Rudolph Spur, Nov 28th

This must be one of my favorites and rewarding hikes in the Gorge. Certainly doesn’t have lots of viewpoints but in contrast, it offers great solitude and amazing forest views. The hike follows a trail that was decommissioned long time ago. Most of it is easy to follow although there are some turns that, if you’re not paying attention, are easy to miss. Last time I did this hike we continued on a path and miss one of those turns forcing us to bushwhack our way back to the ridge. This time, being so late in the year (and not having snow on the ground), we got treated with some incredible light in the forest. This time of year, the sun traverses very log in the sky. Through the day and as you climb, sun rays come at a steep angle close to the ground and filters thru the trees. The result is a yellow/orange glow that made the forest look majestic. Having a short day gave us the opportunity to start with crisp morning light and end with an incredible sunset at Bridge of the Gods. I was also lucky to have a great group that included Matt and Erin and my love Val.



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Ruckel Ridge – Ruckel Creek loop, Nov 23rd

Even though half of this loop follows user maintained paths, it’s probably on the top list of those who like elevation gain on a hike. If that’s not enough, this hike has some scrambling sections and some incredible views of the Columbia Gorge. I’ve done this loop several times in the past and always get the same feeling as I’m going up… when is it going to end? This is the same feeling you get when you’re coming back down. The incredible part this time though was not the hike itself but actually being able to do it by the end of November when we’re usually snowshoeing. Normally, by this time of year, these hikes are covered in snow making it very difficult to navigate (I’ve been lost up there in the snow). As you’ll see in the pictures, there’s not even a sign of snow. We started quite early on a quite cold and crisp morning which promised some nice views from the different viewpoints along the way. Being this late in the year also meant that he sun kept all day at a lower angle giving us some nice orange colors on the cliff walls and interesting sun rays slipping thru the trees. From all the times I’ve done this hike, I think this is the first that scenery (and the pictures I was able to take) were more memorable than the huffing a puffing to get there.



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Cape Horn, Nov 10th

A couple of years ago I did this hike with a good friend that works for the WTA when they were building this trail system. Back then, part of the loop was completed using unmarked paths and crossing over Hwy14. It did have a lot of promise as the hike takes you up on a ridge with stunning views of the Columbia River Gorge. The hike itself is not difficult by any means but it’s not for the faint of heart. There are some steep drop offs that can make you dizzy if you stand too close. Doing it again with a small group brought back nice memories and a couple of nice surprises. For starters, the whole loop is very well marked and the trail itself is very well maintained. They also added tunnels under Hwy14 at both points where you needed to cross the highway before making it a lot safer. They also built a viewpoint on the top, located at the end of the Rim Rd. It seems you can drive closer to this viewpoint for a shorter hike but being in the middle of the loop makes it a great stop for a bite to eat with pretty good views of the Gorge. Certainly the WTA did an incredible job on this trail while preserving the interesting parts of it.



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