Recent Hikes

July 13, 2015 Rhonda 13.5 miles 3,000 feet gained

Took our first trip to Goat Rocks. Fell in love! We dealt with clouds most of our trip but it did not take away from the beauty of this area! Can not wait to go back.

July 12, 2015 Mileage Mike 10.3 miles 500 feet gained

My wife wanted to stay close to home as the previous two days were long drives. This is a nice paved trail (which killed my feet) but it's still nice to get out. Plenty of bikers, as you'd expect!

July 12 to July 15, 2015 Jen 24 miles 6,000 feet gained 3 nights

Wonderful family trip: 3 adults, 4 teenagers, almost all off trail. Spectacular alpine campsites at Nelson and Echo Lakes. Solitude until we hit the JMT for the last few miles out.

July 12, 2015 Chris 11 miles 2,250 feet gained

July 12, 2015 Mountainkat 10.12 miles 2,750 feet gained

A friend was joining us on this hike and we were hoping to find a quiet, moderate trail with few people. We thought Trapper Creek wilderness would be a good area on a Sunday. I did see Karl's post on this hike, but did not have the time to read it. So, we were a little surprised by the steepness of parts of the trail! It was ok, though, since we only saw one...

July 12, 2015 Karl 14 miles 3,750 feet gained

Finally made it up top on Sturgeon Rock! Tried a few times before, but have been stymied by icy or windy conditions, neither of which would make that a fun experience. Didn't get to Grouse Vista until around noon, and headed immediately down the Tarbell Trail so I could do Sturgeon first. I think that made a difference, too, as it's more often an afterthough...

July 11 to July 12, 2015 acorn woodpecker 6 miles 2,500 feet gained 1 night

A friend and I visited another friend in Portland, Maine and he took us backpacking to a remote lake and mountain a couple hours north. The forest is reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest but the higher elevation has a different feel. More granite and features are more rounded yet still rugged due to the geologic age of the area. Got clobbered by a rainstorm ...

July 11, 2015 Mileage Mike 9.2 miles 250 feet gained

Quite a long drive to get to Cottonwood Canyon, but it was well worth it! We had purposely boarded the dog for the week so that we could venture much further than usual. There were several occupied campsites at the TH, and we were surprised considering it was a very warm day. This hike reminds me of the Deschutes River scenery, but without quite the grandeur...

July 11, 2015 Mountainkat 8.41 miles 3,000 feet gained

With the clouds and weather, we waited around trying to decide what to hike. We had already nixed our intended hike. Finally, at 3:00 pm, we decided to just hike from Tilly Jane trailhead to Cooper Spur shelter. It was a good choice, and we had sunshine and views of Mount Hood the whole time. When the Tilly Jane trail first breaks out of the woods into the b...

July 11, 2015 JM 15.5 miles 4,000 feet gained

Full on cloudy day, but I wasn't complaining! It's been far too long since we had a break from muggy misery. Berries were a nice (early) touch in the meadows beyond Cast Lake on the trail. Lots of climbing up Cast Creek trail but it's nicely graded. Horseshoe Ridge is too and it made for nice walking. The latter trail was almost like late spring conditions, ...

July 11 to July 12, 2015 BeaverDawg 12 miles 2,750 feet gained 1 night

We packed in from the Top Spur TH to Cairn Basin and beyond for some exploration above the basin. Wildflowers are still quite nice, weather was cooler and refreshing, and most amazing of all, there were NO mosquitoes!!! It was breezy all day Saturday and into the evening unfortunately the clouds stopped moving after sunset and we were fairly socked in overni...

July 11, 2015 Pablo 9.5 miles 2,750 feet gained

Explorations around Fish Creek Mtn.

July 10, 2015 Mileage Mike 11.6 miles 3,000 feet gained

This was the first day of a 10 day vacation, and being Friday, we decided to stay in Washington to avoid the Portland rush hour traffic. The weather was a bit warm, but it was a cloudy day so it cut down on the direct sun. The grasses were quite long and we were constantly brushing them aside while on the trail. In fact, the grasses were so high, on the down...

