Karl

April 4, 2015 8 miles 2,500 feet gained

Expected crowds (Sunny Spring Break Saturday!), but found near complete solitude. Ran into snow a bit below 3000', and there was a good 6-10" of fluffy, crunchy powder by the time we summited. Tagged Pyramid Rock on the way down.

March 29, 2015 17 miles 4,000 feet gained

A most awesome day traversing from the basaltic Horsethief Butte next to the Columbia, through Columbia Hills State Park, on up to Stacker Butte. We started down by the river, and found Horsethief to be (literally) just crawling with a hundred or more Mazamas out practicing rock climbing. Visited with a couple of PH friends for awhile, before exploring all a...

March 21, 2015 5 miles 250 feet gained

Another day, another "training hike" for Harleigh. The sun broke out, after morning downpours, so we got in a quick run up and down the valley below our house. He's really keeping up now. And even agreeing to "wait" while I snap photos! :-)

March 20, 2015 13.5 miles 3,500 feet gained

Have Dodge Ram, will hike! Wouldn't recommend the Burnt Lake South trailhead for anything less. That thing was cratered, and flooded, and just not the kind of thing you'd ever want to try a Suburu on! Definitely called for high clearance. That said... Wonderful day! Headed up to East Zigzag Mtn, then just rambled across from the site of that old fire lookout...

March 19, 2015 7.5 miles 1,250 feet gained

Spent the day just exploring around Mosier. Started with wandering all around the Mosier Plateau, where we found lots of balsamroot and parsley in bloom and an assortment of others (lupine, larkspur, grass widow, etc.) as well. Saw some monster squirrel-like things, and a little rock lizard of some sort, too. Then, we headed over to the Twin Tunnels bike pat...

March 15, 2015 6 miles 250 feet gained

First "training hike" for the new pup. Longest walk before today was about 2 miles, as it was clear he'd never been on a leash or had any training of that sort before we brought him home a few weeks ago. Thought the high wind warnings and flood advisories offered the perfect chance to "see what he had." Took him for a good, brisk 6+ miler that even included ...

March 14, 2015 8 miles 750 feet gained

Thought the forecast of heavy rain all weekend called for nothing less than a hike in the rain forest. First time to the Lewis River Trail for both of us. Lovely stroll through beautiful old growth Western Red cedar and Douglas fir forests. It did, though, lack a bit in variety, so we called it a (thoroughly enjoyable!) day after fewer miles than usual. As a...

March 6, 2015 25 miles 5,500 feet gained

The day started out with a simple plan. Try the Cinnamon Ridge loop trail, as described in the Portland Hikers field guide (see link), starting at Kalama Horse Camp. But we found ourselves at the Red Rock trailhead, roughly the halfway point, at 10:30am. So... In a major "WTH?!" moment, we decided continue up past Butte Camp Dome, to the Loowit Trail for a b...

February 24, 2015 14.5 miles 2,750 feet gained

Seeing a change in weather coming soon, it was entirely worth taking a vacation day to go hit up Jefferson Park in February! The conditions could not have been better. We chose the most direct route possible, from the Whitewater trailhead. It was clear, driving up the access road, that the windstorm earlier this week had done some damage. But we had no issue...

February 21, 2015 17.5 miles 3,000 feet gained

Absolutely awesome day in Indian Heaven! FR65 is wide open (at least) all the way to Thomas Lake trailhead, which is where we began our hike. We left the trail about 2.5 miles in, near Rock Lake, and just traveled cross-country much of the rest of the day. Above 4700', the ground was almost entirely covered in snow, other than where the creeks were flowing o...

February 16, 2015 17.5 miles 4,250 feet gained

Another beautiful day in the blast zone! Albeit extremely windy. Started at the Hummocks TH, where SR-504 is (needlessly) gated, and followed the Boundary Trail up to JRO and on towards Harry's Ridge. The trail out around Devil's Elbow is horribly washed out, so we detoured across that ridge using ready-made elk trails instead, and cut a mile or so off the d...

February 14, 2015 13.5 miles 3,250 feet gained

Spent a wonderful day exploring the area around Cruzatt Rim and Archer Mountain, with Brad acting as a most willing tour guide. First time up there, but won't be the last. Much of the day was spent off trail (so don't follow our track!). Ran into a fresh hatch of ticks on the way down -- they're out there in force, already.

January 30, 2015 11 miles 5,750 feet gained

Probably the best use of a vacation day ever. Incredible day on the volcano, with visibility extending beyond 180 miles. To the north, we could see the Olympics, Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, and of course Mount Rainier loomed large. To our east, Mount Adams and Goat Rocks dominated. To the south, there was Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Three Sisters, Mount Wash...

January 25, 2015 19.5 miles 5,000 feet gained

Spectactular sunny, 74°, and snow-free summit on Tanner Butte! We had it all to ourselves, after meeting the only two other people (PH TFFs, at that!) we'd see all day descending as we approached the summit. The entire Willamette Valley and P/V metro area appeared to be socked-in with fog, but the rest of the incredible 360° vista was nothing but bluebird sk...

January 23, 2015 12.5 miles 3,250 feet gained

Really nice "training hike" up Salmon Butte. The first 1.3 miles is along a decommissioned roadway, which has been valiantly turned into a fairly nice trail. From there on up, it's a lush old forest, with a very comfortable, mostly duff, trail underfoot. The grade is consistent nearly the entire way, only leveling off a little bit along the final ridgeline b...

January 19, 2015 13 miles 2,750 feet gained

Had a good stretch wandering through the "post-apocalyptic" landscape on logged-over Bells Mountain, in northern Clark County, yesterday. The clear-cutting has been particularly aggressive in the last year, with loads of new views opening up, while plantings a decade or more old are slowly closing up some of the older harvest areas. The landscape is surreal,...

January 11, 2015 11 miles 2,750 feet gained

Total recliner hike! Made a new trail friend, got together again with an old trail friend, and just enjoyed a nice walk through the rainy rainforest. Multnomah Canyon must be one of the more under-appreciated stretches in the gorge. Seems it's often an "issue" of getting past the tourists, but if you really slow down and enjoy it, you remember just how stunn...

January 9, 2015 11 miles 3,750 feet gained

Magnificent day on the mountain! Tilly Jane trail was frozen as we ascended through a thick fog bank up the old ski trail. After enjoying the A-frame and campground vicinity, we headed over towards Cloud Cap Inn as neither of us had seen that in winter before. From Cloud Cap, we took the Timberline Trail (and a bit of cross-country) up to the lateral moraine...

January 3, 2015 14 miles 3,750 feet gained

Decided that a long forest hike was the choice-du-jour, due what looked to be unrelenting clouds obscuring any hope of views. Wandered way up Hamilton Creek, starting just south of Aldrich Butte, following the old abandoned railroad grade to the extent possible. Then, took the incline route up to the PCT, and came back down the "normal" route. Along the way,...