2024 Trips To Date
October 10, 2024
Tasmanian Devil and The Zoo
7 miles of hiking • 1500' elevation gain •
East of Smith Rock, north of Skull Hollow Campground. Pleasant day of wandering. Winter gates are closed, keeping the ATVs out. Great trail system out here! Desert sageland hiking is very restorative.
October 4, 2024
Fall forage
5 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
Mushrooms are popping, understory warm and barely moist. pretty good haul today.
September 17, 2024
Putvin Traverse
16 miles of hiking • 6000' elevation gain • 1 night
We stashed a bike at the Putvin TH, then drove back down the Hamma Hamma road and started up the Lena Lakes trail. Continued to Upper Lena where we were supposed to camp and climb Mt Bretherton. We were inside a cloud with limited visibility so we decided to skip the climb and continue on the Scout Lake Trail. This was heavenly terrain, undulating through heather and huckleberry. The dwarf huckleberries are ripe and so sweet. We hoped to see some bears, but we only saw their sign. Although it did not rain, it was misty and the soggy vegetation soaked our legs and feet despite rain pants and gaiters. Camped at Deerheart Lake.
We were very happy to unzip our tents to blue sky the next morning, and the views were delightful as we continued on the traverse through golden meadows and numerous ponds on the Stone Ponds Way Trail . St Peter's Gate was very sketchy. We dropped down via boulder field and bushwack near Lake of the Angels and got onto the notorious Putvin trail for the descent. It seemed trivial compared to what we had just done. Rain started during the last hour, and the bike ride back down to retrieve the car in a deluge was 50/50 thrill, sufferfest.
September 12 – September 13, 2024
Pinnacle and Tatoosh Peaks
16.5 miles of hiking • 6000' elevation gain • 2 nights
Climbed Pinnacle peak with friends and stayed one night at La Wis Wis. On the second day we went up Tatoosh Peak trail to the most amazing spot, as wonderful as my visit 3 years ago, and weather was perfect. We should have stayed two nights there.
August 28 – August 30, 2024
Ramona loop
8 miles of hiking • 1250' elevation gain •
Relaxing day. Sat in the dynamic streambed of the Sandy River and skecthed for awhile. The mountain is very colorful this time of year.
August 22, 2024
Ingalls Peak
11 miles of hiking • 3750' elevation gain • 1 night
Great trip in the alpine. We had a gorgeous campsite with Mt Stuart looming above us. Beautiful evening with alpenglow and pika song. Saw a pair of goats at the lake. This is a busy area, and can be extremely crowded during the larch peak time.
Started early for our ascent of Ingalls Peak and had it to ourselves for awhile. Congestion on the way down because you have to rappel down the upward route.Interesting to negotiate that with the other climbing teams, but everyone was nice and accommodating and it was a beautiful day!
A big storm came in just as we returned to the TH, phew!
August 16 – August 17, 2024
Cruzatt Rim
6 miles of hiking • 1750' elevation gain •
Took the Prindle Mountain trail up. Lots of bear scat down low, and elk duds up on the pleateau. Love the big cedars, firs and hemlocks of the enchanted forest.
August 13, 2024
Castle Pinnacle
4 miles of hiking • 1750' elevation gain •
Climbed Castle and Pinnacle on a magnificent day
August 3, 2024
Boulder Creek
3 miles of hiking • 500' elevation gain •
My son came with me on a camera check for Cascadia Wild. A lot of critters visited our site(bears, bobcat, deer and coyote), but none of the target species.
It was a hot day, but we enjoyed some relaxation in the shade near the creek. We also found a patch of ripe huckleberries.
July 26, 2024
Sloan Attempt and Vesper Success
12 miles of hiking • 5250' elevation gain • 2 nights
Started out with an attempt of Sloan Peak in the North Cascades. We were bushwacking in steep terrain when one of our climbers sustained an ankle injury and could not bear weight on it. Successfully used iphone SOS feature to get 911. SAR rescue ensued, took 10 hrs and 18 volunteers to carve a path and haul them out on a litter. Great learning experience.
