Siouxon Creek to Wildcat Falls, Jun 18th

Siouxon is always a pleasant and easy hike with some pretty scenery. A couple of years ago I backpacked there for three days and noticed at the time the creek running extremely low. So, low that we could get on the creek and walk upstream and discover some nice small canyons with no issues at all. The plan for this hike was to go up to the Wildcat waterfall and then come back and ford Siouxon creek to get back on the main trail doing a lollipop loop. That idea changed quickly when we got there and hiked down to the creek. This time, contrary to the last couple of years, the creek was running pretty full. We even made a stop on the point you get out of the creek if you decide to cross and gauged that it might have been at least 3 feet deep and running fast. Right there we were certain we were not crossing; it was just asking for trouble. That didn’t change the plans to go to the waterfall as we had the alternative to retrace our steps to return to the car. Along the way we enjoyed all the waterfalls and scenery and were pleasantly surprised by the amount of water coming down Horseshoe Creek.

The waterfall you see on the left before the bridge or after was just incredible. Further up, just before the bridge over Siouxon, there’s a pass over a seasonal creek that runs over the trail. I do recall in previous years being quite a challenge as the rocks get slippery. Last couple of years this section was bone dry so it was easy to pass. This time it was running hard so we had to use a log and some rocks to get safely to the other side. From there we continued on the side trail until we reached the wildcat trail which we took going uphill. WE just went as far as the lower waterfall viewpoint. I don’t think I have ever seen Wildcat falls running so high and being so beautiful. With Mark, we managed to climb down the side to the base. My idea was to take a long exposure of the bottom but the spray was so strong that I wasn’t even able to setup the camera so no pictures from down there. After a quick bite, we retraced our steps all the way to thrailhead without even considering the possibility of fording the creek.


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Silver Star, Jun 10th

After my back injury that left inactive for quite a while, it was time for me to hi he trails again so with Mark we decided to the Grouse Vista, Sturgeon Rock loop in Silver Star. The reason I chose that one was because it was the right distance and elevation gain I wanted to try plus the potential good view from the top. Being June, you would expect that, even if it was cloudy, the views from the top of Silver Star would be good. Well, not necessarily – at least not this time. When we met, Carole asked us if we were taking traction devices or other shoes as it was likely we would find snow. We didn’t think so s we didn’t take either. Boy, were we wrong, but I’ll get to that in a bit. From the trailhead, we were navigating inside a cloud with a very soft mist. Visibility didn’t extend very long even though the forecast was indicating we would get clear skies. Wildflowers were blooming like crazy with nice color displays. As we gained elevation the clouds opened just a tiny bit so we could see Pyramid Rock as we passed by it. Not far from there, we started seeing patches of snow on the ground that grew larger as we continued. Eventually we found the trail covered in snow and small branches all over forcing us to go over and around. Snow got deeper but was very compacted so it was slippery. Finally, when we got to the junction that lead to the summit, rain turned into sleet. While we hike up that last stretch, we commented that it looked like we were hiking in the middle of the winter. Once we reached the top, the sleet turned into snowflakes… yes, snowflakes in June! We didn’t stay up there for too long because the wind was hauling and it was cold. On the way down, we took the Sturgeon Rock trail which was mostly covered in snow with a stream running under it. That made navigating a bit difficult as we had to avoid the water and walk on the side of the trail. Eventually we got to the bridge over Rock Creek where we made a quick stop for lunch. By then the rain had stopped and the clouds were showing signs of moving away. We didn’t see blue skies, but we did get two or three seasons in one hike. Not a bad thing

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Dublin Lake, May 6th

Dublin Lake is a small unassuming lake in the north end of the Mt Hood Wilderness. I say unassuming because it sits surrounded with ridges that block any potential views you could have. Still, it’s a nice destination, maybe not for a day hike but if you are backpacking in the area and need a nice campsite. I say this because I stopped there when I did the Eagle-Tanner Butte loop a few years back. Since this time, we were not doing the loop, instead of starting from the Eagle Creek trailhead, we started from the new Tanner Butte trailhead along hwy84. From there, we hiked east following the paved trail until we found our detour to get on the trail. From the very beginning it was clear we were going to have some wildflowers as they fight to bloom despite the snow we still have. The first part of the hike can be a bit boring as you hike the old FR777 and pass multiple junctions until you get to the original Tanner Butte trailhead. From there on, things change, quickly. For starters, right at the trailhead you are welcomed by two waterfalls that join and continue as a single creek. As you get on the trail, you follow the stream of one of those waterfalls until you cross the creek shortly after. Then, it’s all the way up. By that point, you are immersed in the forest following a path marked by tall trees. The ridgeline is there somewhere but never close enough for you to say “I’m here”. Eventually the trail levels off a bit and you get to the junction with the Wauna Point trail, another great destination. We stopped for a short minute, mostly to use the facilities though. Then we continued and the trail got step and steady going up. By then we started finding patches of snow here and there that got thicker as we continued. At a certain point, the trail leveled off a bit again close to where we needed to veer off on the Dublin Lake trail. On the way in, we didn’t see the sing on the tree but gauged that we had passed it already, so we went off trail in the general direction of the lake. That made us bushwhack our way downhill to a big white patch just south of the lake. Once down there, we traversed the patch and got to our destination. A little frozen lake in the middle of the forest. We took a short break for lunch and then found our way back out and to the main trail to head back down the same way. It was a great, needed workout!