July 10, 2015 Mountainkat 14.62 miles 3,500 feet gained

The Timberline Lodge cameras showed mostly blue skies, so we decided to hike from there to Paradise Park. We saw many people on the trail, including some large groups. Once in Paradise Park, we headed up the trail that goes up near Mississippi Head first, had a moment to enjoy the view, and then continued on back down to do the loop. The flowers are moving o...

July 10 to July 12, 2015 Kyle Meyer 17 miles 3,000 feet gained 2 nights

Friday's weather sucked. We hiked over Park Ridge in a freezing cloud of wind and suck, being able to soak in none of the beauty of the area. It cleared up a bit in the morning, but then proceeded to mostly suck the rest of Saturday as well. Sunday was beautiful. But man, when this place is clear, it's stunning.

July 10, 2015 Karl 13.5 miles 3,500 feet gained

Late start! The day started cloudy. Got to the trailhead at 2pm, and it was all of a sudden 81° and stinky humid. Thought a rainforest might be a decent refuge. What I'd neglected to find out, maybe I'm the only one who didn't know this?, is that the Soda Peaks Trail is akin to the Defiance Trail for long runs. Ai yi yi...! Thank goodness Harleigh was there ...

July 9, 2015 acorn woodpecker 6 miles 250 feet gained

Had a 24 hour time window in Denver on my way out to Maine. My dad picked me up at the airport and went to this little gem close by. Lots of birds and water.

July 9, 2015 Woodswalker 5.74 miles 1,750 feet gained

I decided to let my car do some of the elevation gain since it was a hot day so I drove up to the Cloud Cap trailhead. A young stag walked right up to me just as I started up the trail and things just got even better from there. The flowers are still going but a lot of the lupine are looking tired in places. The heat got to me at a certain point and I decide...

July 8, 2015 Father Guido Sarducci 6.25 miles 1,500 feet gained

This place was a tourist trap when I was last here 20 years ago & it's even worst now. Even so it is worth a trip to the area as it is Germany's most famous castle & on a nice day the scenery is beautiful. Unfortunately for us it was rainy & cloudy. Lots of hiking trails in the area as you are @ the foothills of the Bavarian Alps.

July 5, 2015 Mileage Mike 9 miles 2,500 feet gained

The last day of my week off and we need to stay close to home since our grandson hasn't been born yet. This trail is a mixture of clear cuts and forested areas, but still fairly nice for a close-in hike. Obviously, we didn't get any phone call since our grandson was born the following day.

July 5, 2015 Mountainkat 9 miles 1,500 feet gained

It was going to be another hot day, around 96, so we decided to hike a trail near one of the lakes. We parked at Ross Dam TH, hiked down to the dam, crossed it, hiked to Ross Lake Resort to check on canoe prices, hiked the Big Beaver trail, hoping to get to a point to see up Ross Lake. We realized that we weren't going to make it to any such point, and turne...

July 4, 2015 The Angry Hiker 15 miles 2,500 feet gained

July 4, 2015 Rich 10 miles 1,250 feet gained

July 4, 2015 Mileage Mike 10.5 miles 2,750 feet gained

After resting on Friday from our Bend/La Pine trip, we headed out to the Bonnie Meadow trail. The last time we were here was before I had meniscus surgery, and the pain in my knee was challenging. Happily, this time my knees felt great. We were going to try and make a loop on the ridge trail at Bonney meadow, but it was a bit further than we wanted to go. Th...

July 4, 2015 Mountainkat 20.42 miles 3,750 feet gained

We had other hikes in mind, but, they had some large elevation gains, and we didn't want to do them in above 90 degree weather. So, we decided to day hike the PCT and on up the spur to Snowy Lakes. We had been to Cutthroat Pass once before when there was snow on the trail. It was great to see it without snow and with wildflowers blooming, especially heather....

