Mileage Mike

December 29, 2013 10.1 miles 2,250 feet gained

This was the last hike of the year for us. This is a great hike from Reehers camp south on the Gales Creek trail! We had originally intended to hike the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad, but it is so overgrown in this area that we ended up turning around. So instead, we hiked up past Bell Camp Rd, and turned around only when we needed to get back before sunset...

December 25, 2013 8.6 miles 750 feet gained

It was on the cool side but a nice holiday hike! We only saw two couples the entire day. We were trying to get to the Big Hollow trail from the Dry Creek TH, but got stopped by some water crossings that we didn't want to make on such a cold day. This is a very nice, and fairly level, forest hike with many opportunities to visit Big Hollow Creek.

December 24, 2013 7.7 miles 750 feet gained

The road to this hike was glazed over by the freezing fog, and at about 2500ft there was ice all over the road! We wore our micro-spikes for the entire hike as the trail was very slippery and we didn't want to risk slipping. We didn't actually know where Kalama Falls was located, so we kept taking trails that we thought led to it. However, they only led to t...

December 22, 2013 7.8 miles 1,500 feet gained

Went with my wife and son on this short hike. We decided to hike east on Larch Mt. Road and cut-in to the Larch Mt. trail. We headed north towards Multnomah Falls, and were glad to see Laura (Spitfire) hiking up to Larch Mt! We stopped and talked for a while, and then resumed hiking north until we bumped into her husband Rick, and stopped to talk with him a ...

December 21, 2013 11.2 miles 1,500 feet gained

We headed up Sedum Ridge and started from the Trout Creek Work Center parking lot. We were looking for the access to the Historic Stevenson Ridge Trail that we found on the garmin map but didn't know if it existed. The access to the trail wasn't obvious as there was brush growing where the trail started. We headed up this abandoned trail and on the way back ...

December 15, 2013 8.2 miles 750 feet gained

Very nice cloudy and foggy day in a less used location. My son went with us and wanted a somewhat shorter and easier hike, so this is a dependable hike with those qualities.

December 14, 2013 10.5 miles 2,750 feet gained

Cloudy and coolish day but was a pleasure to hike in! Went with a friend and stopped to take pictures of Indian Point and Mt. Adams. We made it to a campsite just past a small stream/spring, which was just past the Deadwood Trail! Very enjoyable hike and am glad to have passed the 1000 mile mark for the year! We followed up this great hike with pizza!

December 8, 2013 10.6 miles 1,500 feet gained

We wanted to experience al the frozen falls/creeks in the gorge and so headed out to Dry Creek Falls. Although very very cold, we were dressed appropriately and had no warmth issues! I've never seen Dry Creek Falls look quite so amazingly beautiful during the winter season, and this type of hard freeze doesn't happen very often. I highly recommend visiting i...

December 7, 2013 9.2 miles 750 feet gained

Beautifully bitter cold day, but we were dressed for it! More mountain bikers than I would have thought, and also saw three muzzleloader hunters. Great time, but now it's time to leave for the PH Meet-n-Deet! See you there, maybe.

December 1, 2013 10.7 miles 1,750 feet gained

The day started out just cloudy (and warm) and ended up being a torrential downpour! This had to be the most fun we had on a hike in such a brutally wet and windy storm. Only one group of people coming back down from the Herman Creek trail, and nobody seen after that. We came back looking like drowned rats, but were very comfortable during the entire hike. A...

November 30, 2013 10.1 miles 1,500 feet gained

The gate going to Larch Mt. is now closed for the season! We again hiked on NF-1520 and made it to a lower Wahkenna Trail. The trail to Devil's Rest was very crowded. The positive side is that we ran into PH Airoff again!!! We also had a few other great discussions with hikers, which just added to the fun. We then turned around and headed toward the Larch Mt...

November 29, 2013 8.8 miles 2,000 feet gained

Beautiful cool day, with no wind, in the gorge! Many hikers seen on the way out, but we lost them after coming down from Aldrich Butte after turning onto the Cedar Creek Trail. I, and many other hikers, couldn't believe our eyes when there was a large truck driving down from Aldrich Butte! That's right, a couple of complete A-holes drove to Aldrich Butte!!! ...

