From Vantage, drive east on Interstate 90 toward Spokane and take exit 245 for Sprague. Turn right off the freeway and drive 8.1 miles south on State Road 23, passing through the town of Sprague, to Lamont Road. Turn right on Lamont Road and continue 2.6 miles until the road veers left and turns into Revere Road. After 8.3 miles (0.2 mile after crossing the Milwaukee Corridor railroad grade) turn right on Jordon--Knott Road. Drive 2.2 miles on Jordon--Knott Road before turning right into the Rock Creek Management Area (BLM). Cross over the cattle guard and drive 2.5 miles to the end of the road and parking area by Rock Creek and the Escure Ranch site. The gate out to the trail/old road is by the BLM signboard and is signed "Towell Falls--3 miles."

Vicinity Location: The trailhead is 39 miles east of Portland, OR in the Columbia River Gorge.

Directions:
From Portland, Oregon, take I-84 east for about 40 miles and take exit #44 for Cascade Locks. Drive into town for .3 mile, heading east. Look for the sign for Wasco Street and turn right. 

Drive one block and turn right on Moody and drive to the freeway overpass.

Near the freeway underpass is some parking on the shoulder. Alternately, go under the freeway, drive about 100 feet farther and turn left, following the pavement.. The road will turn into Sternwheeler Drive. Park on the right side of the street beginning at the chainlink fence. 

To get to the trailhead from the alternate parking, walk back downhill and walk left, instead of turning right to Moody. Take the gravel road on and walk uphill about 120 feet. The Pacific Crest Trailhead will be on your left.

There is no bathroom at the trailhead. The closest public restroom is at the Bridge of the Gods rest area which is just before the toll booth. These restrooms and parking area are open seasonally.

No permits are needed to park at the trailhead.

Length and Elevation:
3.7 miles round trip Elevation gain 750 feet and loss of 150 feet. Total gain and loss is 1,800 feet. Elevation at the trailhead is 240 feet, Dry Creek Falls is at 850 feet.

Trail:
Pacific Crest Trail #2000.

Trail Maps:
Topo Map, Download Garmin .gpx file 

Review: April 22, 2012.
One of the first things you come to on the trail is a small brook that is an easy step-across stream with stepping stones provided. From the brook, the trail continues gradually uphill through a beautiful forest on a beautifully engineered trail with sweeping switchbacks. The trail passes through an emerald carpet of mosses and other green plants on the forest floor.

After walking .8 mile the trail comes to a service road. Walk up the service road about 200 feet and you’ll see the sign for the Pacific Crest Trail pointing straight into the woods, just after you pass underneath the powerline.

The trail becomes progressively rockier as it climbs away from Cascade locks. After walking for about 1.1 miles uphill on a gentle grade the trail goes over the toe of a mountain ridge. From here there are some limited views into Dry Creek Valley through the somewhat open forest. It is a delightful woodsy trail through the forest with Ladyslipper Orchids and Trillium along the trail. 

The trail drops gradually down to another service road and a trail bridge over Dry Creek Falls at 1.6 miles from the trailhead. Turn right, before crossing the bridge, and walk up the service road for about .25 mile to the falls. The creek drowns out any remaining noises from the trains running continually up and down the Gorge.

The service road is somewhat steep as it follows close to the creek up to Dry Creek Falls. The waterfall is about a 60 foot plunge type waterfall coming from a cleft in the basalt cliffs. There is a headgate structure near the falls for a pipeline that leads to Cascade Locks. It used to supply water to Cascade Locks but it looks like the structure has been abandoned to time and the elements.

This trail is one of the prettiest forest trails in the Gorge with mostly gentle grades and a trail that curves gracefully through a lush second growth forest. This trail is okay for children and pets. There is one steep slope traversed where the trail passes on the forested shoulder of a mountain about 1.1 miles from the trailhead. Remember the Pacific Crest Trail is open to horses. Always leash your dog and find a safe place to stand downhill off the trail until the horses pass.

Enjoy the photos!!

Gallery Pics

Switchback Steve

Avalanche Evaluation Information

Length and Elevation:
4.4 miles round trip. Elevation gain 1,130 feet and loss 1,130 feet round trip. Elevation at the trailhead at 5,400 feet, highest point is at 5,800 feet. Lowest elevation is 4,800 feet. The Jackson Memorial Visitors Center is elevation 5,400 feet.

Trail:
Paradise Valley Road, Mazama Ridge Trail, and Narada Falls Trail with connections to Barn Flats Trail. Note, these trails have different names in the summer.

Trail Maps:
Topo Map, National Park Service Map, National Park Winter Map, Download Garmin .gpx file-Early Winter Route, Download Garmin .gpx file-Late Winter Route

Review: March 24th, 2012
Before going on this trip, click here to check the NW Avalanche Center or ask a Park Ranger when entering the park, at the Longmire museum, or at the visitor’s center at Paradise. If avalanche danger is higher than moderate then evaluate conditions very carefully before taking this trip. There are two small exposed slopes and one long avalanche runout encountered between Paradise Valley Road and Mazama Ridge.

 When driving past Ashford keep an eye out for elk. I saw a herd of about 15 elk grazing on the left side of the road. I thought I could get some pictures but the elk turned skittish as I stopped, so I drove away so they wouldn’t run off. When I got to Longmire the road was already open for the day and the pavement looked like I didn’t need cable chains, so I drove up to Paradise.

The weather wasn’t as nice as I had hoped for but the clouds were high and the winds were low. I strapped on my showshoes and headed down Paradise Road admiring the snow clad Tatoosh mountains.

After .6 mile turn off the road at waypoint LVRD, N46° 47.408’ W121° 43.601’. The spot to leave the road and turn uphill is where the road makes a sweeping turn of about 90°, just after crossing Paradise River, and passing a small clump of trees on the left. Head up 4th Crossing Trail keeping close to the uphill trees when possible. On the way up I noticed two showshoers turning off the road before Paradise River. That route forces you to cross an avalanche slope.

I went uphill, keeping mostly to the trees to avoid avalanche danger. Continuing towards Mazama Ridge the trail passes a couple of small exposed areas and comes out to a flat area. I headed towards the trees at the end of the flat area, and then proceeded uphill to the right, towards Mazama Ridge. On the way up, I looked back and saw the 2 snowshoers heading towards me and about to cross an avalanche slope. Later in the day, I met these two snowshoers, Frank and Kip.

Walking through the small copses of trees was enchanting. A warm wind had blew the day before and made thousands of glistening icicles on all the trees. After leaving the road and walking about .6 mile I passed the trees and reached the ridge.

From the ridge I had expansive views of the Tatoosh Range and what I could see of Mt. Rainier. I headed down the ridge, enjoying the mountain views. The weather deteriorated a bit and it started to snow lightly. It was beautiful with filtered sun mixing with the snowflakes.

I walked generally southwest and found a place for lunch. I stopped by some fox tracks, hoping to see some wildlife. The only wildlife I saw was Kip and Frank snowshoeing down a draw towards Reflection Lakes. 

I headed down towards Narada Falls, meeting several people heading up the ridge. I passed the campsite where a friend and I had been 3 weeks ago and there wasn’t a trace of our camp. The snow wall that Kevin had built was completely obliterated. 

By now several people had tramped out a path down the ridge for me to follow. After walking down the ridge about 1.8 miles I reached the junction to Reflection Lakes. From here the descent steepens down to Paradise Valley Road. Once I got down to Paradise Valley Road I used my GPS to find the Narada Trail. I had to wander around a bit, but I found the footbridge over Paradise River. I walked carefully on the untrodden snow bridge and rejoined the trail. From there I headed up to Barns Flat where I waited for the weather to clear but those stubborn clouds kept hanging around. 

I walked back to the trailhead at Paradise and the sun came out. I went back down Paradise Valley Road to get more photos and met two snowshoers who offered to take my picture. It turned out to be Kip and Frank, who I had seen in the morning and just before noon. 

What a coincidence that I would have seen these two men three different times in the same day. They snowshoed an out-and-back to Reflection Lakes. 