July 4 to July 5, 2015 Roman 9.5 miles 1,750 feet gained 1 night

A few miles up forgotten trail. Then 500' vertical offtrail on a hardly discernible boot path - to the most quiet lake on this busy holiday. Really special place...

July 4, 2015 Karl 8.5 miles 1,750 feet gained

Bored with A/C, and having just heard about the [fire on Mount Adams](http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4360/), I decided to head up to Larch Mountain for a quickie. The immediate good news was, there was no visible plume rising up in the Trout Lake area! There was a thin layer of smoke across the northern horizon, though. Anyway, it was a weird hike, startin...

July 4, 2015 Rhonda 9.5 miles 1,500 feet gained

So my 4th did not go entirely as planned. I had watched the weather all week for South Sister and It was looking pretty good so we decided that it what we would do on Saturday. Woke up Friday with a scratchy throat, not a good sign but I was hoping it was just a fluke and we headed out anyway. Woke up at 4:30 am on Saturday with plugged ears and swollen sinu...

July 4, 2015 Father Guido Sarducci 10 miles 2,500 feet gained

While my daughter & her husband decided to take the Sound of Music bus tour...gag, my 8 year old Grandson & I purchased "Hop On, Hop Off" bus passes & explored the city. One of our destinations was to climb to the Hohensalzburg Fortress which overlooks the city. Climb to the fortress is approx 1750' & on a 95 degree day it was nice to get to the top & some c...

July 4, 2015 Pablo 5 miles 3,000 feet gained

Short loop hike up Nesmith Ridge with a return on Nesmith Point Trail. A pile of busted window glass in the parking lot. Started early and did not see a single person all day although the parking lot was full when I returned - must all have been headed for Elowah Falls. McCord creek is just a dribble like late-August conditions.

July 3 to July 5, 2015 Kinkilla 36 miles 6,000 feet gained 2 nights

July 3 to July 5, 2015 Stacey 16.5 miles 4,000 feet gained 2 nights

July 4th weekend slackpacking trip to Panhandle Lake.

July 3, 2015 Mountainkat 12.24 miles 4,250 feet gained

We hiked this trail on Friday, hoping crowds would be thinner than the last time I hiked the trail, but they weren't, really. This is a great hike, though, and worth giving up the solitude. A good portion of the crowds do drop off after Cascade Pass, and as you continue up Sahale Arm. No snow on the trail that I can remember. Views from Sahale Glacier Camp a...

July 3 to July 5, 2015 JM 20 miles 4,250 feet gained 2 nights

Holiday weekend excursion to Obsidian LEA on the NW edge of the Three Sisters. We circumnavigated Little Brother, drank some beers creekside and stayed under a merciful cloud layer on Saturday after getting roasted on Friday. This area is really spectacular! It looks sparse, but it's very detailed and beautiful, so many colors and with the wildflowers hangin...

July 2, 2015 Mileage Mike 8.5 miles 1,250 feet gained

It was a very hot day and the burn area in Mt. Jefferson Wilderness afforded no shade. However, as we ascended north on the PCT the wind offered some relief. We stopped often to hydrate. The burn area followed us up the PCT for about the first three miles, and then we reached the treed area. The treed area and wind was amazingly cool and felt wonderful. Ther...

July 2, 2015 Sarah Cornett 5.5 miles 500 feet gained

Fun hike with Jack. Glad we didn't take Penny though, would have been too much.

July 2, 2015 Father Guido Sarducci 5.5 miles 500 feet gained

City if Regensburg is known for its largely intact medieval city center which is dominated by Regensburg's St. Peters Cathedral & the 12th century Old Stone Bridge which spans the Danube River

July 1, 2015 Mileage Mike 10.8 miles 1,500 feet gained

We always like to hike a portion of the PCT while on vacation and had only gone south into Diamond Peak Wilderness from Willamette Pass. This turned out to be a beautiful section of the PCT and well worth the time. The trail from the parking lot to the Roseary Lakes has a gentle slope and is well shaded, which worked well in the heat. The three Roseary Lakes...