November 28, 2013 10.9 miles 1,250 feet gained

Quick Thanksgiving Day hike in Forest Park as I wanted to stay close to home, and was solo. As expected, almost nobody on the trail. The weather was cool and pleasant A perfect short hike before a large dinner with the family is mighty nice!

November 24, 2013 8.4 miles 2,500 feet gained

What a gorgeous day, and very different from the brutal east winds we saw yesterday. We were so overdressed as the temperature at 3800ft was a balmy 59degF! Absolutely nobody was on the trail, and it was a wonderful wilderness hike! We stopped just shy of reaching the ridge after the second steep climb. It was a physically great day for me, but my wife was v...

November 23, 2013 8.9 miles 2,500 feet gained

It was a beautiful sunny day, and even a bit cold at Beacon Rock State Park, but the east wind was nothing short of brutal! We arrived at the ridge via the eastern access, and the wind gusts were enough to turn us back at the first rock outcropping. I'd estimate gusts at 50+mph!!! My backpack cover was almost ripped off and my hat just shot off my head (chin...

November 17, 2013 10.1 miles 2,250 feet gained

Rain, rain and more rain. It never stopped raining the entire day, but it was quite an awesome hike! Only saw a few people on the first 1-2 miles out, and nobody seen after that. At the Elk Mt. cutoff, we turned right instead of the usual left turn to Elk and/or King's Mt. We ended up hiking into private logged (but replanted) land. We didn't know it was pri...

November 16, 2013 9.1 miles 1,250 feet gained

We were trying to make it to Larch Mt., but encountered snow on the road. We stopped at NF-1520 and took it to Devil's Rest. Only saw one person today, but it was PH Airoff! Cool day in the high 30's, but felt good! We came back to some young guys burning a huge fire across the street from our car. What the heck?

November 11, 2013 8.9 miles 1,750 feet gained

A gorgeous day in an amazing place! Only five hikers and two dogs seen the entire day. Unfortunately, the dogs were off leash and tearing up the wilderness due to completely irresponsible owners!:( The view of snow covered Mt. Hood from the south side of Burnt Lake was breathtaking!!! We tried to make it to the top of Zigzag Ridge, but fell short on time as ...

November 10, 2013 10.3 miles 1,000 feet gained

Beautiful hike in Forest Park! We hiked a small loop with our daughter-in-law and grand-daughter, and then set out for a longer hike on the Wildwood trail. Very few people on the trail on this perfect day in November; lucky us!

November 9, 2013 8.8 miles 1,750 feet gained

This is an excellent loop trail and it was a perfect cloudy cool day for the hike! There's plenty of nice streams and a beautiful waterfall on the trail. A work party was replacing a bridge, so the main Gales Creek parking lot was full, and they were actively cutting wood. Besides this work party, only four other people were seen on the entire trail! We did ...

November 3, 2013 8.1 miles 1,000 feet gained

Nice cool & cloudy day which makes for nice hiking in this area! Nobody was on the trail system, and we were afforded amazing solitude! Investigated a research area on the southern end of the trail system called "Aquila Vista". We hiked up there and found most of the views were gone due to tree growth, but some glimpses indicated it was probably nice at one ...

November 2, 2013 11.2 miles 3,250 feet gained

What a blustery cold day, with a thunderstorm show overhead just when we reached the Dublin Lake & Wauna Point Intersection! The thunderstorm brought 1/4" hail, and dumped quite a bit at that. Thought we saw a smidge of snow, but it was quite cold at about 3000ft. Saw a trail runner go by, with his dog, but were just off trail near a viewpoint when he passed...

October 27, 2013 8.1 miles 750 feet gained

I'm not sure how the software calculated 750ft of elevation gain, but oh well? We started from our motel at Deane's Oceanfront Resort (very nice people and clean room), and headed north toward Waldport. The weather started out blustery but had some sun break through, typical of the coast. It was fun crossing Big Creek! Almost nobody on the beach, and it was ...

