Karl

December 30, 2016 13 miles 1,500 feet gained

One last trip out in 2016! Went to see the Metlako landslide, and weren't disappointed! It was a pretty cold morning, and we met at the outer parking lot. Driving in to the closer departure point was a bit sketchy, but not too bad. Only three cars ahead of us. We put on our microspikes in the parking area. As we wandered on up, lots of little debris slides h...

December 28, 2016 12.5 miles 3,250 feet gained

Both inspired by Roman's recent report, as well as the relatively clear roads, we decided to hit up Hardy Ridge. Pulled out at Cape Horn on the way east, and were treated to another wonderful view from there! Rather than driving up to the Equestrian TH, with it's accumulation of snow, we just parked down on SR-14 beside the big rock (the gate was closed) and...

December 22, 2016 10 miles 2,750 feet gained

Celebrating the Winter Solstice, in the sun, on a snow-covered mountain, with friends... Priceless. Got a wake-up PM, asking if by any possible, last-minute, remote chance, might I be free to hike? Winter solstice? Sunny forecast? Before the first cup of coffee, "Yes!" was the only possible answer. Heh, but given the alarm hadn't been set, we weren't really ...

December 18, 2016 10 miles 1,750 feet gained

Great day on the PCT, celebrating the birthday of a friend. Good sized group had a very late start, leaving the Bridge of the Gods trailhead just before noon. Ran into several groups of friends through the day, as many seemed to have also felt this was the perfect hike for the conditions (both driving and hiking!). The trail was pretty well packed, at least ...

December 17, 2016 7 miles 250 feet gained

The roads were questionable, the Gorge was pretty miserable, so the pooch and I just took a really nice, long walk down in the valley below home. It was a great day to wander Salmon Creek! All the ice and cold weather meant we were virtually the only ones down there. Lots of wildlife close to the trail. Such a jewel, right (literally) in our own backyard!

December 3, 2016 19 miles 4,500 feet gained

It really wasn't looking like a view-day, so we chose the darkest, deepest, nearby rainforest instead. Turned out to be a fine choice, too! Started fairly early, first cars at Horsetail Falls, and the miles to Triple Falls ticked off very quickly. The trail is in excellent shape, in particular the repairs to the landslide of a couple years ago. We (I won't i...

November 27, 2016 12 miles 2,750 feet gained

Again, the forecast was pretty miserable, so we felt heading east may offer a bit of respite. Turns out, it rains in the Lyle-Mosier area, too! Who knew? :-) After getting something of a late start, we headed up the Labyrinth and just sort of wandered without a plan. Ended up cutting across over towards the large talus fields, which are filled with native vi...

November 25, 2016 10 miles 2,750 feet gained

We got [skunked by Tish Creek](http://wenthiking.com/users/295-karl/hikes/6194-eagle-creek) earlier in the day, so decided taking a run up the Elevator Shaft might be the best way to kill the afternoon. What a great way to recover from the earlier failure! The Black Friday crowds at Multnomah Falls were epic, but we did the conga up to Benson Bridge and surv...

November 25, 2016 5.5 miles 500 feet gained

Time to walk-off the turkey! Unfortunately, or otherwise, Portland received 5% of its annual rainfall on Thanksgiving, which meant the creeks were raging this day. There were impromptu waterfalls on both sides of the canyon, spilling down over the trail on our side, and just looking wonderful across from us. The clouds were still hanging heavy in the hills, ...

November 18, 2016 16.5 miles 5,000 feet gained

Really awesome loop with an old trail friend. Had not a solid plan in place, but rather just wandered. Left the trailhead, heading up the Herman Creek trail. On an impulse, we turned off on Gorton Creek towards Indian Point. Ran into a bit of trouble (for the trail, not us) where a huge fallen tree's rootball completely tore out the trail, just a bit before ...

November 12, 2016 7.5 miles 1,750 feet gained

Fun loop with a good friend and trusty companion. Enjoyed watching the clouds and various weather march through the Gorge, and avoided any nasty spills due to the increasingly muddy trail. A bit of rain, a bit of sun, mostly just pervasive dampness. Awesome option to have as just about the closest trailhead from home.

October 28, 2016 16.5 miles 4,000 feet gained

Finally got back out into the woods, after six weeks off the trail. So re-invigorating to realize how the stress had just melted right away almost instantly up there. Started at the Gumjuwac trailhead, right on US-35, and climbed up the first couple miles through the woods before hitting the first viewpoint. Unfortunately, Mount Hood was stubbornly stuck in ...

September 16, 2016 12.5 miles 4,500 feet gained

Did my fourth loop over to Paradise park, then up to the viewpoint over the Sandy River headwaters, across and back down to the site of a B-26 plane crash in 1949 on Mississippi Head, and finally shooting back up to 8500' as we crossed back to the upper reach of the Palmer ski run high above Timberline Lodge. What a great day! It was perhaps the last blue-sk...

September 10 to September 11, 2016 21 miles 4,750 feet gained 1 night

Four years in the planning, dreaming, delaying, ... We finally did it! Looped around Spirit Lake. Nearly. As it turned out, we had two vehicles, so we shuttled the four paved miles between Windy Ridge and Independence Pass. That gave us the time to tag a number of fun peaks along the loop, and the luxury of starting and stopping under light of day. (Not to m...

September 9, 2016 3 miles 750 feet gained

Delightful little jaunt down to the water's edge, from a trailhead only a few miles shy of Windy Ridge. Absolutely worth the diversion if you're in the area. We were meeting up there, for a much bigger hike the next day, and I took advantage of the hour or so of sunlight still left to head on down to the lakeshore. The stats are quite similar to Multnomah Fa...

August 28, 2016 19 miles 4,500 feet gained

Major revelation: Mount Rainier National Park is almost exactly the same distance from home as the Whitewater Trailhead into Jefferson Park! Whoa!!! Reality altering realization, there. It's always seemed much farther away, and yet it's actually much closer because the roads are so much better and no need to deal with crazy urban messes in the Portland-Salem...

August 22, 2016 12.5 miles 3,000 feet gained

Just an excellent little dog walk in our favorite nearby state park. These trails are normally quite secluded, but on a Monday even more so! We saw three people on the way up, five or seven on top, and three coming back down. Wow! Made it to the top in what I believe is a personal best time of 1:15. Wasn't hurrying, but it just worked out that way. Five or s...

August 20, 2016 8.5 miles 4,500 feet gained

With a forecast of 102° in the city, we decided to get up early and get as high as possible. My good friend suggested meeting at Timberline Lodge at 4:00 am, and just seeing where we ended up. Why not? Sounded fun! Though we had headlamps, there was really never a need for them. The nearly full moon kept us on track as we meandered up the Magic Mile between ...

August 12 to August 13, 2016 14 miles 5,500 feet gained 1 night

Have wanted to cowboy camp on top of South Sister, ever since first climbing it overnight to watch the sunrise a few years ago. Totally worth it! Following a series of delays, finally left the trailhead in 94° heat about 2:45 in the afternoon. The pack was heavy with water for the dry, dusty trail. Kind of brutal, even through the shaded forest. After breaki...

August 5, 2016 12.5 miles 4,000 feet gained

Decided to try a different route in, this time, and went to the McGee Creek trailhead rather than Top Spur. I like! It starts about 300' lower, and adds a mile or so in each direction. But the trail was entirely deserted, and lined with huckleberries. (Probably some causal relationship there, huh?) Actually, it being a Friday, I only saw one other person on ...

July 31, 2016 18 miles 4,000 feet gained

Soaked up alpine goodness on the western flanks of Mount Adams until well after the sun had set. Such a marvelous day, spent with a great friend. The road to the Stagman Ridge trailhead is probably in better shape than any other in the Adams area. We arrived there less than a half-hour after passing through Trout Lake. After securing our Wilderness Permit, w...

July 26, 2016 10.5 miles 5,000 feet gained

A call went out, "Who would like an unused volcano pass?" in the [PortlandHikers Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/PortlandHikers/) on Saturday, and on Tuesday I was on my way up! Went climbing with a great bunch of guys, mostly retired, and the day turned out to be just as perfect as perfect gets. Not an entirely sunny, bluebird day, but just ...

July 24, 2016 20 miles 4,000 feet gained

Forecast was calling for hot, so it was time to get high! Started the day down low, hiking through the lush, moss-carpeted Old Maid Flats. Crossing the Sandy was about as easy as it gets, these days, now that MHNF would rather not make sure it's safe for folks anymore. Hardly crossed trails with anyone going the back way up to Ramona, along the little creek ...

July 23, 2016 8 miles 1,750 feet gained

Spent the morning "being responsible," and decided to take the pooch for a quick loop around Cape Horn later in the day. Went clockwise, for a bit of a change, getting the road walk out of the way first. Ran into an old friend on one of the trails "that shall not be named" and had a great conversation overlooking the Columbia. Really nice stretch on just abo...

July 16, 2016 22 miles 4,000 feet gained

An incredible loop all the way around Three Fingered Jack, taking off from Santiam Pass. We traveled counter-clockwise around the ancient volcano, hoping to both follow the sun for better photos, and to get most of the more grueling climbs out of the way earlier in the day. Probably 70% of the entire loop was through areas burned in the 2003 B&B Complex wild...

