4.5 miles of hiking • 750' elevation gain •
Today was an odd day.
Set out from Portland at 8:00 with an AYM group, celebrating Matt Reeder leading 10 years of hikes with AYM. Lots of last minute cancellations, bringing our group down to 8 from 12. (Don't be a dick, canceling the night before a hike is just rude unless you have an emergency.) So is not showing up when you are still signed up. Anyway...
Today was supposed to be a longer trek, but a knee injury close to the halfway point changed our plans. It was a really beautiful pleasant hike until one member took a nasty fall. During the time of the fall, some assholes decided it was time to start shooting right next to the trail. There is one thing that always ruins my time on a trail, and that is gunfire, especially when I don't know what they are shooting at and where the bullets are going.
Anyway, we picked two of our fastest hikers to backtrack and bring two cars to the further trailhead so we wouldn't have to do the whole return trip with an injured hiker. None of us really minded much, it was still a beautiful trip despite the gunfire.
Ended the day with one more roadside waterfall, and a trip back to Salem for cake. (I'm not a big sweets person.) Everyone enjoyed giant pieces of cake while I had half a piece of cheesecake. (Honestly, just give me salt after a hike.)
Comments
Jen
January 28, 2019
That is a very pleasant hike-perfect for the bike shuttle!
Woodswalker
January 28, 2019
Nice to see some photos of this area with sun. I have only done it in downpours.
Sarah Johnson
January 28, 2019
@Jen - so true! 12 is a lot - and I have noticed some leaders will actually set the limit lower. My only complaint is that when you cancel last minute you are keeping someone else off the hike who may really have wanted to go! Our group size was nice in the end.
Jen
January 28, 2019
I like it when people cancel on these big group hikes. I think 12 is too big of a party. On our climb yesterday, we had 12 people signed up two days before, 10 the day before. By morning there were 3 more cancellations and one no show. We made good time with a group of 6.
When I am on a wait list for a climb(at least one each season), I always assume I'll get on it. Only once have I prepared for a climb and no-one cancelled.