LOOMIS NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION AREA

Johnny Beall Trail

Activity: Day Hike, Bushwhacking, Camping

2.5 miles, 365′ elevation gain, duration 2 hours, rated Easy to Not So Much…

Date: 8/6-7/22

To escape the heat from the valley below I loaded up my 4Runner TRD Pro and found myself ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ up on a mountain in North-Central Washington. With some fantastic views my capable rig maneuvered the incline up through the woods to Cold Creek Campground a nice little spot with a National Park style pit toilet and multiple camp spots.

I enjoyed a quiet night camped in my rig and having the whole area to myself. The next morning I was intrigued by the very cool wooden map display and decided to take a hike on Johnny Beall Trail, which left from this spot.

The PNW woods were beautiful, but the trail was not maintained and from the looks of things this untamed wilderness path appeared as if no one had been on it for years. It was hard to follow and much of the time it just seemed like I was just “Traipsing Through the Woods”, which there is certainly nothing wrong with that, but I was hoping for a nice trail to wander. My path was increasingly less of a hike and more of a bushwhacking expedition. I heard this trail called an ‘lodgepole luge course’ which was a perfect description of this forest filled with downed lodgepole pines. I climbed over down trees, ducked under them, and tried to go around. Finally as the hike completely deteriorated into a jungle gym of climbing over dead trees and never quite sure if I was on course as much of the time there didn’t seem to be even remnants of a trail being there, I bailed on the idea.

I then drove a short distance to a cool viewpoint just up the dirt road from the camp area. Boy of boy is this place beautiful.

Then as I made my way back I swung by Chopaka Lake which was stunning and a great representation of why remote mountain lakes are so enchanting.

Thanks for practically bushwhacking through the woods with me. I may not have been able to enjoy the nice trail hike that I set out for, but hiking days are always better than office days. Besides there is a certain charm to something wild and natural when you find yourself ‘Pursing Balance Through Adventure”. The premise of PBTA is finding yourself during a journey of self discovery, to gain a feeling of peace and contentment through the immersion of bold experiences in Nature. To locate that sweet spot between the routine of responsibility and wild abandonment. In order to set off on this path I challenge you to LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW and SHARE.  If you explore the menu above you will discover many places that PBTA travels to and while they are not Nirvana: a state of perfect happiness, an idyllic place- they certainly are pretty close to the mid point we are seeking between that and the drab monotony of our every day routine in this fast paced, crazy mixed up world. If you indeed set off on a journey towards Nirvana then you will need a hat and shirt proudly displaying the PBTA logo and mantra. You can find that at SHOP APPAREL.

Happy Trails, 

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure