Wahkeena – Multnomah Falls Loop, Dec 12th

Is not like I haven’t done this loop or trail before, I think by now I could do it backwards with my eyes closed, but with the couple of unseasonable cold weeks we’ve had, I knew the water falls were frozen or nearly frozen. With the mild winters we get in Oregon, frozen waterfalls are not very common, so this was an opportunity we couldn’t miss. Besides, I was not leading the hike, Gregg, a fellow hiker wanted to make this his first qualifying hike to become an assistant organizer in the group so I was just tagging along. Instead of leaving the cars at Wahkeena, we decided to park at Multnomah. Before heading out and doing the short connector trail to get to Wahkeena though, we went up a bit to take some early pictures of Multnomah, just in case weather got worse. From this moment on, we were just amazed by the beauty of the streams and waterfalls. The combination of running water and ice formations was incredible. The other thing we noted was that, as water freezes and turns white, little water trickles that you rarely see, form big ice sculptures around rocks and plants. On of these was the trickle on the way to Wahkeena. In the summer you can only see small drops of water sliding on moss. This time, we found a huge ice formation, large enough that there where a couple of ice climbers climbing it. Son after we got to the Wahkeena trailhead and another surprise. The creek was partially frozen but still with a lot of running water which made the ice transparent and even shiny.

Wahkeena Creek


The hike from there was, as expected, a bit tricky. On the way up, we had to pass several sections of the trail that were completely frozen. Having traction devices and poles did help a bit though. As we were gaining elevation, there was more ice but still the water was running underneath. At some point we crossed a small stream that had only a couple of holes here and there were you could see water rushing.

Water under the ice


Strangely enough, once we got up to the basin, there was no snow or ice. It was like winter was not happening in a big are of the forest. Then we started descending the Multnomah creek and to the most interesting part of the hike. This loop can be done clockwise or counter clockwise. Although clockwise gives you a nice view of the waterfalls as you approach them, doing it counter clockwise as we were doing it, is more impressive as you approach the waterfalls from the top. As we were descending, the first waterfall was Ecola. It was partially frozen but still running. Then came Weisendanger, the big waterfall that I’ve captured many times before. This time though, the waterfall had a partial ice cover on one side. Despite the force and the amount of water coming down, it was incredible to see this veil of ice just barely holding on top of it. This scenery made the trip for me, it was just incredible.

Weisendanger Falls under the ice veil


Then we got another surprise. A much smaller fall (that I can’t find the name) was completely frozen. The interesting thing was you could actually see movement under the ice, so we knew water was running. The really cool thing was that, since it was completely covered, there was no sound at all. The waterfall was totally silent. From there it was just more downhill and more ice until we got back to Multnomah falls. By that time the weather was turning on us and it was starting to rain again. With temperatures near freezing, that meant freezing rain, so the drive home was not a lot of fun.

Ghost Ridge, Dec 5th

With the snow already here, I wanted to take a small group to a nice snowshoe near MT Hood to a place called Ghost Ridge. Originally I had thought I hadn’t been there before, but as soon as we got to the ridge, the views and surroundings became very familiar. I was pretty sure then that I had been there but couldn’t remember when or with whom, although I can remember it was not in the winter. The snowshoe in itself was not very exciting although the rewards were very good. For the last couple of weeks, it has been unseasonably cold in Oregon with temperatures barely reaching over the freezing line in Portland. That, plus the fact that we didn’t get precipitation at all, meant very consolidated, hard, packed snow up in the mountains. We did use the snowshoes but mostly for traction rather than to float on snow which made the hike very noisy. Ghost ridge is a small peak off trail from the PCT. It can be reached from both, the Barlow Pass Sno Park or Frog Lake. I decided on Barlow knowing it would be a bit easier. After meeting at the trailhead, and gearing up for the very cold day. We headed out on the PCT towards Twin Lakes. At about a mile in, where the trail veers to the side of the mountain, I started to look for a good place to go off-trail thinking I would have to navigate to the ridge. With the lack of new snow, there was no need to navigate. Very soon we found a user trail that was very easy to follow all the way to the top of the ridge. The views were very good but not fantastic. The cloud cover was low enough to cover the mountain and there was enough wind to make it really cold. We continued on the ridge for a little while until we found a sheltered area to stop for lunch. From there we continued down the side of the ridge until we realized we were o the wrong side. After a quick adjustment to our bearings, we climbed back to the ridge and then hiked down until we got back to the PCT. I can’t say it was a great snowshoe outing although it was interesting.

