Mt Defiance, Jun 9th

Being the highest point in the Columbia River Gorge, the Mt Defiance hike is arguably the hardest in the region. A lot of people use this hike for training carrying jugs filled with water all the way to the top. As with other difficult destination, there are several approaches to the summit. From the Gorge, you can climb the Mt Defiance trail or the Starvation Creek trail. An option is to combine these two to do a loop that includes the Summit. Val and I had been training for backpacking and did our first backpack trip of the year but we still wanted a bit more training. The main reason was a trip to Zion that later on got postponed. So we started on a cool, cloudy morning going up the Starvation Creek trail. As expected, the trail just shorts up from the get go and you realize that when, not even half an hour after you start, you already have a nice view of the Gorge. Unfortunately for us that day the views were a bit limited due to weather. After the first couple of miles, we turned into the forest and left the views of Gorge Behind us but that only meant that we were about half way up. Just for a little while the trail circles a ridge and then it goes back to multiple switchbacks as you continue gaining elevation. As we did, the weather got colder and colder. We reached the ridgeline and an old forest road that quickly took us to Warren Lake, a small lake tucked in the mountain surrounded by a big rock pile. We noticed several campsites in the area which gave us the idea of doing a single night outing sometime with warm weather. From there, the trail circles the lake and climbs the rock pile on the north side eventually arriving to a view point several hundred feet above the lake. After that we got back into the forest and continued going up until we crossed a service road twice and found the summit. Reaching this point is certainly gratifying knowing you have worked really hard to get there, but there’s no reward for it. At the top of Mt Defiance, not only you don’t get any views, you get an antenna tower… For us it was a bit worse as the wind was blowing pieces of ice from the antenna that were landing right where we were standing. It was actually pretty dangerous. Shortly after we continued on a path that circles the summit and re-joins with the main trail going down. The hike down goes by quickly and painfully as it descends pretty steeply. On that route we found only a couple of viewpoints with limited angles of the eastern side of the Gorge. Once we got all the way down, we followed the connector trail back to the parking lot passing by Lancaster Falls. The waterfall was beautiful but there was no bridge over it so we had to jump from rock to rock. Normally this is not a problem for me (especially after doing it several times while backpacking with Val in Quartz Creek) but luck was not with me that day… or it was plain lack of balance. As I was crossing I just slid and felt smashing my behind on the rocks, bending a trekking pole and injuring my pride. I guess it happens. I did manage to take a nice picture of the waterfall though.




