I read about Salmon Butte somewhere and made a mental note to research a bit but then forgot all about it until Steve, a friend and hike leader in the Portland Hiking Meetup Group, posted it in December. After looking at some of the comments and pictures from that hike, it was clear I needed to head up there. Since weather was looking pretty descent for the weekend, it was a perfect opportunity to do it. This trail used to be a bit shorter until a washout took out a bridge over one affluent of the Salmon River. Now, you need to drive as far as the road will take you and then continue on foot. Around the area there are several spur trails that follow the river. We discover after a couple of excursions that none of those are the actual trail. As the instructions say in a very well know website, you have to stay on the road until you get to the old trailhead. So we did that and soon enough, we were deep in the lush forest. The trail started gentle which was perfect to warm up before we started gaining elevation. Most of the path meandered thru dense forests without many views until you make a turn half way up and the Mack Hall Creek valley opens in front of you. Coming from the dark out to the blue and bright sky was incredibly nice after a couple of weeks with very crappy weather. From that point on is when you really start climbing steadily to the summit. As you follow the ridge, you rarely get a view of anything but something in the back of your mind tells you you’ll get your reward. Towards the top we found some very well packed snow so we continued towards the summit. Then we came out of the forest to what looked like a forest road. The map doesn’t indicate this so it’s difficult to know for sure. The important part is that, as you continue on this very wide path the views start slowly appearing around you. First is Mt Jefferson to the south that peaks thru the branches of trees. Then is the top of Mt Hood in front of you that grows larger as you continue towards the last turn. And then the reward, as soon as you make the last turn, you top Salmon Butte and the views expand to the north giving you, on clear days, an expansive panorama that includes Mt Adams, Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier and everything in between. Besides being an open spot with ample views, it’s more than perfect as a lunch spot. We stopped there for a while soaking in the sun and enjoying the views before heading back the same way.
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