We rested the next day and then hiked up to the base of Vesper Peak. We veered off the trail to the north side to climb to the summit via Ragged Edge; a 6 pitch 5.7 trad route, what a hoot! Had to hike out the last few miles via headlamp, but at least we had a trail.
July 18 – July 20, 2024
Mt Aix
12 miles of hiking • 4250' elevation gain • 1 night
Highest point in the William O Douglas Wilderness.
We started early and got to the top at 11am.
Lovely ridgetop, flowers going strong. Bugs not too bad. Fun summit scramble.
July 13 – July 14, 2024
July 6, 2024
Shale Lake
15 miles of hiking • 2750' elevation gain • 1 night
This was supposed to be a Mt Jefferson climb. We weren't sure of the summit conditions but had suspicions it would not be tenable. About four miles in, we were able to see the final approach to the summit block. A storm last week resulted in rime ice on the summit, precariously wind loaded on the western face. The warm temps would make the "terrible traverse" treacherous with ice fall. Climb was cancelled at this point.
Some of our group turned back, but 4 us went on to the Shale Lake area which is still under about 3 feet of snow. We had a pleasant night this first eve of summer. No bugs whatsoever, just bird and creek songs. Hiked out the next morning.
June 21 – June 22, 2024
Unicorn Peak
6 miles of hiking • 2750' elevation gain •
Took up a group of 10. First time leading on alpine rock in mountain boots! Luckily it was very easy climbing. The moat has opened up but is just a slightly spicy hop-over. Fun glissades down. We did not glissade the couloir, careful plunge stepping, it is melting out and was posthole city. We caught the tail end of the weather window, started to rain when we got back to parking lot.
June 14, 2024
Camp Schurman
12.5 miles of hiking • 5250' elevation gain • 1 night
It took us all day to get up here. 10-12 inches of new snow, got soft in the afternoon. Breaking trail from Glacier Basin Camp all the way up the Interglacier, was quite exhausting. We were supposed to have an acclimation day at Camp Schurman before a summit attempt, but the weather window closed up so we headed back down.
May 30 – May 31, 2024
Rimrocks
6 miles of hiking • 500' elevation gain • 1 night
I was meeting friends in the evening at the Steelhead Falls campground, so I explored some trails at Crooked River Ranch and along the Deschutes. There are long trails along both river canyons. Went climbing at Smith the next day.
May 26 – May 27, 2024
Eastside Foray
4.5 miles of hiking • 500' elevation gain •
I go out every year and usually find a few. This year, we hit the jackpot!
May 24, 2024
Defiance
11 miles of hiking • 4250' elevation gain •
I decided not to turn off to hit the summit. Raining, windy, inside a cloud.
May 21, 2024
May 16, 2024
Gales Creek/Storey Burn Loop
7.5 miles of hiking • 1750' elevation gain •
Nice loop hike enjoying the filled out understory.
May 14, 2024
Waterworks Canyon
4 miles of hiking • 750' elevation gain •
Came up to climb nearby at Royal Columns. Had a nice evening hike before cragging. Beautiful canyon in bloom.
April 26, 2024
April 16, 2024
Tilly Jane
6.5 miles of hiking • 2250' elevation gain •
Spectacular Day! Came up to check on the wildlife camera. No critter shots, but we saw all the big volcanoes and some ravens and bluebirds
April 10, 2024
Ochocos
15 miles of hiking • 3000' elevation gain •
We stayed at the Ochoco Ranger House for two nights. Snow at higher elevations. On the first day we got to ski on frozen Walton Lake. Hiked up the Lookout Mountain trail to Duncan Butte on day 2. Stopped at Lake Billy Chinook on the way home and hiked the Tam-a-Lau Trail.
March 19, 2024
Dog x2
12.5 miles of hiking • 5750' elevation gain •
So fun, I went back again the next day! Pretty much melted out now.
March 9, 2024
Cottonwood Canyon
17 miles of hiking • 2750' elevation gain •
Stayed in a cabin for two nights for Galentines Day. Saw lots of sheep. Explored an old homestead. On the second night a storm came in and we awoke to snow in the desert. Magical!
February 14, 2024
January 30, 2024
January 23, 2024
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