Mirror Lake & Tom, Dick and Harry, Nov 21st

This is one of those classic hikes near Mt Hood. In the summer, on a clear day, you can get the full reflection of Mt Hood on the lake (hence the name) and you can climb to Tom, Dick and Harry for some spectacular, up close views of the mountain which can include views of Mt Jefferson and Three Sisters. About two years ago, the Oregon Department of Transportation, decided to stop cleaning the snow that gives access to parking for this hike. Since then, the only option is to park at Ski Bowl and either follow the road, which is not very nice or, find your way thru the forest using a GPS or navigating with map and compass. I did this hike about a year ago (the backcountry option) and it was not easy as there are more than a couple of creeks to cross. This time, Jeff wanted to establish a more direct route to the lake, so we embarked in this adventure. Instead of following a straight line, as I did last year, to the trail and then hike the trail up, we took a bearing from the parking lot in a straight line to the lake. The route was much shorter but with more elevation gain. Soon after we started, we found our first obstacle of the day. We had to cross a big creek and after looking for a tree to use, we ended just walking on water on a shallow area.

Linda and Brian crossing the creek


From that point on, the hike took us through some dense forest, deep snow and about 7 more creeks to cross before getting to the lake. During this portion of the hike, the sky was completely covered with grey clouds which gave the whole area a nice cold wintery touch. That lasted until we got to the lake though. As soon as we found the trail and started circling the lake, it started clearing up a bit. After going around the lake, we found a nice spot for lunch so we took a well deserved break. Since some people needed to return early, we decided to divide the group. About half the group went straight back while the rest continued the hike up to Tom, Dick and Harry. The hike up was a lot easier than the first portion as we were following a well marked trail that took us around the ridge to the top of the mountain. Going around the ridge gave us some magnificent views of the valley and highway 26 down bellow and some partial views of Mt Hood. As we were hiking up, the sun was already heading down so light was barely coming over the ridgeline.

Light over the ridgeline


After a while, we finally made the turn towards the summit on an even easier trail. Shortly after, we were at the top been blown away. It was very well worth it though as the sky had cleared a lot and the views were amazing. Not only we had Mt Hood clearly in front of us, but to the South we could see Mt Jefferson and also the Willamette valley to the west. We stayed there for a while, and as long as we were able to bear the wind, then, it was time to head back. The hike back was uneventful for the most part and since I was leading now, I decided to take the trail to a much lower elevation and then cross back to the parking lot. This made us hike the last portion in the dark while navigating with map, compass and headlamps. Fortunately all in the group were very well seasoned hikers so it was a lot of fun.

Twin Lakes, Nov 14th

Without postponing anymore the fact that the snow is back, it was time to get out on the first snowshoe of the season. I didn’t have plenty of time to organize anything with the group and originally I was going to hike with Scott. After several text messages we changed the hike for a snowshoe and invited Chris. In the end, it was only Chris and I. Without much planning, we went to Frog Lake to do the Twin Lakes loop. The forecast was predicting some clouds and a small chance of showers. We were surprised when we got to the trailhead as we had a cloud covered sky but some sun peeking under the clouds illuminating the trees. That gave the whole area a sort of a bluish glow that lasted for most of the day. After getting ready to leave, we headed out towards Lower Twin Lake. This first portion of the trip was great as we were breaking new snow. It was a workout though. The snow was very soft and powdery so we were sinking about a foot with our snowshoes. Once we got to Lower Twin Lake, we hiked back to the main trail and continued our route towards Upper Twin Lake. We stopped for lunch at Upper Twin Lake while enjoying the scenery and silence before continuing out trip around the lake. From that point, instead of cutting back, we continued until we met with the PCT where we found some fresh x-country ski tracks that made the hike a bit easier. We were thankful of those tracks as we were pretty tired by then of braking new snow. From the PCT we hiked down back to the main trail and to the car completing about 8 miles. Not bad for our first snowshoe.

Umbrella falls – Elk Meadows Loop, Nov 1st

Finally I moved to my new home and the basics are in place. With that, it was time to go hiking again although I know I won’t be able to do it as regularly as I was before, at least for some time. Since I had a lot of ‘Hiking Energy” in me that needed release, I decided to take a group to this well mixed loop. I had read before about the Umbrella falls but the hike was not long enough. Doing a bit of research, I found that it was possible to do a big loop by combining part of the Elk Meadows trail and Timberline trail. Furthermore, this loop would offer very interesting perspectives of Mt Hood. The hike started from the Mt Hood Meadows Nordic Ski area ascending gradually toward Newton Creek. Shortly after passing Clark Creek we got there and made our first turn to follow the ridge up towards the Timberline Trail. This portion of the hike gave us some very interesting views and scenery. On one side we had the huge Newton Creek that clearly shows what water can do when it’s rushing down the mountain. Looking up, we had a great view of the Gnarl Ridge with its line of dried trees on the top, and on the other side, a big grassy meadow.
Once we got to the Timberline Trail, we took a left turn and followed it over a ridge and down to Clark Creek. This side was completely different from the previous one, all dry, sandy and with little or no vegetation. It was like descending into a crater on the moon. Once down, we had to explore around a bit to find the best spot to cross as this creek does not have a bridge. Being nearly noon and having a good, sunny day, we decided to make a stop for lunch. After resting for a bit and taking some pictures of some little waterfalls, we continued our hike up a second ridge from where we crossed almost the entire Mt Hood Meadows Sky resort. You might remember or have seen pictures of me skiing there. It was interesting to recognize some of the slopes I have skied on in the winter. After walking for a couple of hours, we got to the Umbrella fall turn out. From this point on it was all a slow descent following the meadow until we got to the water fall. From that point, we continued down and took a detour to see Sahalie Falls which can also be seen from the old Mt Hood highway. Once there, instead of hiking back up to the trail, and considering it was getting late, we just continued on the road back to the cars not without enjoying our last view of Mt Hood illuminated with late afternoon sun. I guess we can’t get tired of this mountain.