July 1 to July 4, 2015 Chris 58 miles 12,000 feet gained 3 nights

June 30, 2015 Mileage Mike 10.4 miles 1,250 feet gained

We wanted to hike into Diamond Peak Wilderness and get a good view of the snow capped mountains. A bit of research led to the Whitefish Creek trail and ending at Diamond View Lake. The drive to this TH was on decent roads and finding the White Fish Horse Camp, where the trail began, was straightforward. However, the TH wasn't obvious, and we had to drive aro...

June 30, 2015 Father Guido Sarducci 3.6 miles 500 feet gained

Visiting the Grandkids in Vilseck Germany. Took my eldest Grandson hiking/exploring @ the castle ruins in Flossenberg.

June 29, 2015 Mileage Mike 11.7 miles 1,250 feet gained

This was a last minute decision, to visit Horse Lake and spend some time on the PCT. I thought it would be more interesting to make it into a loop hike too. This turned out to be a great decision as there were very few hikers on the trail, except around Horse Lake. We also had the good fortune to meet two PCT through hikers (SheepWagon & Fuego) that had flip...

June 29, 2015 Jim 4 miles 1,000 feet gained

Quick 2 hour outing followed by a nice reward.

June 28, 2015 Mileage Mike 10.1 miles 1,500 feet gained

A coworker that is in the Mazamas recommended we try this trail, and it's a gem! What can I say is good about this trail....Everything! What can I say bad about this trail...It's crowded, but the people were dispersed along its length. This trail ranks up there with the finest hikes we've ever had the privilege to experience! Falls Creek presents you with a ...

June 28, 2015 Rhonda 10 miles 1,250 feet gained

Took a trip up to Pamelia Lake with the intent of going into Hunts Cove. It was supposed to be well over 90 that day so we dressed in shorts etc. Day started off pretty good, ran into quite a few backpackers coming out. We were shocked when we got to the lake. The water level had dropped dramatically in the last two months, it appeared nearly empty! Ranger w...

June 28, 2015 Mountainkat 5.34 miles 1,250 feet gained

Clouds had rolled in over the Olympic Mountains, and we didn't want to risk getting into a lightning storm in the high country, so we decided to check out the Salt Creek Recreation Area. We spent some time on Tongue Point checking out the tide pools, where we saw a couple of otters near the rocks, who were curious about us and were peeking up from the rocks ...

June 28, 2015 Pablo 8.5 miles 4,000 feet gained

Did a hike n bike on Fish Creek Mtn. Drove up to the Fish Creek Mtn trail head and stashed a bike for the return trip. Drove back down to the Indian Henry Campground and parked at the Clackamas River trail head. Hiked up the south ridge of Whale Creek and bushwhacked over to High Lake and got on trail for the summit. Warm, muggy and a lot of haze.

June 28, 2015 Jim 8 miles 2,750 feet gained

Snuck out for a nice hike while on vacation back east. I'd almost forgot how much I enjoy hiking the Blue Ridge mountains. The flora diversity is amazing and nothing smells quite like a deciduous forest. Plus, at 50F, it was a nice relief after 95+ at the Outerbanks the previous week. Not that I'm complaining about warm weather at the beach...

June 27, 2015 Stacey 10 miles 750 feet gained

Beating the heat with a hike in the Coast Range on an old railroad line.

June 27, 2015 Mileage Mike 10 miles 750 feet gained

We had originally planned a trip to Yellowstone for 10 days, but these plans were pleasantly interrupted by the potential expected delivery of our grandson in this time frame. So instead, we planned to stay within several hours of home by changing our plans to the Bend/La Pine area. Gratefully, our daughter-in-law gave birth to our grandson the day after our...