Recent Hikes

November 23, 2014 Mileage Mike Tollgate Campground & Day Use Area 9.1 miles 750 feet gained

We wanted an easy hike as our feet have been hurting. This was a very nice hike, and although the weather was nice at the start, it was raining fairly heavily and unrelenting throughout most of the hike. This is a great trail that is fairly level, and we managed to get some great views of the Zigzag River and Still Creek. The trail was basically a stream dur...

November 22, 2014 Mileage Mike Look Lake 8.7 miles 1,500 feet gained

The day started out nice and then a hard rain came down for a while. Nice dusting of snow above 1000-1200ft, but typically in the shadowed areas! Beautiful day for a hike on the east side of the Cascades.

November 22, 2014 Karl Ramona Falls 9 miles 1,250 feet gained

Solitude at Ramona Falls. Impossible? Not if you go on a 30-something degree day with unrelenting "wintry mix" falling from above. It was that sort of day. We may have spent a total of 5 minutes at the falls. Just enough to take "we were here" photos, and change gloves. The forest was beautiful as ever, though the Sandy crossing isn't amateur hour at half-ra...

November 22, 2014 Father Guido Sarducci 5 miles 0 feet gained

November 22, 2014 Chris Bolt Mountain 6.5 miles 1,500 feet gained

November 21, 2014 acorn woodpecker Powell Butte 4 miles 500 feet gained

Took my son out on a rainy day and did a clockwise loop and two lollipop loops around the park. Started at 148th TH, but the construction of the subterranean reservoir halted my clean loop. Instead, we walked the perimeter fence of the construction area to find a way through (there was none), and looped back via deer trails through pleasant doug fir and west...

November 21, 2014 Jen Oneonta Falls 4 miles 500 feet gained

First time hiking with an umbrella. Got it secured hands free. Raining hard, dry girl!

November 16, 2014 Stacey Opal Creek 6.5 miles 250 feet gained

Easy hike to enjoy the first snowfall. Anywhere from 0" - 4" snow and ice on the road, but easily walked without traction. Half bridge are currently being repaired and should be reopened by mid-December. The far side of Jawbone Flats is accessible by a footbridge a short distance downstream from the old bridge.

November 16, 2014 Mileage Mike Punchbowl 7.8 miles 1,250 feet gained

Finally, a nice leisurely hike with NO wind. Plenty of debris all over the forest floor. Only saw one person on horseback, but otherwise we had this beautiful place to ourselves! Temperatures in the low to mid-30's, and it felt refreshing. Had to get back home early for family, so cut the hike a bit short.

November 16, 2014 Karl Hamilton Mountain 8.5 miles 2,750 feet gained

It was a bitterly cold morning in the Gorge, but SR-14 was in pretty good shape. We got to BRSP before 9am to find two cars already in the lot; one of them already sporting a ticket for improperly displayed Discover Pass. Ground was frozen hard, and the restrooms were bolted shut. The climb up Hamilton was mostly on snow and ice. She put on YakTrax in the pa...

November 16, 2014 Woodswalker Balch Canyon 8.2 miles 750 feet gained

Doing recovery hikes still. Great wind free clear hike today. Mostly fine. Some black ice along Balch creek in spots. Sadly someone slipped and it seemed like they had a broken leg. Fire truck and ambulance crews had to take him out on a stretcher. No easy task going downhill with a stretcher on ice.

November 15, 2014 Debbi Balch Canyon 3 miles 250 feet gained

November 15, 2014 Chris Upper Seven Lake 7 miles 1,250 feet gained

Fantastic weather with a very nice ridge walk and hit-and-miss views of Shasta. Some guys in 4x4s were trying to make it down to the lakes on the very rough 4x4 roads, which was pretty entertaining to watch.

November 15, 2014 Mileage Mike Carty Lake 2.4 miles 500 feet gained

I wanted to go hiking a bit more after the short hike this morning.

