15.5 miles of hiking • 4250' elevation gain •
My "job" on Friday was to wear out the dog, in anticipation of relatives arriving to visit on Saturday. Mission accomplished! A bit after noon we headed out for Beacon Rock State Park, found a new way (to us) to loop Hamilton Mountain and Hardy Ridge, and thoroughly enjoyed the nearly pristine skies. The Cougar Creek fires on Mount Adams were barely discernible, and visibility was over 100 miles as we could see Mount Rainier from Phlox Point! The park was virtually deserted - we didn't see another soul from approximately mile 2.5 to mile 14! It was only the second hike off-leash (except the cliffy ascent!) for the pooch, who's turning into an absolutely awesome trail pup!