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Quartz Creek, May 26th

With Val we had been trying to get our first backpack trip under our belts and after much deliberation, we chose to try Quartz Creek. Part of the decision was that we knew there was some lingering snow in other more accessible places and, being a long weekend those would be full. I did this route about a year ago and I did remember that it had its challenges but I also remembered that WTA had sent work crews to the area to work on the trail. I was expecting the trail to be easier than what it was. Our plan was to hike up the Quartz Creek trail all the way to the Dark Divide and loop around the Dark Meadow before coming back down following the French Creek trail but, since it was just the two of us, I left the plan open for changes. So Saturday morning after taking the cats and the dog to their respective weekend locations, we grabbed our gear and headed north. We started our hike at around noon but were pleasantly surprised to notice there was nobody else; we had the mountain to ourselves. Weather was a bit cold and overcast with a slight promise of rain but that didn’t stop us. The first couple of miles went by pretty fast and smooth until we got to Straight Creek, the first challenge of the weekend. The creek was running a bit higher than I remembered so getting to the log pile was not possible without getting our shoes wet. The next best thing was to just take our shoes off and ford the creek. At first the rushing cold water felt nice but then after several minutes, that turned into torture. With our feet almost numb we managed to cross the creek safely only to limp to a big log where we could sit, dry our toes and put our shoes back on. From that point on, the trail got a bit harder as we had to go up, under, around or on top of big downed trees. Then we got to Snagtooth Creek, the second big challenge. To cross this creek we actually went of trail to a huge log, we climbed on it and walked across. Yes, it sounds pretty easy until you stand on the log. We did make a judgment call after that whether to continue or find a campsite nearby. Since we still had the full route in mind, we continued on an even harder trail. We found plenty of blowdown and branches on the way that only slowed us down. We did see marks on the trees indicating that they will be cut, probably this year, so maybe next year the trail may be a bit easier. And then we found snow. It was totally unexpected and at lower elevation than we thought. It wasn’t much but finding snow before we got to the Quartz Creek crossing made us think that higher up the trail would be impassable. Late in the afternoon we finally got to Quartz Creek with the intention of crossing it on a log and setting up camp on the other side. At the very moment we were crossing it started raining which made us backup and try to find a spot nearby. After a short bushwhack we found a nice, flat and almost dry site under a huge tree that gave us some protection against the rain. It was a hard first day so after dinner we just hit the sack.
On day two, we woke up to a much drier day but still, looking at the snow all around us, we knew that there was no way we would continue up or even try to cross Quartz Creek, there was no point. We decided then to take it leisurely and head back down to camp somewhere in the middle. The hike was a lot more relaxed than the first day making plenty of stops for pictures and admiring our surroundings. Just before Snagtooth Creek, we took a detour following a faint user path to the lower Snagtooth Falls. This waterfall is tucked in the forest so there’s no clear view of almost 100’ drop. After admiring the area we explored a bit with the idea of maybe spending the night there. For a while we looked for a potential site but in the end, we opted for hiking a bit further down and staying at a lower site we had seen on the way up. I guess part of it was the fire pit… or the wood sofa in front of it. Either way it was a nice spot were Val and I had a nice fire and dinner.
The following morning we woke up to a yet warmer day. Crossing Snagtooth on the big log seemed a lot easier that the day before by mid morning we were already heading back to Straight Creek. This time though, instead of fording the creek, we bushwhacked a bit to a big log pile to cross. The first part went without a problem but then we found a gap to long to jump. Looking around, I saw a big, flat piece of wood so I took my pack off and slowly pushed the trunk in position to make a bridge. We crossed and then climbed the creek embankment. That last excitement of the day left our hearts pumping fast but then we were on the trail again. From there it was an easy stroll back out. Despite the challenges, it was a perfect weekend with my love…. And we’re both ready to do it again!

Sedum Ridge, May 20th

Another discovery! Sedum Ridge is another hike I had in my list and it ended up delivering on its promise. It’s certainly a trail that doesn’t offer open views or grand vistas but certainly a trail that will give a sense of solitude as you wander thru deep lush forests. This trail gets minimal use to the point that finding it is a challenge on itself, but, if you do, you’re in luck. The trail starts on the side of the road on what looks like an animal path but soon after you start you realize you are on a designated trail. If you don’t get that sense in the first couple of minutes, a broken up wood bridge will definitely tell you. From that moment on, following the trail is not difficult although it can be very brushy in parts. A couple of creeks flow across so you’ll have to do you hops but that only adds to the scenery. Eventually and after some significant elevation gain you reach the PCT where things change dramatically. You step out of an unmaintained trail to the highway of trails. Across from the junction, there’s a little path that ends up at an old forest road. You can follow that forest road to Mowich Butte where, apparently, you can get some pretty god views around. The day we did this hike, we had a completely covered sky so we didn’t even attempt going to the butte. On the way back, on the PCT, the scenery keeps very similar to what you see on the way up. Perhaps not as lush though. About half way down, the trail makes a sharp turn as it crosses a small tributary of the Rock Creek. After passing the creek the trail gains a bit of elevation just to give you a glimpse of a beautiful waterfall just behind you. After that, you continue down until the trail gets to FR41, the same road where you started from so the only “bad” part is the mile or so you have to walk back, on the road, to get back to your car.