July 10, 2016 22.5 miles 6,000 feet gained

Got a late start, not arriving at Multnomah Falls until 10-ish, and the crowds were out in full force. Powered my way up to the top in just over 20 minutes, though, and it was clear sailing from there on up. The day was overcast, and rain was looking pretty likely. Really, the perfect day for a forest hike! On the way up Larch, I crossed paths with quite a f...

July 2, 2016 17 miles 3,000 feet gained

Surreal. Mid-70s, low humidity, and wildflowers just exploding across the Pumice Plains. Never seen such an amazing display before. Goat Rocks, at peak, can come close. Paradise Park pales in comparison. Rather than 10s of acres of gorgeous color, we luxuriated through 10s of square miles of unbelievable beauty, somehow dragging out 17 miles across 10 trail ...

June 25, 2016 12.5 miles 3,250 feet gained

Got a really late start, and didn't hit the trailhead until nearly 1pm. Which turned out perfect, as the clouds were just moving away from Hood's summit as I turned off 26 in Zigzag. Winding up Salmon River Rd, the pavement was steaming, and it seemed like a huge downpour had just passed through. Pretty well validates that sleeping in can actually be compati...

June 19, 2016 23.5 miles 5,000 feet gained

Picked nearly the longest day of the year for another megaloop (by my standards, at any rate) in the blast zone. Given how late the sun would be up, we got a lazy start around 9:30 at the Coldwater Lake boat launch. Best trailhead restrooms anywhere. The lake was calm and reflective as we walked along its north shore. Foxglove and daisies were putting on an ...

June 12, 2016 10.5 miles 3,750 feet gained

Got a chance to play "tour guide" for a couple friends who'd never been up this iconic peak before. The day turned out so much better than any of us had hoped. Just perfect hiking weather, in every possible regard. We pungled up the $5 to park at Bonneville Hot Springs, now that the owner of that resort has posted "No Trespassing" signs at the old Aldrich Bu...

June 11, 2016 4.5 miles 1,000 feet gained

Needed a walk in the woods to while away the afternoon. Hard to think of a much nicer place to do it.

May 30, 2016 22 miles 4,500 feet gained

Just about as perfect as days come, spent with wonderful friends, up in the blast zone! Went up the Ape Canyon approach from the east, which offers a gently rolling climb through an old growth forest, beside a massive lahar, with some very nice volcano views along the way. As we were about to break out of the forest, an elk was startled just off-trail, and t...

May 28, 2016 12.5 miles 4,000 feet gained

Supposedly, according to the MHNF website, the road up to Cloud Cap was supposed to be open. We were actually rather happy to see the gate still locked just beyond the Cooper Spur Ski Area, as that meant we'd be virtually alone all day and the extra climbing was already part of our plan. We took the Polallie Ridge trail up to Tilly Jane; it had suffered a bi...

May 24, 2016 10 miles 1,500 feet gained

Skipped the very last conference session of the day, to go explore Point Defiance Park. What a gem! There's really something for everyone out here. Zoo, aquarium, historic trading fort, logging museum, rhododendron garden, rose garden, northwest natives garden, off-leash dog park, a beach, vistas over Puget Sound, and of course an extensive network of incred...

May 23, 2016 4.5 miles 1,000 feet gained

Had to travel to Tacoma for some business, and Swan Creek Park provided a perfect end-of-the-day getaway! Walked close to 5 miles up and down the creek, starting near the community gardens. The woods were thick and lush, green as could be, even supporting some really nice old-growth. The trail itself was like one of those kiddie roller coasters -- up and dow...

May 13, 2016 17 miles 6,000 feet gained

Awesome day with good friends, exploring some new spots and some old favorites. Started with the Cook-Augspurger Traverse (CAT, eh?), which was entirely unexplored territory for all of us. The route up Cook was exceedingly easy to follow, and provided some spectacular vistas and wonderful meadows full of wildflowers. Fun to taking photos of balsamroot with t...

May 1, 2016 3 miles 1,250 feet gained

Wonderful way to end any day out! Dog Mountain was beset with flip-floppers, cars parked up and down SR-14. Only four cars at this trailhead, though! Got our exercise in, and quickly came back down. Again, flying bugs were beyond the point of irritation, and the legendary wind just didn't help. Still, as good a late-day view as the Gorge offers! <iframe widt...

