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December 26, 2015 6.5 miles 2,250 feet gained
Knee-deep snow at the summit, decided to just return on short trail & not continue on a loop (also, due to icy east wind on/past summit). West side of the mountain was mostly shielded from the wind and everything above 1600' was a winter wonderland.
December 19, 2015 7.5 miles 2,250 feet gained
Interesting how the S side of the hill was virtually snow-free to 2200', but once I started descending to the river the snow lasted to Angels Rest trail jct at 1700'. Lots of paths between Palmer Mill Rd and Foxglove Way, was confusing to follow even though I've been there before.
December 15, 2015 7 miles 1,750 feet gained
Trip report: http://www.oregonhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=23058&p=175148#p175148
December 6, 2015 5.75 miles 2,250 feet gained
Went to Mitchell Point and Mitchell Spur - great views but pretty short hike so I wanted to extend it. After hiking a bit on forest roads stumbled upon MTB trail, wide and very well maintained. I followed it for about a mile but had to turn back because I didn't take a flashlight. Will come someday to see where it goes.
November 29, 2015 7 miles 1,000 feet gained
Hiked to canyon overlook. Wow this trail is really getting crowded - but for a good reason.
November 27, 2015 10 miles 3,000 feet gained
Hike with Jeremiah and Rich. We started at Hwy 35 with dusting of snow on the ground and 15F temps (didn't feel really cold - no wind and probably very low humidity). After about 2 miles the snow started to increase but only got to 6-8 inches near the top, more in drifts. Lots of views on the last leg of the trail. There was pretty good wind on the top but b...
November 26, 2015 3 miles 0 feet gained
November 22, 2015 11.5 miles 2,250 feet gained
Made the loop clockwise. I started late (watched sunset 5 miles in) and finished by moonlight. There was an inch or two of snow on the ridge SE of the lake - it was so bright I almost didn't use my flashlight! Could see all surrounding mountains and MSH was rising above Johnston Ridge like a white cloud. Very still and quiet, magic night...
November 21, 2015 4 miles 1,500 feet gained
Hiked the trail to the top of the ridge - planned a bit longer hike but was slowed by new blowdowns. I can only guess how it looks further on the ridge where fallen trees weren't cleared in years - but for some reason I like it this way. A bit rough, a bit treacherous, that's the character of Hunchback.
November 21, 2015 2.5 miles 250 feet gained
Took an hour off work to hike with my dog. D. Robertson Park - golf course - McMenamins loop.
November 4, 2015 4.5 miles 1,500 feet gained
Quiet hike, was cool to watch the bats swoop straight at me, then turning away just inches from my headlamp. Was surprised to come to 2 police cruisers at trailhead, and a young woman who was still waiting for her friend to come down... Met her 15 minutes into the hike asking if I saw a tall guy in white hat (?), didn't take it too seriously at first.
November 1, 2015 5.5 miles 2,000 feet gained
Hiked to watch cloud action from the rocks @3700'. The trail seems even more narrow and less-traveled right now. Salmon River ran fast and swift, just short of flooding the forest at Green Canyon Campground.
October 23 to October 25, 2015 12.75 miles 3,500 feet gained 2 nights
Went Friday after work and car-camped 2 nights near Skull Hollow campground. Explored less used trails on Sat, found some cool little arches in the crags. Planned a big loop for Sunday but got 1pm start because of rain, went up-and-back Gray Butte - windy and cold, but mostly sunny afternoon. Great views from the top.
October 17, 2015 4.5 miles 1,500 feet gained
Was pretty hazy, which made for great 2-color sunset - the river lighted on orange while the hills stayed blue. And there was red rainbow to the east... Wish I had a camera.
October 8, 2015 4 miles 500 feet gained
Today's king boletus just blew our old record @ 1498 grams, or 3.3 pounds.
October 4, 2015 4.5 miles 1,500 feet gained
September 27, 2015 8.5 miles 1,000 feet gained
Nice fall colors although 1-2 weeks past peak.