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Table Mountain, May 13th

This is another hike I’ve done at least three or four other times and as always is very rewarding and never disappointing. Table Mountain is a very prominent point in the Columbia Gorge that is hard to miss as the face of the mountain is a vertical wall with a unique triangular shape. Story goes that a long time ago, this was a huge mountain that eventually collapsed and fell into the river cutting it’s flow for some time forming what is known as Bridge of the gods. At some point the river resumed its course forming a bend around the debris. Apart from being a hike destination that offers amazing views of the gorge and it geology, this hike is also a great workout. You don’t have to take my word for it though. The trail that goes to the summit is called the Heartbreak Trail for a reason. Since Val and I had done already two good backpacking training hikes, we thought we needed something a bit harder and with more elevation gain to complete the cycle. Val was not able to take her pack on this one. I on the other hand, decided to go with it and carry 45LBs up Table Mountain. I don’t know what I was thinking! We started at a very descent hour on what it looked to be a perfect and very hot day. The first part of the hike went pretty quickly as we took the connector trail to the PCT and then the PCT to the Heartbreak Trail. To that point everything was ok and I was carrying my load without a problem but then came the uphill. This trail just goes up and quickly. With the load and the heat I thought I couple of times that I was going to faint, but I kept my pace chugging along. That day I was trying a couple of things for hot days, one was a shirt with lots of ventilation and the other is a bandana like thingy that is filled with a gel that can absorb a lot of water. The idea is that, if you put this around your neck, as the water evaporates, it helps you to cool down… It doesn’t work. I pretty much felt like I was being choked with warm gel. Thinking and adjusting these two things kept my mind occupied enough to keep my pace and actually make it to the summit. We took a lunch break up there dangling our feet into the precipice and enjoying the views which, as always, are simple spectacular. After a while, we started our return hiking towards the north side of the mountain were you can get the other view; the one that includes Mt Adams and Rainier. On the way there we found some lingering snow that on this hot day became perfect for a little snow ball fight and baseball practice. But then it was time for the inevitable hike down. Even though the back trail is not as steep as the trail going up, this one is slippery due to scree and is out in the open. So we just took our time and slowly came back down to the PCT were we took the same route back to the cars. At the end my legs were nearly shaking so I promised myself to never do this again with a pack. As a side note, I can’t leave this story without telling something that happened that day. As we were hiking down, Val dropped her camera without realizing and lost it. Some days later I was checking the PortlandHikers website and noticed a post about someone finding something on that trail the same day we were there. I contacted this person and two weeks later Val got her camera back…



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Elk – King Traverse short version, May 6th

After doing Dog Mountain with heavy packs, Val and I were ready to tackle something with a bit more distance, elevation change and overall difficulty. And what better place to do this than the Elk – King traverse. The hike to the Elk Mountain summit might not be the highest or the longest but it’s certainly on the steepest list. That combined with the lack warm up time before you start climbing makes this an excellent training route.  Adding the King’s Mountain summit makes it even more interesting as the trail has numerous ups and downs before reaching the second summit. At that point, if your knees are not suffering enough, the steep descent to the parking lot will complete the job. I posted the hike for a small group of people on my meetup group asking them to bring heavy packs to train, if they wanted to do so. In the end, it was only Val and I carrying extra weight which made it a bit of a challenge for us to keep up with the rest of the group. But even with that, I t was a fantastic day with plenty of scenery, green, fresh air, friends and all the good stuff that makes a hike memorable

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Dog Mountain – Augspurger loop, Apr 28th

Val and I had been talking about backpacking for a while and placing potential trips on the calendar. While doing so, we thought that it would be a good idea to do some training hikes with some extra weight to get our backs and legs ready. So we pulled our bigger packs, filled them with a sand bag and some pillows to maintain shape, added water and our gear. By the end, our packs were about 35Lbs each. With packs ready, we decided to try them out doing Dog Mountain which would offer plenty of elevation gain on a very good trail plus the possibility of a nice wildflower display. Unfortunately the weather gods played against us that day so we got an overcast day with some very consistent wind. We were still hopping for the flowers thought. At first Val was not very optimistic about her ability to do the hike with the extra weight. I was very confident she would be able to do it without a sweat. So we started climbing up and, as I expected it, she was flying up at her normal hiking pace which is a bit faster than mine. As we gained elevation we got some pretty good view of the Columbia Gorge and increasing winds, no flowers though. We were too early for those. Without a lot of work and in a very normal time, we got to a very windy summit. Trying to find a place to take a break, we walked around but then decided to get under a big tree and cover ourselves with an emergency blanket so at least we could have some lunch while enjoying the views. After that, since we were feeling good and the rest of the hike was downhill, instead of going down the way we went up, we opted for the longer Augspurger trail that would be softer on the knees. This trail is interesting as it traverses in and out of the forest keeping you all the time in line with nice views. We got to see some wildflowers but not too many but the best part of the hike was getting back down to the car with a broad smile and the sense that we were in better shape that we thought we were.



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