is some camp, and forgive me for being vague.
I'm usually having too much fun exploring to take down distances.
About 1 mile up on north fork creek road, theres a small ATV place / campground, and it was busy with a bunch of ATV guys. Gotta be careful because some of those trails cross the main road, and they do come flying up, over, and out.
About 2 miles or so, you come to a fork in the road.. Seeing is how I normally take north fork creek road, to west fork creek, to the top, I decided to hang a left, and head up Diamond Mill Road.
Diamond Mill road takes you up about 3 miles, and it's a good climb. You gain about 1800' in those miles, but the road is in good shape, so it's not that bad.
Staying on Diamond Mill Rd. you continue about 2 more miles (5 total or so), and you'll meet back up to west fork road, and then you'll move through a slit in the side of a mountain to the other side. It's kinda neat. West fork rd, and diamond mill, meet at a "T", (which the road as been carved out threw the mountain,) and then the road branches off to three other roads on the other side. On a good day, you can drive up to a lookout, that's not far from that intersection, but it was rainy and there was low clouds, so I passed.
So, right after you go through the slit, you will see a road off to the left called, South Fork cook creek road, and you basically follow that road all the way down to the Nehalem river road, and return either to Tillamook, or head up to 26 via the Nehalem river road. I went towards 26, and glad I did. Tons to see on that road, and found some really cool camping places.
Well.. I wasn't boards after jumping onto 26, so I decided to drive around some old areas I havn't been to in a while.
Heading towards Portland on 26, after you pass the reststop after jewel junction, there's a road on the left called Section 10 road. (If your going towards seaside it's just after Salmonberry road.)
I took Section 10 road to Salmonberry road, and stayed on Salmonberry for about 4 miles until I got to a big intersection, and took the road to the left called Cochran road. Cochran Road will take you from Salmonberry road to Timber. From Timber you just head back to 26, and on to home.
There's some new timber work 7-9 miles in from Timber on Cochran, and around 6 miles, it branches out, and there are some really cool, old places around there.. There's even an old railroad, and an old railroad area not to far from Cochran. Not sure if that's the railroad that the Tillamook train takes..
If you drive up Cochran from timber, a few miles in, there are some roads that branch off to the right, that have some mud spots, and some fun places to play. There was some clear cutting done about 5 years ago, so the roads are new and not fully graveled.
**I wrote that up as if someone wants to run that loop sometime. All the roads are listed in the Oregon Atlas and Gazzetteer by Delorme. That is the current book I use.. I still need to get some offical TSF maps with all the good details.
I'm full of trips like this if anyone is interested in stuff like this. Let me know if you are, and we can plan a trip sometime soon!!