26.5 miles of hiking • 11250' elevation gain •
My version of the Triple D: the DDT - Defiance, Dog, and Table. Left the Starvation Creek trailhead at 6:30am up the Defiance trail. No snow anywhere! Summit at 8:45, down Starvation and back at the car by 11am. Ate and drank, then drove across the Hood River Bridge to Dog, starting around noon, back to the car a little before 3pm. Drove down to the Aldrich Butte trailhead and met some friends who (understandably) didn't want to join me for the whole thing. We headed up around 4:30, ascending via Heartbreak Ridge. Spent some time on top, then descended via the West Ridge, and got back to the cars in growing darkness around 9:30pm, 15 hours after I started. A little knee pain from all the descending, but otherwise not too bad, though I was definitely tired on Table (especially climbing to Heartbreak Ridge). Legs are tired today, but definitely intact!
Comments
Roman
July 16, 2011
It's great challenge!
I didn't like Heartbreak trail when did it (got lots of gnat bites + layout of the trail seems to avoid most of the great views), but Westway trail (one you descended) is one of my favorites. It's steeper on the knees however.
Phoebe "BertMoss"
July 21, 2011
nice! Did that pooch hike the whole time with you?
Bosterson
July 23, 2011
Thanks. The dog came with one of the people who joined me for Table Mountain.
Eric Peterson
July 16, 2011
Nicely done!