Thunder Creek, Shedroof Cutoff & Shedroof Divide — Friday, Aug. 28, 2020

This is one of my favorite dayhike loops in the Salmo Priest Wilderness. I normally hike it counter-clockwise, but this time opted to hike clockwise. I worked with an excellent BCRT crew that logged out & spruced up the Shedroof Cutoff trail in July, and all of the crew's attention to tread and drainage was showing! A subsequent PNTA crew removed the difficult tree our crew had to leave behind. Another BCRT crew cleared the part of the Shedroof Divide trail between the Cutoff and Thunder Creek, and subsequent PNTA and BCHW crews completed the task so the trail is currently 100% free of downfall. There are a few brushy sections, but they are short and tend to have a lot of very ripe huckleberries that make it nice when it's slower going. I was doing this route a day ahead of the Jackson Creek BCRT with an ulterior motive to check on the campsite near the top of the Thunder Creek trail. In previous years I've needed to pack a lot of garbage out of this campsite, so I wanted to make sure it was in good condition before choosing it for the trailwork crew. I'm happy to report that there was no trash this time! The exit via Thunder Creek trail was lovely as far as the clear-cut. That trail is absolutely gorgeous; probably my favorite in the Salmo Priest although marred by the ugly clearcut for the last 2 miles (and 8 switchbacks!). That section seems as though it might never end, although the trees are finally getting tall enough to provide some afternoon shade. The loop is 15.25 miles with over 3400' gain, so it's a tough dayhike. It includes a couple viable camping options along the route so could easily be a nice overnight backpack trip as well.