Ape Cave and the Trail of Two Forests, Oct 4th

Located in Washington, Ape Cave is a lava tube that was formed when Mt Saint Helens erupted about 2000 years ago. As the lava was flowing downhill, the upper layer started to cool down and solidify while molten rock continued to flow underneath. Once the lava drained away, the only thing left was the cave with all the flow marks. This cave is the longest in the continental U.S measuring about 2.5 miles. It was discovered in 1947 but explored for the first time in the 1950’s by an outdoor group named the Mt St Helens Apes hence the name of the cave. Today this cave is a very common stop as you can descend on a staircase and explore the easier lower portion of the cave with nothing more than a good light source. The cave also offers the opportunity to explore the upper section by doing a much longer hike that requires passing thru numerous big rock piles and climbing an 8ft lava fall on the way to the upper entrance of the cave. For this adventure, I took a group to the cave to explore both the lower and upper section. We started from the lower entrance and hiked all the way to the lower end of the cave. This section has numerous turns where you can see how the lava flowed like a river leaving marks on both walls. Compared to the upper section, this one is relatively flat with ample room until you reach the end where the cave disappears into the floor. One of the highlights in this section is a huge rock that was probably floating in the lava and got stuck between the walls. As the lava continued to flow the rock fused with the walls and stayed there.

A rock stuck in the lava flow


From the lower end we hiked back to the lower entrance and got out to grab a bite to eat before heading back down to do the upper section of the cave. Soon after we started, we found the first pile of rocks. This portion is probably a section of the cave that at some point collapsed. Reading the description, it would seem that these are small rocks and a short distance. The reality is a bit different as this is a big pile of very big rocks. Right after that, Nancy and I were surprised to see some very little mushrooms growing in total darkness in the cave.

Mushrooms growing in total darkness


From there we continued thru several rock piles, tunnels and turns. Although everything seems to be similar, ever turn looked different from the previous one. The colors on the walls and ceiling constantly changed as did the shapes and surface of the walls. In several places the cave had a protrusion creating something like a mezzanine. In one particular section, these protrusions merged into one forming a curved ceiling that looked like a temple.

The temple


Further up in the cave, we got a bit of light from the outside as the cave has a vent that goes to the surface. Not long after that, we got to the staircase climbs out the upper entrance of the cave. At that point we decided to rest for a while before hiking down, on the surface, back to the parking lot. On that hike, it was interesting to see what the outside of the cave would look like. We found numerous holes and rocks with clear marks of lava flow.

Since this trip was not very long, I decided to complement it with a short walk around the Trail of Two Forests. This is a small section close to the cave that formed in the same eruption as the Ape Cave. As Lava was flowing on the surface and cooling down, it went around trees that burned with the extreme heat. Since the lava was already cooling down, it took longer for the trees to burn than for the lava to solidify. Once the trees burned, the lava didn’t continue to move leaving a cast of the tree that was there. Around this trail you can see numerous holes where there were trees. What’s even more interesting is that there where a couple of down trees that formed a couple of crossing tubes that you can crawl thru. Just imagine being inside a tube where the walls are a clear impression of a tree that was in its place. It was truly fantastic.

Wapiki Lake backpacking trip, Sep 26th

This is the third time I do this trip and I still love it. Last year we went roughly on the same date and got a very foggy/rainy weekend. This time we had incredible weather with warm sunny days and a pretty cool night. On Saturday we started from the Cultus Creek trailhead climbing rather steeply to the first view point that opened the valley for us with a beautiful view of Mt Adams. It was a great thing for me to see the summit I climbed about a month ago.

Mt Adams.