September 20, 2015 5.5 miles 500 feet gained
Other side of the same mountain - no chanterelles at all but quite a few boletes. Will get better if we have some wet, warm weather this fall.
September 19, 2015 3.5 miles 250 feet gained
Chanterelles going good already in many places, not enough to dry for winter but we picked a few pounds - it was the first real harvest of this season.
September 10 to September 14, 2015 26.86 miles 9,000 feet gained 4 nights
After busy Labor Day, got out on Thursday to explore Alpine Lakes Wilderness for the first time. Started at Rachel Lake trailhead and camped at Rampart Lakes, which was a must-see after reading epic TR's from the area (probably THE most crowded area I ever camped in, but justifiably so). When I came it was already getting dark, and found all campsites busy o...
September 5, 2015 6.5 miles 1,250 feet gained
Brrr... (nice fall colors, though!)
August 23 to August 24, 2015 11.31 miles 3,500 feet gained 1 night
Going NW seemed the best choice to get out of the smoke (or at least, it would clear sooner), and this little wilderness was on my list for too long, so it was easy to decide where to go. I started near Lake Christine late on Sunday and made it to junction of Beljica summit trail less than an hour to sunset. A quick but very steep hike to the summit was real...
August 16, 2015 2.5 miles 250 feet gained
My brother had time for a short hike, so we headed to where I hiked last week (less offtrail part). There's really high views to miles ratio, such a nice (and quiet) place! This trail got some brushing/maintenance in the past week.
August 9, 2015 6.18 miles 1,500 feet gained
Visited the lakes & than tried to ascend Goat Mtn from east side but was cliffed out. Saw a herd of elk on the way back, and sunset on MSH was really nice. Fun day. GPS track is attached in the link.
August 2 to August 3, 2015 4 miles 250 feet gained 1 night
Since I had one more day off, headed over to Placid and Chenamus Lakes. Placid was half dry - it's always much prettier early in the season, but I've never seen it THAT low! Chenamus didn't drop by much, still very nice at this point, but the best part were huckleberries, I ate as much as I could but didn't make a dent. Expected some rain, but only had coupl...
July 30 to August 2, 2015 22.5 miles 5,250 feet gained 3 nights
Friday-Sunday hike with portlandhiker Kelly (trip report to come)
July 26, 2015 4 miles 250 feet gained
Not much of a hike, but berries were really good there. Blackberries (the sweetest I remember) and the first of red huckleberries.
July 18 to July 19, 2015 13 miles 3,500 feet gained 1 night
My little vacation didn't materialize, but it was nice to spend 2 hottest days up in the Goat Rocks. Saw the last flowers of the season above 6500 feet, but in most places they already gone. The lake completely melted out, it's color is incredible - I don't know when it will be next time to see it (last time was in September 2009, and I visit there every yea...
July 4 to July 5, 2015 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...
June 27 to June 28, 2015 12.76 miles 1,500 feet gained 1 night
Camped at Placid Lake, made a loop on Sunday and visited Chenamus, Junction Lake, and went above Bear and Deer lakes on PCT - probably should have stayed down at Placid because it was so hot and mosquitoes didn't allow us to stop or rest. But it was nice to see the area in summer, still lots of beargrass. Looks like there will be loads of berries in the fall...
June 22 to June 23, 2015 9.25 miles 3,000 feet gained 1 night
Joined Kelly from PH and 2 SAR veterans to hike Bismark Mtn and 2 other unnamed, untrailed summits on both sides of Rd. 26. Great day, all-around views, several deer and elk sightings, and loads of wild strawberries. Green, lush area with lots of wildflowers, but already very dry. Kelly knows lots of stories and history on that area, apparently there were 50...