We traded contact information and I hope to go hiking with them sometime. 

Enjoy the photos!!

Gallery Pics

Switchback Steve

Vicinity Location: 61 miles  southeast of Seattle in Mt. Rainier National Park.

Directions:
From Portland, take I-5 North and take exit 68 to Hwy 12. Take Hwy 12 for about 30 miles to Morton. Turn left on Hwy 7 and drive about 17 miles to Hwy 706. Turn right on Hwy 706 and drive to the Nisqually entrance on the west side of Mt. Rainier National Park. Drive about three miles from the entrance and cross the bridge over Kautz Creek. Continue to Longmire and take a right turn just after the lodge. Drive about .1 mile and park on the right.

From Seattle, take I-5 South to Hwy 512 East and go towards Puyallup (Exit 127). Follow Hwy 512 East for about 2 miles. Turn south onto Hwy 7 towards Mt. Rainier. Follow Hwy 7 south to Elbe. At Elbe, turn left onto Hwy 706, travel through Ashford, and then to the Nisqually entrance of Mt. Rainier National Park. Drive about three miles from the entrance and cross the bridge over Kautz Creek. Continue to Longmire and take a right turn just after the lodge. Drive about .1 mile and park on the right in the parking lot.

Flush toilets are available at Longmire.

Pets aren’t allowed on National Park trails.

National Park Entrance fee of $15.00 or Annual Pass is required to enter the park.

Length and Elevation:
7.5 miles round trip. Elevation gain 555 feet and 30 feet loss. Total gain and loss is 1,170 feet. Elevation at the trailhead is 3,165 feet, the high point of the trail is 3,920 feet.

Trail:
Wonderland Trail. Connections to Trail of Shadows, Rampart Ridge Trail.

Trail Maps:
Topo Map, National Park Service Map, Download Garmin .gpx file

Review: February 18, 2012

This is a great snowshoe trip to take when the road to Paradise is closed. However the log bridge over the Nisqually River by Cougar Rock Campground is washed out during the winter about 2 of every 5 years. Make sure the log bridge is in before going on this trip.

From the Longmire museum, walk across the road towards the gate across the road. Look for the Wonderland Trail which is about 30 feet to the right of the road. There is a junction of the Wonderland Trail in a few hundred feet where you will continue straight ahead. The trail goes gently uphill through the woods between the road and the Nisqually River. Sometimes the trail is close to the road, other time it is close to the river. 

Since the road is closed then there will only be administrative vehicles and plows on the road. Lucky for us no plows came by when we were close to the road. I would hate to be plastered by wet snow from a plow.  

After about 1.5 miles the trail passes a junction to Cougar Rock Campground. Continue  straight, keeping on the Wonderland Trail. In about .2 mile the trail drops down to cross the Nisqually River.    

Once across the Nisqually, look for where Paradise River joins the Nisqually. The trail is on the left side of Paradise River, about 50 feet from the river. Walk up a slope to the bench above the river and enjoy one of the few flat areas of the trail. This nice stroll lasts about .25 mile and then the trail starts to climb and in almost no time, you’re climbing along Paradise River, enjoying the views of the mountain slopes and the river below. 

As the trail climbs the hill, it passes an old wood-stave water pipe. The pipe is covered with metal bands. This pipe supplied water to a powerplant that was once on the bank of the Nisqually. There used to be powerlines across the Nisqually, but have been removed.  

In about .6 mile from the Nisqually and  600 feet higher, you reach Carter Falls. Though it is a bit hard to see, it sounds wonderful. From the falls, walk just a bit farther to Madcap Falls. This is more a steeply sloping riverbed than a waterfall but you have a great view of it. The steep trail is mostly past and the trail soon passes little side streams and wet areas where the standing water keeps the snow melted. 

Watch out for places where the snow hides voids. There won't be many that a snowshoe will fall into but walkers could well find some nasy step-through places.

In about .5 mile farther, the trail crosses the first of three strong bridges. The third bridge crosses the largest branch of Paradise River. I can remember hiking through this area in the summer before these bridges were built. These bridges have to be really strong because of the weight of winter snows. 