October 26, 2013 12.3 miles 2,500 feet gained

The road to the Cummins Ridge Trail is exceptional and an easy drive. At the end of the road is a parking area, and the wilderness sign is viewable from the parking lot! The first 3 miles of the trail are up the abandoned road, and it is gently graded and grass covered the whole way. At about 3 miles, you turn right, and the remainder of the hike is on a rea...

October 25, 2013 7.5 miles 2,000 feet gained

Exceptional hike on a clear day! Plenty of old growth, but only one person seen on trail! We didn't have long to hike as we arrived late, and would have done the larger loop instead of the shorter Gwynn Creek loop. The Spouting Horn wasn't very active, but we watched a nice sunset (no colors due to fog out at sea)!

October 20, 2013 5.3 miles 1,750 feet gained

A great comeback from a bad morning hike. Wyeth Campground was closed, so we parked outside the gate. There were no people on the trail, and it was in exceptional shape! After crossing Harphan Creek (not much water), the trail climbs quite rapidly, and is followed by a large number of switchbacks. We didn't make it far, since we had started the hike at about...

October 20, 2013 3.2 miles 750 feet gained

This was a very depressing hike! As some may know, this is a very popular biking area, but also is excellent for hiking. It is also private land that the owners have graciously allowed people to use, but doesn't want it widely publicized. We went there many times, and the hiking has always been superb. Unfortunately, a short distance on the trail revealed a ...

October 19, 2013 9.3 miles 1,750 feet gained

What a beautiful, spectacular and clear day! We had never been to Chinidere Mt., and today was an amazing time to visit. We got up there, and immediately noticed a couple of things; we could see 5 snow covered volcanoes very clearly (St. Helens, Rainier, Adams, Hood and Jefferson!), and it was very crowded. I tried to take some movies, but there was a loud a...

October 13, 2013 9.1 miles 1,250 feet gained

Beautiful crisp day in a spectacular area, with only a few sun breaks during the day. We saw about 6 small groups of people, but had plenty of solitude. No hunters seen but one group saw some at one of the lakes. We put out a fire that was still smoking at Lower Twin Lake. There was probably no chance of a fire, since the ground was wet, but the lake was abo...

October 12, 2013 4 miles 750 feet gained

October 12, 2013 4.1 miles 1,250 feet gained

This was a very strange hike. There were no parking spots on Pine Mont road, so we drove around and found a parking area further on south. What happened next was the most bizarre experience my wife and I have ever had while hiking! A man and his dog approached our car, and started talking. I can't say exactly what he said, as it was not appropriate, but the ...

October 6, 2013 8.6 miles 1,500 feet gained

I stayed close in to home since I was hiking solo, and met up with my daughter-in-law and granddaughter later in the hike. Exceptional day!

October 5, 2013 13.8 miles 2,250 feet gained

Made it to the Tanner Cutoff Trail on this second try.. Went with a good friend and had a great time! Weather was fantastic, and started out brisk, but ended up much warmer. Only saw a couple of hikers near the TH, at the end of the hike, and saw no other people (or hunters) the entire hike.

September 29, 2013 10.1 miles 1,500 feet gained

Rain, rain & more rain! We headed out on the #400 trail towards the Tanner Butte Cutoff trail. I was hoping to get there, but we turned back because the intense and constant rain penetrated all our clothing and backpacks! My wife was getting chilled, and it's our agreed upon rule to turn back if either of us is uncomfortable with the situation! We bumped int...

September 28, 2013 9.7 miles 1,750 feet gained

Excellent day at Catherine Creek! Not much rain, and some cloud filtered sun came out before we left. Unfortunately, there is thinning/logging going on near Tracy Hill, and the trail was jello soft muddy and not fun! Except for the Tracy Hill area, the trails were in great shape, and hikers were only seen close to the TH on the way back. We were welcomed by ...