June 14, 2015 13 miles 1,500 feet gained
June 12, 2015 4.5 miles 1,500 feet gained
May 31, 2015 2 miles 250 feet gained
Going back from the trip, I stopped at "free" pullout to get a quick swim and what do I see. Instead of steep scramble to the lake there's nicely constructed trail, with footsteps and handrails and all! It's still in construction phase, I didn't follow it to the end but it seems to link campgrounds of Beaver Bay and Cougar Park, and maybe even Cougar. Didn't...
May 29 to May 31, 2015 21.2 miles 4,500 feet gained 2 nights
Hiked Boundary Trail via Badger Lake, Kirk and Shark Rock, to Craggy Peak, scrambled to false summit. On the way out detoured to Badger Peak, the site of former lookout. Stayed both nights at Badger Lake.
May 26, 2015 10 miles 2,750 feet gained
Quiet day hiking little-used trail. Rhododendrons and beargrass already starting to bloom, will get better in the next 2 weeks. Lots of ripe salmonberries on the lower trail. The ridge looks interesting destination for a clear day, some open views I coudn't see. Decided to skip the summit because it was well past my turnaround time.
May 17, 2015 8.63 miles 3,000 feet gained
Very nice hike, so quiet and wild. Watched raptors play above balsamroot field, found my way through untracked meadows, saw a bear cub up close. Even got two blurry pictures of it (#26, 27 but it was after I wasted a few seconds, it was much closer when I saw it running away from us). A bit too many ticks there, but otherwise this place is gorgeous.
May 10, 2015 9 miles 2,750 feet gained
May 2 to May 3, 2015 6.63 miles 1,250 feet gained 1 night
It's been wonderful two days exploring area around two of Boulder Lakes, before mosquitoes start in honest. Almost no snow, though it looked it was a lot more prior week. Only saw 2-3 mosquitoes each evening so the timing was right (also a "pet" deer visited us in camp and waited for handouts, but finally gave up). It was so nice down at Boulder Lake I almos...
April 26, 2015 7.5 miles 2,000 feet gained
5 of us Portlandhikers did a trail improvement on lower switchbacks to Munra Point. We blocked off eroded - and way too wide - "direct path" so that hikers would take switchback trail (the idea was to take care of the problem before it grew even bigger and the FS would move in and do something like closing unofficial trail and whatnot...). After that, we hik...
April 18 to April 19, 2015 10.4 miles 1,250 feet gained 1 night
April 12, 2015 4 miles 1,250 feet gained
Explored side trail that goes to/through talus fields right above the equestrian trailhead. Before long, the trail petered out though and I went straight uphill. Very cool area, one talus field after another, some rocks probably over 6 feet big. Past the rocks, there's some serious brush and poison oak, and it took me 2.5 hours to hit the road - so this rout...
April 5, 2015 4.23 miles 1,000 feet gained
Just saw this area on Google Earth and thought it might be worth to explore. Not sure why I didn't read anything about it on the forum - so nice! Unlike much larger St. Helens hummocks, those are made not from pumice and fine gravel, but from large boulders, was pretty rough to hike despite the smooth carpet look. Lone-standing ancient trees gave this place ...
March 29, 2015 5 miles 1,250 feet gained
Took my mom and dad to Kahneeta, we made a loop over Raven's Roost and then another loop on Red and Blue trails, over a "painted hill".
March 28, 2015 6.5 miles 2,500 feet gained
The trail is good in the middle, but lower and upper portions took a beating this winter. Still a great hike & very quiet, almost strange after seeing dozens of cars parked along Salmon River. Looking across to Devils Peak I couldn't see any hint of snow.
March 22, 2015 4 miles 1,000 feet gained
Small but interesting hiking area above Kahneeta resort in Warm Springs reservation. There wasn't much wilderness feel, but the views of the desert were great in all directions (with some "painted hills" not far away - next time I'd check the trail that goes in that direction), and flowers are getting really good, now only 1-2 weeks before their peak. We dro...
March 21, 2015 3.5 miles 250 feet gained
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