Soon after crossing the last bridge, the trail curves to the left around a large fir tree. Paradise River Camp is off to the right and back towards Paradise River a bit. If you want to find the camp, look for the bear pole which is left up all year. 

After enjoying the winter scenery, retrace your steps, taking time to look at the interplay of the snow on the tree bark or the texture of lichen on the rocks. Be careful about going off trail becaus of voids under the snow. I found a hole along the rive over eight feet deep.

 This is a wonderful snowshoe trip because of all the water along the trail. Avalanche danger is low along this section of the Wonderland Trail. There is just one bare slope to watch for avalanches.

Review: October 30, 2011
The trail enters the woods and leads past the Wilderness area registration box. The wide trail comes out to the bank of the Sandy River. You can see evidence of erosion and undercutting. Don’t venture too close to the edge of the bank. It could collapse if you get too near the edge.

32 caramels

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/4 cups salted peanuts (no skins)

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Put the caramels, butter, and cream into a medium bowl and microwave for 1 minute.

Stir and microwave 30 seconds.

If the mixture isn't smooth after stirring, repeat microwaving 30 seconds and stirring until the mixture is smooth.

Add vanilla.

Sift in the sugar and stir until mostly smooth.

Stir in the nuts.

Once the mixture is warm, but not hot, fold in the marshmallows.

Put a 20" X 5"  layer of coconut on plastic wrap or waxed paper and scrape out the mixture into a log shape using a spatula.

Press the coconut into the mixture creating a coconut coated log 20 inches long, adding more coconut where needed to keep the mixture from sticking to the waxed paper/plastic wrap.

Cut into 2 to 4 logs and chill for at least an hour. Remove the wrap and cut into 1/2 inch slices.

Enjoy as a treat or desert along the trail.

Nutrition Information 

Switchback Steve

Directions:
From Portland, OR, take I-205 north to exit 30b to Battle Ground. Move over to the middle or left lane and proceed north on SR503 for about 10 miles to Battle Ground.

6.2 Miles to Hawkeye Point and Camp. 3,225 feet of gain and 950 feet of elevation loss.
 
Day 2 – Goat Ridge to Snowgrass Basin 
the day dawned somewhat cloudy and I wondered about the possibilities of thunderstorms. I watched the clouds for a bit and decided the clouds weren’t coming my way. 
 
From camp I headed down to the Lily Basin Trail Junction and turned left to travel east. The junction was still covered in snow and I cold see that a good part of the morning would be spent traveling across snow slopes. 
 
Jasmine and I walked along the trail, in an arc to Goat Lake. There were several small streams and patches of beautiful wildflowers. The streams join together into Goat Creek far below. 
 
Reaching Goat Lake I saw a campsite near the lake outlet and snow still covered most everything else. Goat Lake was still completely frozen over with just a couple melt pools on the surface.  I could see the trail on the slope on the other side of the lake outlet so we headed over that way to rejoin the trail. 
 
From Goat Lake the trail continues along the open slope and passes through meadows, sometimes losing elevation, but then gaining elevation to the lower Snowgrass flats. Several trails and user trails come together here and there are several nice campsites and a water supply nearby. 
 
Take SnowgrassTrail 96, which is to the left, up a couple of switchbacks to Snowgrass Flats and several campsites. I found a nice campsite just below timberline with a partial view of Mt. Adams. After setting up camp, I left Jasmine in the tent and went looking for wood so I could have a small cookfire. In my search for dead wood, I came across a mole rooting around on top of the ground. I watched it for a while because it was the first time I had seen a mole above the ground.  
 
The camp had a nice firepit and I moved a rock so I could make a small fire just under my cookpot. There were enough mosquitoes that I put on bug spray. I ate my rehydrated chili mac, cleaned out my cookpot, and made instant chocolate pudding. I set the pot in the nearby stream to chill and got camp ready for the night. Then I retrieved my pudding, sprinkled crushed graham crackers over it and chowed down. This was one pot I didn’t have to clean because the leftovers would flavor the water nicely for breakfast.  
 
