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| Backpack | 12.00 Miles |
2,300 AEG |
| | Backpack | 12.00 Miles | 2 Days | | |
| 2,300 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I don’t know how it took me so long to hike the Raspberry Trail. Over the years, I had passed by its upper trailhead and lower terminus at the Blue several times, but a lack of knowledge about the trail and fire damage in the area had always pushed this one to the back burner.
My interest for the trail was piqued last year upon learning of some recent trail maintenance and the planting of Gila Trout in Raspberry Creek. However, as luck would have it, by the time I finally got out to hike the trail, I think I hiked it while it was closed, as it was on the periphery of the Bringham Fire. I did not start at the “correct” trailhead that day and completely missed the big closed sign on the trailhead kiosk before I started. Closure aside, this was only a short hike anyways, but it was enough to convince me the area was worth returning to.
Memorial Weekend 2021:
After making the short drive up from the valley Thursday night and staying at the Strayhorse Campground, we hit the trail Friday morning. We started our hike to a cool morning in a pleasant, tidy, pine forest around 7,800 feet. The first couple miles of the trail are spent contouring along the slopes of the rim and Blue Peak on excellent trail. The up and down nature of the trail through here will get your blood going, but each drainage you dropped into and climbed out of along here proved to be very scenic in nature. Ferns, ponderosa and hardwoods. Nearly everyone of these drainages had a muddy seep and marked spring on the topo, however apart from one, none of them offered as much as a drink for the dogs. Around mile three the trail enters an excellent mixed forest of conifers and hardwoods. The fine line between devastation and survival during a wildfire is evident along this stretch of trail and through Raspberry Basin. Running water appeared around the fourth mile and we hiked along a flowing stream for the rest of the day. The gurgling, columbine lined creek and excellent trail made for some of the most pleasant hiking I have done in the Blue Range to date. Campsites were few and far between along the trail, but we made an excellent site on a bench along the creek around mile five.
We spent the day reading, napping and enjoying our surrounding along Raspberry Creek for most of the day, however, we did complete a short hike downstream to further explore the area. We turned around at a burned corral that did not survive the last fire that went through here. I still want to complete the final portion of Raspberry Trail to the Blue, but I left feeling more than satisfied with our small incursion into the area. We returned the way we hiked in on the second day.
Raspberry Trail and Creek offer some of the more pleasant and scenic hiking that can be found in the Blue Range and the cost of admission is relatively low by Blue standards. We did not see any Gila Trout, but I plan to return to the area for some more intimate exploring in the future. I am extremely grateful for what survived along this trail and hopeful for the recovery of the surrounding forest and continued maintenance by the forest service. |
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Route Editor
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