From there we crossed a couple of beautiful, fall colored meadows before getting to Cultus Lake. We took a short detour to hike down to Deep Lake to take some pictures before heading back up to Cultus. Normally this is a great stop for lunch but since we started our hike a bit earlier in the morning, we decided to continue and stop at the base of Lemei Rock for lunch. The hike to Lemei was very pretty as well as we passed numerous berry fields all turning to red. The colors were just fantastic and the berries very sweet and plentiful. Once we got to Lemei Rock, we decided to climb to the top for the great views. The climb is mostly a scramble over loose rocks and quite steep terrain but easily doable. Once we got to the top though, we were almost blown away by the strong, cold winds up there. Still it was very well worth it as we got clear views of Mt St Helens, Mt Adams and several lakes in the basin below us. After a short while and once we got cold enough, we climbed down back to our packs for a nice lunch under the sun. Shortly after that, we continued our hike doing a bit of bushwhacking thru a meadow until we got to the crater rim that overlooks Wapiki Lake. The lake looked as pretty as always although I noticed that the water level was a lot lower than what I’ve seen in the past.

Wapiki Lake from the crater rim


The hike down to the lake was as grueling as always and we were a bit disappointed when we found almost all campsites already taken. The only place big enough for all of us was a central, kind of in the middle campsite which ended up not being as bad as we thought. We spent the rest of the day collecting wood, setting up camp, starting a fire quite early as wind was making it rather cold and just enjoying our time. The wind kept up until about 11PM when it died out so the night was pretty quiet. On Sunday, we woke up to a magnificent yellow sun illuminating the west side of the crater. I got up early and went for a short walk to take some pictures before getting back to camp form breakfast. Since the morning was bit cold, we decided to stay at camp a little longer while the day warmed up.

Nancy taking a nap in the hammock


We then started our hike back up to the rim. As it was early and I was full of energy, I decided to do a “power pace” which took me to the top of the rim quite fast so I got the hard part of the day out quickly. From there we hiked down on the same trail back towards Cultus Lake making several stops for Huckleberries and treats. Once back at Cultus Lake, I offered my fellow hikers two possibilities to continue. One was the hike to the PCT heading South and going around Bird Mountain, over a saddle and back to the trailhead which includes a very steep downhill that can be very heavy on the knees or a much easier hike to the PCT heading North and passing by Clear, Dear, Bear Lakes before ending at Elk Lake. The decision was unanimous, the lakes. So we did that hike thru a heavy forested area with beautiful glimpses of the four major lakes in Indian Heaven and finally we got to Elk Lake where we stopped for lunch.

View from our lunch spot at Elk Lake


After lunch, we started our hike which pretty much followed the same path we had taken, so we went by all the four lakes to Cultus Lake and then down from there back to the car. I think we were truly lucky with the great weather we had considering we’re already in the fall and it should be rainy and cold.

Silver Star via Ed’s Trail, Sep 20th

The hike to Silver Star from Ed’s trail is one of those you have to do at some point. Not only it will give a good taste of what climbing to a summit feels like but it will also give you some amazing panoramic views of the volcanoes around you. The hike starts pretty high up after a long drive on “Pothole” road. That makes the elevation gain not so difficult for the rewards you get. The hike starts in a semi forested area with low underbrush until it reaches an old forest road. From that point, there are a couple of options to continue up. One is following the ridge which is very nice but usually windy and the other, following Ed’s trail which stays on the north side right bellow the ridge and overlooking the Star Creek. After some huffing and puffing, we got to the ridge that offers the first views to the north and also great opportunities for group photos

The hiking party


From the ridge, we descended a bit a followed our path right under the ridge rock formations all the way to the Arch and the cave on the other side. We did a second stop there just to try to get everybody in the cave which we did. From there, we continued to what probably is the hardest part of this hike. The trail makes a couple of switchbacks on loose rocks and wet terrain that forces you to grab on to branches and roots to pass it, just to find yourself in front of a short wall that you have to scramble up. This comes with a nice reward as you get to a flat rock with incredible views to the valley of the Star Creek and beyond.

Star Creek with Adams in the background


Shortly after passing the scramble section, we passed a forested section of the mountain before getting back to the old forest road. From there, we followed the road all the way to the summit where we found a group of bird watchers and other hikers enjoying the beautiful views. As we did a long time ago when I did this exact same hike, we went to the false summit which is a bit lower that the real summit but offers equally inspiring views to have lunch. Being a nice, warm weather day, instead of heading back down to the trailhead, we decided to extend the hike by going to the Indian pits. The first portion was a very steep downhill that took us thru some heavy underbrush before getting to an open meadow. From there it’s just an easy walk to the pits where we explored a bit, sat in the pits and fooled around before heading back

Erin on her vision quest inside a pit


For the return we did the exact same trail with the exception of the ridge. Instead of taking the lower trail, we followed the ridge back to the trail head. That gave us some really nice afternoon views with lots of falls colors.