May 1, 2016 5 miles 1,250 feet gained

An unexpectedly pleasant surprise! Hadn't been here before, but this trail offers a really quick jaunt through some pretty nice balsamroot meadows and scrub oak. Very short, only taking two hours even with lots of photos. All uphill, and very exposed, so hitting it on an 85° day - one of the first of the year - took a bit of a toll. Lots of really irritating...

April 29, 2016 24 miles 6,000 feet gained

Totally wore ourselves out yesterday! Began the day with the always fun, and frequently spooky Ruckel Ridge climb. I will definitely call this stretch a climb rather than a hike. Frequent need to use hands. Peril abounds with a single slip. Helluva workout! Truly, one of those "the journey is the destination" places. By the time we pushed through 3700', we w...

April 24, 2016 16 miles 3,250 feet gained

When it rains, embrace the rainforest! Wonderful walk in the woods with good friends and the faithful companion. The forest is literally Spring'ing back to life. Lots of little forest flowers, and every conceivable shade of green. The thick canopy protected our heads from most of the rain, and the soft humus floor protected our feet - impossible to beat. We ...

April 15, 2016 5 miles 1,000 feet gained

Third of three "little" hikes today, also to somewhere I'd heard of but never been. This one seems like a real gem. The trail is nicely graded, with just a slight rise up Marsh Hill. Lots of flowers scattered amongst the oaks, and pastoral tranquility atop that first rise. Stumbled across a baby rattler sunning himself on the trail, there. Dude was all attit...

April 15, 2016 6.5 miles 1,500 feet gained

Second of three "little" hikes today, which included two places I'd heard of many times, but never been to before. It was a fun drive along the historic US-30, through the (in)famous Rowena curves, coming over from [Sevenmile Hill](http://wenthiking.com/users/295-karl/hikes/5899-sevenmile-hill), too. I'd been warned how crowded this place might be, but was p...

April 15, 2016 5 miles 1,500 feet gained

First of three "little" hikes today, to a place I'd only learned of the day before! I am basically tongue-tied. The beauty of the bloom here is incomparable to anything I've seen anywhere. Getting here is made more difficult by the inaccurate directions in the Oregon Hikers' Field Guide. (Use those in Curious Gorge, instead.) And once here, you're on your ow...

April 10, 2016 15.5 miles 4,500 feet gained

Knocked two off "The List" in a single hike. Been wanting to go up Mitchell Point for a long time, but it never seemed to offer enough to make it stand alone. So, found another hike up to Wygant Point leaves from the same trailhead! Bingo. We did our best to make it as loopy as possible, but our pre-trip investigations indicated the Chetwoot Trail was impass...

March 30, 2016 15 miles 3,000 feet gained

With the sudden onset of summer weather, we decided to go snowshoeing - go figure! It was an unbelievably beautiful day up in the blast zone. So much so, we both came home with rather nasty sunburns, despite being at least somewhat cautious to avoid them. The views and fresh mountain air more than made up for that, though. Started from the Hummocks trailhead...

March 5, 2016 2 miles 500 feet gained

After a decent lunch at "the restaurant formerly known as Charburger," the family worked it off with a fun walk in the rain to Wahclella Falls, followed with a visit over to see the giant sturgeons at the fish hatchery.

March 4, 2016 15.5 miles 2,000 feet gained

Another trip to the dry side, as clouds and possible rain threatened in greener areas. Spent the day exploring the Lost Corral Trail area along the south side of the John Day River in Oregon's newest state park. Very nice indeed! The first four miles, or so, were very flat as they followed an old road. The canyon colors were really popping in the sunshine. G...

February 25, 2016 16.5 miles 4,500 feet gained

Spring sprung! We had a most excellent day playing hookie from the real world, while getting the dog entirely exercised in the process. Took the customary route up to Hamilton's summit, enjoying the views and just perfect weather all the way up. It was a bit breezy, as the east winds kicked in for real once we hit the peak. Traversed over to enjoy a sunny lu...

February 20, 2016 14.5 miles 4,250 feet gained

Finally got back to the Coast Range, and remembered just how enjoyable it is! Day started out far sunnier than any of us expected, but as we climbed the clouds enshrouded the mountain and eliminated any hopes of an ocean view from on top, only to part again as we returned to the trailhead hours later. We started at the Elk Creek Campground, taking the Wilson...

February 15, 2016 14 miles 1,750 feet gained

Wonderful walk in the woods with Woodswalker! ["What she said."](http://wenthiking.com/users/385-woodswalker/hikes/5783-lewis-river-waterfall-extravaganza) One waterfall after another... Wow! :-) We felt as though we were absolutely the only ones out there yesterday, so much so that deciding not to drive through a pretty "iffy" slide only 3/4 mile short of t...