September 22, 2013 8.3 miles 1,750 feet gained

All I can say is that Mt. Rainier NP is Awesome. We started on the East Side Trail and headed south along the Silver Falls Loop. This canyon is pure visual ecxtasy! It started raining hard, and continuously half-way through the hike, which only made the mood that much more exquisite! After 3/4ths around the loop, we headed up the Cowlitz Divide Trail, which ...

September 21, 2013 8.2 miles 2,000 feet gained

Started at White Pass on the PCT. Headed south into Goat Rocks Wilderness and stopped just before Hell Lake. Met only PCT hikers here, and talked for about 25 minutes. They didn't have trail names! Then headed north into William O. Douglass Wilderness. We didn't go as far as wanted as I must have had food poisoning from very meal the night before, in Packwoo...

September 20, 2013 7.6 miles 1,750 feet gained

Had an excellent three day vacation at Mt. Rainier National Park with my son. This was day one, and the weather was great! Amazing number of waterfalls! Wish there was a good view of Sydney Falls, as the view through the trees indicated an amazingly large falls! Corrected elevation per Topofusion.

September 15, 2013 10.8 miles 2,000 feet gained

Cool, cloudy and occasionally drizzly day - Awesome! Only saw one couple the entire day, towards the end of the day. Intense thunder at beginning of hike, but was gone after first hour. Unfortunately, no views the entire day, but the mood was ethereal/mystical!

September 14, 2013 9 miles 1,000 feet gained

Had to work today, so stayed close to home. The Wildwood Trail was in excellent condition, and only saw a dozen people on the trail all day!

September 8, 2013 10.5 miles 1,500 feet gained

Exceptional day in Indian Heaven. A few hunters, but mostly hikers and backpackers. Met PCT thru-hiker "Rocks" and had a nice talk. We gave him plenty of snacks, that he gobbled up!

September 7, 2013 12.3 miles 3,000 feet gained

Superb day on the PCT. Met two nice thru-hikers, Hanna & Meg (no trail names). Also met one thru hiker that wouldn't stop and refused to give his trail name. I was kind of shocked at his dismissal of my friendly hello, and charged right past me. Oh well, I wished him well and continued on!

September 2, 2013 8.6 miles 2,000 feet gained

After three attempts (always in the snow), I finally finished this connection to the other side we completed. We had to put out a fire, that was still burning, in a pit that was abandoned.

August 31, 2013 6.1 miles 750 feet gained

Short hike as we needed to drive to Twin Falls today. This trail is NOT recommended. Most of the trail is in lowland meadows through high grasses and brush. Arizona Creek is a nice and meandering, but the water is slow moving and a great breeder of bugs. Only a couple small views of Tetons, but not good for picture taking. I picked up a Tick along the way, b...

August 30, 2013 11.6 miles 1,750 feet gained

Exceptionally beautiful loop and very recommended! Lewis Lake and the channel are breathtaking, and it leads to the SE corner of Shoshone Lake (which is also gorgeous. We hiked back on the CDT, but met no thru-hikers. Again, we got caught in T-storms at Lewis Lake, and put on rain gear, only to shed it about an hour later.

August 29, 2013 9.6 miles 2,250 feet gained

North Absaroka is a very rugged beautiful wilderness that is east of Yellowstone NP. I had trouble getting info and we just took our chances. Trail in excellent shape, and seems to be primarily accessed by horse, as discussed with forest service person that happened to be updating signs at TH. We felt great today, but had to turn back due to large thundersto...

August 28, 2013 8.1 miles 1,500 feet gained

August 27, 2013 12.9 miles 2,500 feet gained

August 26, 2013 10.4 miles 1,500 feet gained

This was one incredible hike. Parking lot was full, but the groups were only seen on the way out, and only before the Shoshone Lake intersection. We watched a thunderstorm show in the mountains SE of the lake, but managed to miss any downpours! We never saw anyone while on the Shoshone Lake shoreline. Plenty of meadows, but never saw any large mammals grazin...

August 25, 2013 6 miles 500 feet gained

1st day of vacation at Yellowstone NP. Got there at 4pm so could only do a short hike. Saw a coyote and two buffalo on the trail! Only night we stayed in a cabin at Canyon.