November 15, 2014 Mileage Mike Green Mountain 4.2 miles 750 feet gained

Went with my wife and son for a short hike. We needed an easy level trail due to my son recovering from hip surgery about 5 months ago! He tore his labrum, which was successfully repaired, but the healing time is very looooong. This is a very nice trail that has great views of Lacamas Lake with Mt. Hood in the background. Tremendous amount of debris on the s...

November 15, 2014 Pablo Rodney Falls 8 miles 2,250 feet gained

Hardy Ridge hike. Windy, but nice.

November 15, 2014 acorn woodpecker Munra Point 4 miles 2,000 feet gained

A snowy sunset trip to Munra. Beautiful and cold. There was solid snow cover the entire way up.

November 15, 2014 Father Guido Sarducci George Lake 14.61 miles 3,500 feet gained

Quite Nippy @ the TH, 21 degrees. The main waterfall was even frozen over. I have always wanted to hike this loop and with the cooperative weather, today was the perfect day for it. Nice views of Rainier and the surrounding countryside.

November 11, 2014 Karl Sherrard Point 18 miles 5,000 feet gained

Winds in the gorge were howling, as I drove down I-84 yesterday, so I decided a "training" hike up Larch might offer the most respite as so much of that route is wooded. Left the lodge just a bit past 10am, and beat my old record by getting to Sherrard Point by about 1pm. Initially, I had the place to myself, and hadn't seen another soul since about half-way...

November 11, 2014 Mileage Mike Ough Reef 8.1 miles 750 feet gained

I had the day off and we decided to stay away from possible falling trees. So we stayed close to home and went on the Columbia River Dike Hike, which was generally far enough away from the trees. We started our hike by heading east into the Gorge, so that the winds would be behind us on the way back! Heading into the wind gusts was definitely interesting, bu...

November 9, 2014 Father Guido Sarducci Point Defiance 5 miles 750 feet gained

November 9, 2014 Roman Angels Rest 4.5 miles 1,500 feet gained

Sunset didn't really happen but I forgot my SD card anyway. Maple colors were beautiful on the lower half of the hike, some of the best I've seen. On the way down checked the steep "deer" trail off west side of summit. Nice day to be up there.

November 9, 2014 Mileage Mike Hardy Falls 7.5 miles 1,750 feet gained

Hiked solo today on the Hardy Ridge Loop. Hadn't been here for years and appreciated the nice switchbacks on the east access route! It had previously been a direct assault, which is okay, but I prefer switchbacks. Only one person on the trail, but then, it was rainy and windy in the open areas. I love being out in these conditions alone, and the mode was eth...

November 8 to November 9, 2014 Kyle Meyer Elk Meadows 5 miles 1,000 feet gained 1 night

Quick overnight to the shelter at Elk Meadows. Delight.

November 8, 2014 Chris Lake Alta 11 miles 2,250 feet gained

A nice loop with good weather. Little snow and much better weather than the prior week.

November 8 to November 9, 2014 Water (Matt) Steel Cliff 13 miles 750 feet gained 1 night

Lil day hike with a dog named Oscar and my lovely better half! :) Camped near the car.

November 8 to November 9, 2014 JM Triangulation 15 miles 2,000 feet gained 1 night

November 8, 2014 Stacey Herman Bridge 13.7 miles 5,000 feet gained

Herman Creek, Casey Creek, Nick Eaton, Gordon Cutoff, Indian Point, Gordon Creek Trail.

November 8, 2014 Team Reynolds Robins Island 5.5 miles 1,250 feet gained

November 8, 2014 Karl Sheep Canyon 12.5 miles 3,000 feet gained

Took off from the Blue Lake trailhead a couple hours late, due to car failure in Woodland. (ugh!) But managed to salvage the day, and have a wonderful hike in glorious November weather! Followed the Toutle Trail to its intersection with the Sheep Canyon Trail, at which point we turned uphill and headed towards the Loowit Trail. Once at that next junction, we...

