Yellow Buck Mountain via Harper Creek Trail(edit)

trail_hike_comments: Although this trail is listed as "easy" in some publications, that's not really the case. It might be considered moderate if you only hike to the falls and back, but the whole trail is much longer than that. And the multiple creek crossings, sparse blazes, and route through wilderness study area makes the hike along this trail in its entirety take its toll. Starting from the parking area on Brown Mountain Beach Road, the trail winds up some poorly-constructed switchbacks onto an eroded old road bed. The trail then merges with a less-eroded old road at the top of the climb, in a gap. There is an intersection with the Yellow Buck trail; continue straight, downhill. The trail is relatively easy going forward, except for a few places where erosion has made it a steep drop-off into the creek. The trail passes through a campsite as it approaches creek level, and then angles right, uphill. From here, the path is co-signed as the Mountains to Sea Trail. Again, it follows an old roadbed with some washouts leading all the way down to the creek - these can be tricky to navigate. The trail veers uphill to the right again as it nears Harper Creek Falls. (Continue straight on the old road bed to reach the falls, requiring a steep rope-assist scramble to get to the base). After climbing past the falls, the trail follows the creek upstream on the right side to the intersection with the North Harper Creek Trail. The Mountains to Sea Trail leaves along that path. The Harper Creek trail crosses the creek, and then proceeds to do so several more times as it goes up toward South Harper Creek Falls. This section of trail is remote and it can be difficult to follow at times, especially at creek crossings. As it approaches the base of the falls, it heads uphill on some switchbacks. There is an intersection with a side path connecting to the Raider Camp trail. The Harper Creek trail then climbs up past the settlement of Kawana before ending on Kawana Road., trail_bike_comments: None