I walked up the trail just a bit to get a clear view of Mt. Adams and watched as the sun went down. I saw a couple of patches of snow still near camp.  

4 miles from night 1 camp to night 2 camp. Elevation gain of 640 feet and loss of 1,245 feet.
 
Day 3 – Snowgrass Flats to Berry Patch Trailhead 
I packed up camp and backpacked a short distance up to the junction of the Pacific Crest Trail and Snowgrass Trail. I took what I needed for dayhiking and stashed my pack in the stubby trees just west of the trail. I stood in awe of the meadows of wildflowers. I think the flowers were at their absolute peak of bloom. This is a great place to enjoy lupines, paintbrush, and other flowers with the mountains for a backdrop.  
 
Jasmine and I followed the Pacific Crest Trail north towards Old Snowy. The trail steadily climbs and passed over many large snow patches and some campsites along and near the trail.  
 
At 1.4 miles from the junction is a side trail to the west on the shoulder of Old Snowy Mountain. I opted to continue hiking up the trail as the overlook seemed too crowded. A short distance past the overlook trail is a junction on the PCT for stock and hikers. Take the hiker junction to the right and climb through the rocks up Old Snowy. The thin rocks sound almost like pieces of thick glass hitting each other as you walk over the rocks. The high elevation and steep trail take your breath away as you reach the high point of the trail.  
 
At the top of the trail is a sign for the Pacific Crest Trail going seemingly nowhere. This is the highest point on the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington, at 7,650 feet high. The trail turns left at the sign, climbing a bit higher, then dropping down the ridge, heading north. For added adventure you can turn left here and pick your way up to the top of Old Snowy. That looked too dangerous for Jasmine so we continued north, down the trail. There is a short section of trail with very abrasive volcanic rocks here so you need protection for your dog’s feet. We were able to descend on snow but that will not be the case in most years.  

In the distance you can see the trail continuing north along the ridge towards Elk Pass. I decided to save that for another trip and turned left at the stock trail, about .2 from the top of the PCT.  
 
The stock trail has been blasted out of the mountain slope in spots and can be covered by a long sloping section of snow late into the year. Jasmine and I had to take our time and traverse this section very slowly to avoid sliding down the slope.  
 
Back at the southern hiker/stock junction, we walked back down the trail or walked down snow slopes to Snowgrass Flats. Water sources had been looking safe so I drank straight from fast flowing streams.  
 
I had a snack at my cached pack then we headed down the PCT through a nice valley with a creek and great views of Mt. Adams. There are plenty of additional campsites along this section of the trail and some of them have great views.  
 
Looking for the Bypass Trail 97, my GPS showed an old route starting from an rock cairn and crossing a meadow. I followed the track and found the abandoned trail switchbacking down from the meadow. I was able to follow this down to a hop-across stream crossing. I found a place just a bit upstream where there was a boulder on my side of the creek. I easily jumped across and Jasmine followed.  
 
From there I followed and old trace of a trail down the valley and past a large campsite. There were a few deadfalls to go around but nothing major. As I descended the trail became better used and I joined Bypass Trail 97 just before it crossed a small stream. I turned right and soon met the junction for Snowgrass Trail 96. From there it is an easy walk down the well maintained trail.  
 
This section of the trail goes through the forest and by a couple of meadows. There are several swithbacks and couple of small streams. There is a great place to get water at a rushing tributary to the Cispus River.  
 
The trail continues to swichback down and flattens out as it crosses the valley for Goat Creek. The far side of the bridge over Goat Creek is another fine spot  to get water. From here the trail continues down until about 1.5 miles from the Berry Patch Trailhead where it climbs gently for just past a mile. The slopes of Goat Creek Valley fall away to the left until the junction with trail 96A, which leads to the dusty Snowgrass Trailhead parking lot. Take the junction to the right here and walk .5 mile along a level trail passing a lilypad dotdded lake on the left.  
 
The forest screens the parking lot until you are almost at the trailhead.  

