Failed attempt on Trail 185 from Mill Falls on the Front

Katie below Mill Falls

Lady Slippers

White Bog Orchids

Katie fighting deadfall on the trace of a trail

A view of Old Baldy from the trail

 With so many other spectacular hiking options on the South Fork of the Teton, I failed to notice Trail No. 185 from the Mill Falls Campground until recently.

It wasn't on my old topo maps, and not on earlier versions of Forest Service maps.  I noticed it on the National Geographic Bob Marshall map, and went back and checked, and it was on a 1997 Forest Service Bob Marshall map.

Heck, with nearby Headquarters Pass, Our Lake, Rierdon-Green Gulch, Lonesome Ridge, and South Fork trails, it is easy to miss.

The map shows a 2.3 miles trail that rises about 1,700 feet from the campground to the long, high, limestone ridge to the east that intersects the Lonesome Ridge.

The small campground is buried deep in timber off the South Fork Road with several developed and undeveloped campsites.  A short trail leads to a beautiful Mill Falls.  Several trails go above the falls, including the unmarked Trail No. 185, which was easy to pick up.

It didn't take long, though, for the trail to become a trace in spots, although cuts logs helped us to navigate.

However, it appears as though the trail has not been maintained or cleared for many years and we had to negotiate numerous large logs.

The vegetation along the trail was green and lush and there were numerous wildflowers, including sparse beargrass and several clusters of lady slipper orchids, and some other white bog orchids. 

At about a mile we began to sidehill into a small opening the tremendous views of Old Baldy and Rocky Mountain peaks became visible.  We could only imagine what the views would be on top.

But that was not to be, because at a mile and a half the trail became so littered with deadfall and blow down that we gave up and turned around.

We were disappointed and wondered why such a beautiful trail at a Forest Service campground would be left unmaintained.

I'm going to return at some point and get to the 7,400 feet top.