In driving to the trailhead you will use Miller Flat Road. A turn to the east on to Forest Road 17 will take you to Indian Creek Road. Go north on Indian Creek Raod and pass the Indian Creek Campground. It is 3 miles north from the campground to the trailhead Here are some more helpful distances. It is 0.7 miles on FR 17 to Indian Creek Road. Go North on Indian Creek Road, in 0.6 miles you will drive under a huge Power Line., and in an additional 0.6 you will notice the left hand turn to enter the campground. Just keep going north (don't go into the campground). 0.3 miles after you pass the campground the road will deteriorate and no longer be gravel. A vehicle with good ground clear is advised. A truck or a Subaru Outback will be fine to drive this last section to the trailhead, but a Honda Accord (for example) will bottom out. 1 mile after passing the main campground you will notice an unimproved camp spot on the right. Exactly 2.0 mile from the campground you will come to a barbwire fence with a gate across the road, that you will have to open. From that gate it is 1 more mile to the trailhead - halfway along that last mile of driving when you come to a Y in the road stay right. 0.1 miles from the trailhead you will notice a sign on the left, at the bottom of a hill. The sign says "Spoon Creek Spur Trail 392", and "East Mountain Trail 085". Park here, or drive up the hill and park. From the top of the hill walk east on Spoon Creek Spur Trail, which will enter some Aspens and turn SE and start climbing. After about 0.75 miles the trail will turn to the North (away from East Mountain) and if you are like me you might not like the feeling of heading away from your destination, but stick with the trail nonetheless. Topo maps label "Spoon Creek Spur Trail 392" as "Jeep Trail". Spoon Creek Spur Trail 392 takes you to the saddle between Point 9775 and East Mountain. On the saddle you will encounter 3 or 4 water troughs (the write up calls them water tanks), these troughs are feed by the spring mentioned in the write up. At this point you are on the north side of East Mountain, so head south on the East Mountain Trail to the summit. There is even a trail sign at the water troughs pointing the way to the summit. On the summit of East Mountain you will find two Bench Mark survey markers. Bench Marks always have a triangle symbol in the center but they don't necessarily mark the highest point, and in the case of East Mountain they certainly don't mark the highest point. A piece of rebar, about 100 steps from the bench mark residing in a piece of metal pipe above the ground, seems to be the high point. The other bench mark is west of the pipe one and lists an elevation of 10730 feet. The pipe one is field stamped with "East" and "1937".
vanman798 - Jul 13, 2021 7:42 pm - Hasn't voted
Trail Name and how to get there.In driving to the trailhead you will use Miller Flat Road. A turn to the east on to Forest Road 17 will take you to Indian Creek Road. Go north on Indian Creek Raod and pass the Indian Creek Campground. It is 3 miles north from the campground to the trailhead Here are some more helpful distances. It is 0.7 miles on FR 17 to Indian Creek Road. Go North on Indian Creek Road, in 0.6 miles you will drive under a huge Power Line., and in an additional 0.6 you will notice the left hand turn to enter the campground. Just keep going north (don't go into the campground). 0.3 miles after you pass the campground the road will deteriorate and no longer be gravel. A vehicle with good ground clear is advised. A truck or a Subaru Outback will be fine to drive this last section to the trailhead, but a Honda Accord (for example) will bottom out. 1 mile after passing the main campground you will notice an unimproved camp spot on the right. Exactly 2.0 mile from the campground you will come to a barbwire fence with a gate across the road, that you will have to open. From that gate it is 1 more mile to the trailhead - halfway along that last mile of driving when you come to a Y in the road stay right. 0.1 miles from the trailhead you will notice a sign on the left, at the bottom of a hill. The sign says "Spoon Creek Spur Trail 392", and "East Mountain Trail 085". Park here, or drive up the hill and park. From the top of the hill walk east on Spoon Creek Spur Trail, which will enter some Aspens and turn SE and start climbing. After about 0.75 miles the trail will turn to the North (away from East Mountain) and if you are like me you might not like the feeling of heading away from your destination, but stick with the trail nonetheless. Topo maps label "Spoon Creek Spur Trail 392" as "Jeep Trail". Spoon Creek Spur Trail 392 takes you to the saddle between Point 9775 and East Mountain. On the saddle you will encounter 3 or 4 water troughs (the write up calls them water tanks), these troughs are feed by the spring mentioned in the write up. At this point you are on the north side of East Mountain, so head south on the East Mountain Trail to the summit. There is even a trail sign at the water troughs pointing the way to the summit. On the summit of East Mountain you will find two Bench Mark survey markers. Bench Marks always have a triangle symbol in the center but they don't necessarily mark the highest point, and in the case of East Mountain they certainly don't mark the highest point. A piece of rebar, about 100 steps from the bench mark residing in a piece of metal pipe above the ground, seems to be the high point. The other bench mark is west of the pipe one and lists an elevation of 10730 feet. The pipe one is field stamped with "East" and "1937".