November 8, 2014 Mileage Mike Pine Martin 7.3 miles 1,500 feet gained

We had intended to go to Red Rock Pass at Mt. St. Helens, but the hunters were out in record numbers! I haven't been seeing any hunters on most hikes, but this (fairly level) area is a real hot spot. We decided to just drive on and see if there were any trails that didn't have many hunters. The June Lake TH was devoid of any trucks (all were sedans), so it a...

November 8, 2014 Pablo Hamilton Mountain 11 miles 3,000 feet gained

Hamilton Mtn then returned on some of the back roads and trails using a Don Nelsen map - with a little x-country to get back to the trailhead. Beautiful day, an early start beat the crowd but they were out in force when I returned.

November 7, 2014 Team Reynolds Latourell Falls 2.5 miles 750 feet gained

November 7, 2014 Joshua Allen Eagle Creek Trail 14 miles 0 feet gained

November 7, 2014 acorn woodpecker Sester Reservoirs 4 miles 500 feet gained

Had a couple hours in the afternoon and took my son out on the quiet side of Oxbow Park. The colors were great, the Sandy is flowing strong, and the trail is covered in maple leaves for nearly the entire way. Also, didn't see a soul.

November 5, 2014 Team Reynolds Wahtum Lake Campground 5 miles 1,500 feet gained

November 3, 2014 scotty Taylor Lake 7 miles 1,000 feet gained

November 3, 2014 Woodswalker Powell Butte 3 miles 250 feet gained

Lower half is icy but there is room to walk on the grass. Great views today.

November 2, 2014 Jen 6 miles 1,000 feet gained

Got rained out on my Vesuvius hike, but I was able to convince family to join me( OK I lied a little about the distance) on this fabulous hike to a secluded cove with spring fed caves on the edge of the Tyrrhenian Sea. We had it to ourselves on a gorgeous day and went for a swim. The water was a bit cool, but warmer than the Pacific in July! We were the only...

November 2, 2014 Mileage Mike Cape Horn 9.4 miles 2,000 feet gained

November 2, 2014 Karl Final Falls 9 miles 1,750 feet gained

Perfect day for an old-growth rainforest hike to a waterfall that hardly anyone knows about, and even fewer have ever seen. After pinching my sciatic nerve, I've been in need of "rehab" hikes that didn't take me quite as far out of reach as I like to get. This was perfect. Two miles through fairly level, ancient, moss-draped forest along the beautiful Salmon...

November 2, 2014 Pablo Hamilton Mountain 9 miles 3,000 feet gained

Soggy day - did Beacon Rock then hiked up Hamilton and took Don's Cutoff for the loop. Hamilton was socked in but I'd rather be on the trail, wet and cold than hanging out indoors.

November 1, 2014 Chris South Fork Campground 2.5 miles 500 feet gained

A brief riverside walk.

November 1, 2014 Mileage Mike Enid Lake 8.7 miles 2,000 feet gained

November 1, 2014 acorn woodpecker Carpenters Lake 6 miles 2,000 feet gained

Started at Aldrich trailhead and went with my dad to Cedar Mt. Went up the PCT and looped back south along Cedar Ridge. A dry cloudy day with very wet Oregon Grape underbrush on Cedar Saddle. No views past the immediate Gorge area due to the low cloud ceiling (around 2000'). Very mild for November, though.

November 1, 2014 Roman Mill Creek 2.5 miles 250 feet gained

November 1, 2014 Father Guido Sarducci Dalles Lakes 9.74 miles 2,500 feet gained

Hiked to the 3rd viewpoint. No views due to low clouds & fog.

October 30, 2014 Roman Cold Canyon 3 miles 0 feet gained

October 27, 2014 Woodswalker Bald Mountain Ridge 6 miles 1,250 feet gained

I'm still doing recovery hikes, but wanted to make it up onto the mountain another time this year before the snows. The road was still accessible. Ran into some snow but it was melting fast. The mountain looks great.

October 26, 2014 Mileage Mike Holly Beach 7.1 miles 500 feet gained