Name: Starway Trail #175
Rating: 3.5

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This trail may be closed due to snow from November to May. Forest Road 41 to the trailhead may be closed due to snow or mud as late as June. A warning from the Forest Service: This trail is difficult to find and follow once it leaves Copper Creek. Carry a good map and expect some route-finding challenges. This is a trail that should only be attempted by persons with good route finding skills and confidence in cross-country travel.

Description

The trailhead for the #175 is where gated Forest Road 4107 branches off from Forest Road 41. The gate may be closed but it is never locked so it’s possible to drive down Forest Road 4107 to a parking area next to Copper Creek. If in doubt about the gate, park on Forest Road 41 and hike down to the creek. There are no amenities at this trailhead.

From the trailhead on Forest Road 41, descend Forest Road 4107 to Copper Creek, cross the very solidly constructed bridge, turn left (upstream, east) and continue on Forest Road 4107. At 0.25 miles past the bridge, you’ll reach a junction with the Starway Trail #175. It leaves the old roadbed and climbs very steeply to the west up the side of the ridge on a rough old mining "road". The trail follows this old road upward to the ridge at about 2,600 feet where the road ends and the grade eases a bit.

About two miles from the trailhead (around 3,200 feet), you’ll pass the collapsed remnants of a crudely constructed shelter – just logs and plastic tarps in a pile. Your first chance for a view comes about 0.25 miles past this old shelter.

Past the shelter, the trail degrades into little more than an often hard to discern use trail. It is not too difficult to follow as the tread can be seen from time to time and pink ribbons (and a few cairns) here and there provide routing hints. HOWEVER, if you are uncomfortable hiking without a clearly discernible trail and aren't solid on navigation, this would be a good place to turn back.

If you press on, the trail continues along the ridge southward for two miles, passing over Point 3977, dropping to a saddle, then ascending to end at its junction with the Bluff Mountain Trail #172 less than a mile east of Silver Star Mountain. Turn right (west) here on the #172 if you wish to continue to the summit of Silver Star Mountain.