If you’ve read my posts, you might remember that I’ve written about Barlow Ridge several times. In most of them, if not all, I’ve mentioned going off trail towards the ridge and finding some splendid views and then coming back down using different ways. All those times, my intent has been to find a way to get to Barlow Butte and then come down on that side of the mountain completing a loop rather than doing an out and back trip. According to the maps, this is entirely possible, tricky but possible. The weird part if that in all those attempts, I was never able to figure out the route. This time, counting on a much lower snow level, I decided to try the route in reverse. Go to Barlow Butte and then find my way down to Barlow Ridge. Part of it was because I knew where the Barlow Butte connects to the Mineral Jane so I knew where I had to start from and also because, with a lot less snow, any existing trail is a lot easier to find. Luckily we had perfect conditions for this as we had a mild day with plenty of sun and light and one of the best groups I’ve had in a long time. The first part was the normal warm up as you go downhill from Barlow Pass to the Mineral Jane trail. After meandering thru the forest for a while, we got to the fork and took the Barlow Butte trail. I originally thought it would be easier but it turned out to be fairly steep. Not surprisingly, Barlow Butte itself is not a desirable destination. The views are quite limited even though it’s a nice place to stop for a while. What comes after is the best part though. Once you come out of the forested top, you find yourself on an open ridge with plenty of snowdrift. The views are short of spectacular with the undulating lines in the snow and views that extend to Jefferson and beyond. The traverse is not difficult but you need to keep in mind the border and stay away from it. A fall from up there would not be fun. After that comes a bit of experimentation as three big rock formations appear on the ridge. None can be traversed over so you have to find a way around them. This, in a couple of places is very tricky. After the third one, we found an open spot with plenty of sun that was perfect for lunch. Right after that, some of us decided to take the snowshoes of and climb the rocks to the top. It was a pleasant surprise to find a big enough area to sit at the top and a magnificent view of the White River basin and Mt Hood. Certainly a view we can’t get tired of. From that point on, it’s a lot of route finding as you steeply descend thru the woods searching for the Barlow Ridge trail. Luckily that is not difficult to find if you keep your bearing correct so after a while, we just bump into it. From this point on and all the way back to the cars, is a route I very well know and still love but now that I completed the loop, I can try it the way I’ve always wanted to.
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