Clockwise loop from Ingalls Creek trailhead -> Etienne Creek -> Cascade Creek -> Ingalls. As others have noted, map+compass+GPS are an absolute must for Etienne and Cascade.
Etienne: fine until just past the federal mining claim cabin, then the trail becomes a bushwhack fest, crossing the stream multiple times. Trail was very faint climbing to Old County Line Trail. West of Wrong Turn Peak, the trail narrowed and zig-zagged down an incredibly steep scree field. Even with butt-scooting, I only made it halfway down before I could feel the ground starting to slide out. A tumble would have resulted in permanent injuries or worse, so I turned around and decided to descend Cascade Creek to Ingalls.
Cascade Creek: If the trip report from 2001 described this as "should not be attempted unless experienced", imagine another 24 years of no maintenance added to that. The trail starts innocuously enough, but quickly becomes the route-finding experience of your life. Even with GPS (which was slightly offset north and west from where Gaia said the trail was), I had to turn around multiple times since what I thought was the trail turned into a dead end of brush, cliff, or stream. To be fair, the trail does reappear every now and then, but it's been reduced to a goat trail at best. The descent took almost 2 hours, and I can't even imagine trying to ascend this.
Ingalls: An absolute dream after the other two trails, although certainly lacking their "adventurous" aspect. Encountered two rattlesnakes ~2.5 miles from the trailhead; always be aware and alert!
Comments
Is there a log over Entienne Creek before the old cabin or do you need to ford the creek? I imagine the creek is pretty low this time of year but I'm curious how it might be in the springtime.
Posted by:
fourteen410 on Aug 20, 2025 12:25 AM
Didn't see a log to cross on, but the water was low enough this time of year that I could rock hop across. The creek is narrow at that point, and you'd be far enough upstream that fording in the spring may be possible. The trail crosses the creek about a dozen times before that point though, so you'd certainly get a lot of practice!
Posted by:
gullfriend on Aug 23, 2025 09:59 PM
Thanks! I went out there today but didn't see the cabin in your picture, just a collapsed one about 0.75 mi west of the washed out bridge/road parallel to 97. Is the cabin you saw further up valley around 3900'?
Posted by:
fourteen410 on Sep 06, 2025 11:48 PM
Yes, the collapsed log cabin is further west. From the Ingalls Creek Trailhead following the Etienne Creek trail, it's about 6.3 miles in, at the end of Iron Mountain Road (NF 400). Approximate coordinates are 47deg 25'13"N, 120deg 43'46"W at elevation 3920ft.
Posted by:
gullfriend on Sep 11, 2025 03:04 PM