Park Ridge and Jefferson Park, Sep 12th

There are several places around Mt Jefferson that are just stunning. From those, Jefferson Park is probably the most scenic which is why it gets very crowded on weekends. There are several approaches to get there. For this hike, we did the Park Ridge approach that climbs to a ridge that overlooks the park and Mt Jefferson right in front of it. The hike is magnificent, but before I get there I need to mention the “getting” there portion of it. I had read about the dirt road to Breitenbush Lake and also about the last two miles before the trailhead. These last two miles are, by far, the worst I’ve ever done in my car. Forget potholes and mud. This road not only is very narrow but is mostly just bare rock. I guess I should have listened to the “No Low Clearance Vehicles” notice. But we made it. We started our hike going through some dense forest and some open spots with very nice views of the valley around which didn’t last long. Soon we were traversing subalpine meadows with glimpses of Mt Jefferson. As we were climbing towards the ridge, our surroundings started changing quite fast to drier scenery with a lot of rocks and scree and not to many trees. The views behind us were outstanding and some of the rocks where pretty amazing. Nancy and I found a rock that looked like a chair and took the opportunity to take some pictures

Nancy sitting in Le Chaise


Soon after that, we reached our initial intended destination, Park Ridge. From here, the views just open up and you get a magnificent first row look at Mt Jefferson. You also get sweeping views of Jefferson Park right below with some of its lakes. WE made a short stop for lunch while enjoying the views and then, considering the magnificent weather, we decided to go down to the park all the way to Russell Lake. The hike down was quite grueling but not as much as the hike back up. The rewards made up for it though. We saw beautiful flower displays with the early fall colors and breathtaking scenery. After a while we got to Russell Lake which is very shallow so we made a stop to cool off and enjoy our surroundings

Russell Lake


The hike back was basically the same route in reverse. A grueling hike up to the ridge and then back down on the other side. As you’ll see in the pictures, Nancy had a small snowball fight when we passed the snow field on our way down which we all enjoyed watching. We got back to the cars at around 5 in the afternoon just to start our difficult drive out. This doesn’t have to do much with the hike although we got very lucky to be back at Breitenbush Lake with the perfect sunset light to take some extra pictures which I’ve included in this set.

Camping at Orcas Island, Sep 4th to 7th

Camping at Orcas Island, Sep 4th to 7th

This is the second time I go on this yearly trip to Orcas in the San Juan Islands. Although this time weather was not as good as last year when we went for the 4th of July, it was descent enough to have a good time. As you’ll see in the pictures, there are periods of time that are not captured. These where either due to bad weather or me not being able to take the pictures. Nancy and I took of from Portland late on Thursday with the idea of spending the night at Anacortes and catching the ferry the following morning. On Friday morning, we had a quick breakfast at the hotel before heading out to the ferry. The morning was looking great with bright sun and some clouds so after we got in line for the ferry; we went out for a walk on the beach.

Our walk while waiting for the ferry


Once on the island, we drove straight to the park and to our campsite, set up camp and had a light lunch. The group that had gotten there on Thursday where already out for the day so with Marianne we decided to go for hike up Mt Constitution. This mountain is the tallest peak in the island and from the tower on top; you can get sweeping views of the San Juan Islands and the Coast all the way to Canada. While doing our hike, weather started changing a bit and getting cloudier, we knew the views where going to be quite limited. On the way up, we did notice a cave a bit of trail and adventure ourselves to it. We went in as far as we felt comfortable but not having enough flashlights we didn’t explore the whole thing. Further up, we got the ridge that overlooks Mountain Lake and some of the islands. From there to the tower was a short walk. Since we had Shia with us, we took turns to go up the tower to get the views from the top. This time, there were not as impressive as the first time but still very enjoyable. That night we had a potluck dinner at camp and some nice conversation that didn’t go too late as we were all pretty tired.

On Saturday, the weather was less than optimal with low level clouds and fog. Only a few adventurers woke up early in the morning to go Kayaking while the rest of us took our time to wake up, have breakfast and plan for the day. Since David and I had our mountain bikes with us, we decided to go for a ride while others in the group including Nancy, went for a hike around the lake. To make our ride fun, we took the road up to Mt Constitution, riding for about two hours. While going up, temperature started dropping; we got a bit of rain and even crossed paths with a deer. Once up we took a short brake and then headed back down but this time on the trail I had done the previous day. The ride down took us about half an hour going thru some really fun and fast sections where we just flew down and some other more technical sections that even required us to get of the bike to make the tight turn. We would have done it a second time if it wasn’t for the fact that you needed to ride up first! Later that day, Nancy and I went for a ride looking for a pottery store towards West Beach. We got there about 10 minutes before closing so we only did a short tour around. Not only the place was amazing with a couple of small houses a tree house and an incredible garden with ocean views but it was packed with beautiful ceramic pieces. We spent some time going around but then decided to go back the following day with a bit more time. From there, we continued toward West Beach and got there before the sunset. We didn’t know that the whole beach is part of a resort that doesn’t allow non-guests, so we stayed on a little section of beach enjoying the views and taking pictures.