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Nestor Peak, Apr 29th

This hike has been on my list for quite a while and finally got the chance to do it. This rare find is located in the eastern part of the Gorge on the Washington side and offers some pretty interesting views. From the description, it seems it would be an easy, piece of cake hike but it’s quite a workout, especially if you haven’t been active for a while. That good thing is that, being on the eastern side of the Gorge, wildflowers usually bloom earlier… or at least that’s what I was expecting. We were a bit early. Most of the hike is in the forest with little to no views, yet it’s a different kind of forest than the forest you encounter closer to town. There’s still a lot of greenery but not as many ferns and low bushes so the forest is more open and can give you a sense of dryness. It’s also a steady march uphill thru several switchbacks and old logging roads which strip some of the interest in the trail. Towards the peak, things change quick though. As soon as the trail comes out of the forest, you are met with sweeping views of the valleys across the Columbia looking towards Mt Hood. From that point, a small, almost dilapidated sign, indicates you should turn right and follow the ridge which very soon hits the access road to the top. At first the road seems to be out of place until you see that, at the top there’s an old hut. It’s kind of weird as it’s definitely not a fire lookout but it does have a big room and some extra storage. We did get some flowers there and good vies of Hood while we ate lunch. The return was quick an easy.

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Memaloose State Park, Apr 16th

Usually in April/May hiking destinations seem to move east on the Gorge. Most people start with routes like Coyote Wall, Katherine Creek and others and the reason is that spring tends to arrive there a couple of weeks or even a month sooner than closer in the Gorge. If you time it correctly, you can be welcomed by amazing wildflowers displays. Being close to that time, Carole and Mark planned to do this hike and invited Brian and me. The sky had a pretty homogeneous cloud cover which made the temperature and weather perfect for hiking the area and for taking pictures. Knowing we would get flowers and maybe a couple of small waterfalls I packed my tripod, just in case an opportunity showed up. Besides, there was a new photography technique I wanted to try. We started going up a small hill from the parking lot and right there and thee we could see that flowers were out. Maybe not all of them as the Balsam Root only had buds, but all the others were out already. Most of the hike goes over grasslands with some rock formations here and there but the trail is easy to follow and not too hard. We had a wonderful display of shooting stars, Avalanche lilies, paintbrush and many others that I can’t name. AS we hiked, we took our time to enjoy the views and the company we good conversations. We made a quick detour to check the top of Marsh Hill which opens views to the south. Is not a very high point but the views are worth it. After that, we continued the trail up to Chatfield Hill which is the highest point in this loop. From here you get both. Splendid views of the eastern Gorge and south towards Mount Hood and the valleys bellow. We stopped thee for a quick bite and while there I grabbed my tripod to focus stacking, a technique were the camera takes a certain number of pictures at different focal distances to then be combined with editing software. Being my first try, either I got lucky or I got lucky. The picture looks almost 3D!

On the way down, we retraced our steps to a point where a fence marks the boundary of a property. Instead of continuing back to the car, we took this route, off trail, to explore some more. The goas was to get close to a small creek that runs towards the river and enjoy the changing scenery. Along the route we found Middleswart Spring and followed it for a bit until we found a foot path leading down to a hole where a small water fall was washing the roots of some trees above. It looked almost like a scene from a fantasy movie. Mark, Brian and I could help ourselves but to go down and explore this little hidden gem. From the going got tough as we were bordering a cliff and could see an easy way down. Finally, we got into the heavy bushes and bushwhacked our way down without being able to avoid ticks, Poison Ivy and a face plant. But we made it out in one piece. Very rewarding (not the poison ivy part)



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