9 miles of hiking • 3000' elevation gain •
Was going to hike Middle Salmon River trail, but when I got there decided to do something less crowded and continued 1/3 mile to a new Salmon Butte trailhead.
I've never done this hike before but read on Portland Hikers that the road to an old trailhead had been decommissioned and blocked just after Salmon River crossing. Making calculation on Kyle's map, this added 1.1 mile one way, and 580' of elevation to Salmon Butte hike. However, I didn't have the map with me, and turned around when I hit snow at 4,400' (exactly where my marker is), just after the narrow ridge with "views" to the east. If I knew I was so close, I'd probably make it to the top.
The hike begins on a closed gravel road, but 1/2 mile later they ripped the old road and turned it into trail, and even planted grass and young trees along it, so it wasn't boring road walk. The trail is pretty good; it's almost never steep but never lets up. Good training hike for being so uncrowded (I only saw 2 hikers) and so close to Portland. Saw a couple of rhodies in bloom on the lower trail (but they are few there), but the upper part of the trail has the most rhodies I've ever seen; once (if) they bloom in 2-3 weeks it should be quite nice. Once I was past 6 switchbacks and a narrow ridge, the snow started and became at least 3 feet deep in less than 100 yards. There were tracks (hardly visible), but I didn't know I was so close; in addition my phone refused to show time and it was already 6-ish in the evening so I turned back. I'll have to try it again, hopefully without snow.
Kyle Meyer
June 20, 2011
That is a wall of snow.