View from West Beach


That night David had planned a potluck dinner so we got back to camp just in time to start preparing our share that consisted of some avocadoes, tomatoes and some good spices. After enjoying our time with the group around the campfire, we headed out to the lake to make up a fire there and take some night shots. Nancy and I started playing around with a couple of glow sticks and then doing some light painting which resulted in some very nice shots.

Happy faces


AS planned, on Sunday we went back to the pottery store and spent more time there checking out the pottery. After that we drove back pass the park and went all they way to the other end of the island to Obstruction Pass. At this end, there’s a smaller state park with the same name that has some beach access and campsites. We did a short hike around the park while enjoying the views of the sea and the rocky cliffs with the contrast of the red Madrones. It was a rather short hike, but very worth it, especially because of Nancy’s company. Later that evening, while we were still on the road, it started raining so we got back to camp to set up a tarp and cook dinner. I made some “Venezuelan” style hotdogs that were delicious. After that we went to bed early as we couldn’t do much with the rain.

On Monday, the last day of our trip, we woke up early, packed everything quickly and headed to the port to get in line for the noon ferry. Once there, we went for a walk, had a healthy big breakfast with views of the sea and then went to the port to take some more pictures before heading back home.

On our way back to Anacortes


As with our previous yearly Orcas trip, this one was very relaxing in the company of a great group of people. Hopefully we'll keep the "yearly" portion of this trip going.

Indian Heaven, Aug 29th

I just love this place, unfortunately there is a small window when weather is perfect and mosquitoes are gone. This time I think we were just about right. The idea for the weekend was to camp at Blue Lake, one of the most scenic lakes in the area. Considerably, this is the first place I backpacked to when I moved to Portland back in 2007. Being the weekend before Labor Day, we knew there was a big possibility of finding a lot of people out there as summer is coming to an end and schools are starting again. Contrary to what the weather guy said, we got to the trailhead on a very cloudy, misty, foggy day. That didn’t stop us in any way. Passing thru the multiple lakes on the way to Blue Lake was very nice although with limited views. We got to Blue Lake only to find out that all campsites where already taken. I had though of that possibility so my plan was to continue towards Junction Lake and try to find a campsite there, but just because I went by memory, I took the wrong turn and actually hiked in the complete opposite direction. After several miles I came to realize this mistake at which point it was easier to continue than to try to head back. Shortly after, we got to a pond in the Indian Race Track. This pond is usually visited by people horseback riding and by deer and elk. Being kind of remote added the bonus that there was nobody there. We found a perfect campsite with enough space for all our tents and a nice view of the pond and its floating water lilies. Later that evening the skies cleared up and we had a fantastic star show and a bright moon. Nancy and I went for a short walk and where delighted by the colors and shadows on the trees as we illuminated them with our flashlights. On Sunday we woke up to an incredible clear day so after a nice breakfast, we packed everything and headed back the same way we hiked in; this time enjoying the views and multiple lakes.

Olympic Coast Backpack, Aug 21st

This trip is really hard to describe as we had some good moments and some really bad. For me, it was a bit of a train wreck although I have to admit that part of it was my own fault. I think I underestimated the trip and overestimated some of the hikers. In short, we were not able to do the intended trip which was supposed to start from Hoh River and go all the way north to Third beach covering some beaches, creeks, headlands, etc. Not being able to do the trip as intended left me with a bit of a sour taste as I think it would have been fantastic. On the good side though, I think that I’m better informed now to try it again next year. This trip was a three day thing with a late start on Friday. The reason for that was that we had to time the low tide to pass a section of the beach about two miles in from the Hoh River. Since the tide was going to be at the lowest at around 8PM, we had a window of about 4 hours between 6 and 10PM to make that pass. Due to some unfortunate events that include (and this is part of the bad part) late arrivals and departures from several places, getting showered with Diesel fuel, etc we started hiking at 8 PM instead of the intended 5PM. Thanks to that, we were not able to make the pass and had to hike back and find a campsite to spend the first night which happened at around midnight. At that point I knew we were not going to be able to do the whole traverse as intended, so I told everybody to sleep as long as they wanted and that we would discuss possible plans the following day.

Morning from our first campsite


On Saturday, we woke up to a sunny clear day. Right after breakfast we discussed the viable options to finish the weekend which included going back home, staying where we were one more night or moving to Third Beach and stay the night there. The general consensus was to move to Third Beach, so we packed everything, hiked back to the trail head, went to pick up the cars, brought them back, picked up everybody and drove back to Third Beach. In the end we got to a campsite at Third Beach at around 3PM. After setting up camp and having a light lunch, we went for a hike to the end of the beach, over the headland all the way to Second Beach. This hike ended up being the highlight of the weekend. The views were magnificent and walking on the sand in the low tide was just incredible. The amount of life and little creatures you see is phenomenal. As time was moving, we hiked back right before sunset getting to camp in time for some Frisbee and more sunset pictures.

Sunset reflection


That night we had a nice fire by the beach with good food and some smores that helped release some of the built up tensions from the last couple of days.

Campfire


The last day, before packing up and heading out, I went for a walk to the north side of Third Beach. It was a very nice walk and I got to enjoy some really nice sky reflections on the sea and seagulls taking flight right in front of me (with a little running and yelling on my part). After that, we hiked out and went for lunch at a little place in the town of La Push.

Mt Hood Ice Caves, Aug 15th

This is a hike we tried last year with no success. After a very long hike, fast moving clouds and improper gear, we had to turn around without getting to the caves. David rescheduled the hike and was very specific with the gear and fit requirements so this time we had a very strong group. Although weather forecast was calling for mostly sunny, on our way to Top Spur and at the trail head, it didn’t look that way. WE started our hike hoping weather was going to clear up or that we would be above the cloud level. The first part of the hike is the exact same trail to McNeil point that I did a couple of weeks back. This time, with the cloud cover, there were no views and no wow moment so the hike up to the shelter was a lot shorter. Once there though, we started to get some sun rays passing thru the clouds and suddenly, clouds were gone.

Finally some sunshine


With blue skies ahead, we continued our hike up on the Vista Ridge up to a point where we made a quick stop to put on our Gaiters. We then headed of trail traversing a meadow towards the next ridge. I recalled this section as one of the most difficult last year due to heavy bushwhacking. This time, we took off higher so we bypassed that area. The hike continued pretty much the same, traversing a couple of meadows and climbing a couple of ridges until we got to the ridge on one side of the muddy fork. From that point on, there was no more vegetation, just loose rocks, sand and snow. The good part is that we had the cave right in front of us.

There’s the cave


After a bit of a scramble, we got to the entrance of the cave which is larger than what it appears to be. We took a small break to gear up again to go in. Although it was a bright sunny day outside, inside the cave was colder and there was water falling everywhere. Besides using rain gear, we were also wearing helmets just in case rocks or chunks of ice fell off. While gearing up, the cave proved the necessity of it. Every couple of minutes we saw a bunch of rocks sliding and falling of the sides or the top of the entrance. Watching that, we went in one by one as quickly as possible while I was in the back watching for falling rocks. Once in, it was only water falling from the ceiling. What was really incredible though, was the magnitude of the cave. When you stand outside, it doesn’t seem to be that big but once you step in, it all comes into perspective and you realize how high the ceiling is.

Entering the cave


On the right side of the entrance, there was a big hole up in the ceiling that was letting some light in and illuminating the side of the cave that had some very interesting shapes and holes. As we hiked in, we saw another big hole straight up to the sky and then darkness. WE did go as far as we could, always climbing up on very loose gravel, rocks and a flowing river, a very interesting experience. Once back out, we took a break to have lunch before heading back. In order to avoid some of the heavy bushwhack, we climbed higher towards a ridge thinking the trail would be there. It wasn’t, instead we ended up high above a small peak with very steep inclines on both sides. Since scrambling down on loose rocks didn’t very safe, we continued on traversing a big snow field that was pretty steep. After that, we found our trail and headed back down to McNeil for a short rest and then all the way down to the parking lot which was still under the clouds.

Mt Adams Summit, Aug 7th

At 12276 feet above sea level, Mt Adams is the second highest mountain in the state of Washington. This mountain is actually one of the many volcanoes in the Cascade Volcanic Arc which includes Mt St Helens, Mt Hood and almost every other peak in the region. On the cool side of things, you don’t have to be a technical climber to summit Adams, just a very good hiker. This trip was actually planned for last year but do to a fire that closed the access to the Cold Springs Camp Ground; we were unable to do it. Back then, Sean and I reschedule it for the August and finally we were able to do it. Originally the trip was planned only as a meetin event but since we didn’t get a big group, I added the event to the Meetup group so we ended with a group of 11. On Friday we took off in the afternoon and drove first to get the permits and then to a nice dinner and the most delicious Huckleberry shakes you can possibly have. From there we headed to the Cold Springs campground at the base of the mountain where we would spend the first night. It was a bit strange that on the road it appeared that there wasn’t many going that way, but once we got to the campground we found it was pretty much full. Being a mountain with easy access, there’s an average of 400 climbers per weekend and all start from the same place, so you can imagine. On Saturday we woke up to a warm sunny day and after a nice breakfast and packing all our gear, we started our climb.

The climbing party


The first part of the hike was very similar to any trail in the upper section of Mt Hood, rocky and sandy with low vegetation. As you climb up, tress become scarce and you get more rocks and loose gravel which makes the hike a bit more difficult. Not only you have to climb up, but you have to avoid sliding down. This first portion was very arid and we found several campsites along the way wherever we saw trees. After a while, we finally made it to the ridge where the hike starts to get more intense. After a couple of hours of huffing and puffing we got to the top of the ridge right where the bottom of Crescent Glacier is. From that point forward, up to Lunch Counter, our destination for the day, most of the hike is on snow and ice, so it was time to try my new MicroSpikes. Walking over ice made the hike a bit more pleasant as it was a lot cooler that what it was going over the ridge. During our climb, we saw clouds moving in and out from the summit offering clear views at times and none at others.

Reaching the top of Crescent Glacier


After reaching the top of Crescent Glacier, we veered east towards Lunch Counter and started looking for some good camping spots. We spent some time setting up camp and resting while trying to acclimate to the high altitude. Although you don’t feel much, the low oxygen becomes very apparent when you kneel and then quickly stand up. It took us a while to adapt to that. Once camp was set, we went on an exploring hike around Lunch Counter. Waling all the way to the East and crossing over an ice shelve with a lot or running water, we got to the Suksdorff Ridge that overlooks the Mazama Glacier and the Ridge of Wonders in the distance. As you can see from the pictures, the views where just magnificent.

Panoramic view from the Suksdorff Ridge


Back at camp, we had a nice dinner and then got ready for a magnificent sunset. By that time, we had rested a lot and happiness was just around us and everybody else in the area. You’ll see a series of goofy pictures that prove the point. Sunset above the clouds was as expected, incredible.

Sunset from Lunch Counter


On Sunday it was rise and shine early in the morning. We had talked about being ready to hike by 7:30 which meant breakfast done and all gear packed. At roughly 8 in the morning we were already on the trail on our way to the false summit first and then the real summit. To Pikers Peak (the false summit), most of the climb is on a glacier which in not as difficult provided you have some sort of traction device. My MicroSpikes came in very handy. It was just a long hike up where you just need to pace yourself so you don’t run out of air. As you go up, the views get better and better. You are constantly surrounded by glaciers, rocks steep inclines and the cloud cover. Once you get to Pikers Peak, you finally get a clear view of the actual summit. From the false summit, the trail descend a bit towards an ice shelve before starting to climb again passing on the upper side of the Mazama and Klickitat Glaciers. The Crevices on the top, up close and personal are just incredible. It’s actually hard to imagine how all that ice is holding in the mountain and not just sliding down. Roughly about an hour after reaching Pikers Peak, we made it to the summit reaching an old shelter. Obviously the first thing you do is just stand there and do a complete 360, I guess is that reassurance that you are there and there’s nothing higher. If you’ve ever been on the top of a mountain, you probably know what it feels like to get there, but if not, you can probably imagine the views you can get from there. Here are just a couple of examples







We stayed at the summit for about 45 minutes until the cold air was getting to us. The hike down follows the same path you use to go up so it’s basically the same views. There’s a highlight though. It takes a bit over two hours to hike up the 2700 feet of glacier from Lunch Counter to the false summit. To get down, you simply sit and slide all the way down… fast…very fast; in fact, it takes about 10 minutes to descent the whole glacier…. Yes, it’s a lot of fun. We did a short stop at Lunch Counter to pick up our gear, change clothes and have a bite before continuing our hike down towards the campground.

McNeil Point, Jul 18th

The hike to McNeil point is one of those that always promises great views and amazing flowers and never disappoints. I have done this same hike probably 4 or 5 times and once again, it was fantastic. On this warm and sunny day, my plan was to hike up the ridge and take the shortcut, through a short scramble up, to the shelter and then continue down on the normal trail to Cairn Basin and back. The group did very well but considering the warm weather and rather difficult hike up, we didn’t do the Cairn Basin portion of it. We started from the Top Spur Trailhead going through a dense forest that doesn’t offer many views but is a great preamble to the views you get from the ridge. Most of the group hadn’t done this hike before, so the wow factor once we got to the ridge was noticeable. Besides the great views and having Mt Hood right there in front of us, the flowers were just incredible with Bear Grass in full bloom and all sorts of lilies.

Incredible Mariposa Lilies


We took a short break at that point and then continued up doing the short rock scramble to the shelter were we stopped for lunch. On the way back, we crossed the snow fields on our way towards the Cathedral Ridge from where you can descend to Cairn Basin or head down back to Top Spur. At this point the group was a bit tired so we headed back down crossing the McGee Creek and back to the Timberline Trail on our way down. Once down in the forest, I stopped and offered the loop around Bald Mountain to get our final views of Mt Hood before heading out. Everybody agreed to that so we did the short loop. As you’ll see in the pictures, it was well worth the extra effort