10.7 miles from night 2 camp back to the trailhead. The elevation changes are a gain of 1,750 feet and a loss of 3,350 feet.
 
Seeing the flowers in peak bloom at Snowgrass Flats along the Pacific Crest Trail is a “must” hike. The area is popular and a weekday hike may be the best choice to enjoy the scenery. I found that even on weekends there are times when sections of the trail offer solitude. Taking the section of the abandoned trail practically guarantees the time to enjoy the peace of the wilderness.  
 
Enjoy the photos!!

Gallery Pics

Switchback Steve

Notice: 10/15/11 - Dollar Lake Fire has caused several trails and a few campgrounds to be closed as a precautionary measure. The following trails remain closed.

Mazamas Trail #625
Vista Ridge Trail #626
Elk Cove Trail #631
Pinnacle Ridge Trail #630
Timberline Trail #600 from the Eliot Branch crossing near Cloud Cap northwest to its terminus at McNeil Point Trail #627

For the latest fire information, please contact the Mt. Hood National Forest Hours: M - F 7:30am - 4:30pm Closed 11:30 - 12:30
Telephone: (503) 668 1700

Vicinity Location: The trailhead is about 49 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon in the Mt. Hood National Forest.

Directions:
From Portland take I-84 East to the Wood Village, exit (16A). Head south and turn left onto NE Burnside Rd. Heading East, Burnside will merge into Highway 26. 

Follow Hwy 26 for 26.8 miles to Zigzag. When you drive past Welches, you are getting close to Lolo Pass Road. East Lolo Pass Road is just after the Hoodland Fire Station and Salmon River Road, which are both on the right and the Zigzag Mountain Store on the left. Turn left onto E. Lolo Pass Road and follow the twisty paved road for about 10.4 miles to Lolo Pass where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the road and the pavement ends. About 4 miles along East Lolo Pass Road a large powerlines come into view and the road parallels the powerlines for the next several miles.

At Lolo Pass, the Pacific Crest Trail crosses Forest Road 18. Make the next right onto Forest Road 1810, though it may be signed as Forest Road 1828 because the Forest Service renamed the road a few years ago. Do not continue straight over the hill past the yellow metal gate.

Drive 3 miles to the junction with gravel Road 118, which is a hairpin turn to the left. Follow this route for 1.5 miles to the Top Spur Trailhead.
The last mile of road is gravel and pretty rough. The parking lot fills up and people park in the road making you have to scrape by the bushes in your car.

There are no bathrooms at the trailhead.

Trail:
Top Spur Trail #785, Timberline Trail #600, McNeil Point Trail. Connections to the Pacific Crest Trail #2000.

There is at least one geocache for this trail at: N 45° 24.494 W 121° 47.167 Info at Geocaching.com

Trail Maps:
Topo Map, Download Garmin .gpx file

Length and Elevation:
10 miles round trip. Elevation gain of 4,100 feet and loss of 450 feet to McNeil Point. Elevation at the trailhead is 3,950 feet. Elevation at McNeil Point is 7,600 feet.

Review: August 7, 2011
Just a few feet from the trailhead is a plaque for Judge Jonathan Newman 1927-1991 and a nice picnic table. You can see that horses use this trail because of the trail is deeply rutted near the trailhead and climbs over rocks and roots. The trail starts in a nice forest of Douglas Fir and immediately starts climbing.
 
After walking about .4 mile the trail passes the new Mt. Hood Wilderness boundary. Congress passed a law March 30, 2009 adding about 125,000 of wilderness around Mt. Hood. Continue up the trail through the older second-growth forest for a couple hundred feet to another trail junction.
 
At .5 mile from the trailhead is a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail and the Timberline Trail. This is where the two trails are the same for a while. To the left the Timberline Trail #600 goes to Cairn Basin. To the right the Timberline Trail goes to the Muddy Fork of the Sandy River.
 
Turn left onto the Timberline Trail and you see the difference between trails that have horses and trails that don’t. In the Wilderness area parties of up to 12 people are allowed. Continue on the left and the trail drops down slightly through a forest of fir trees with Dogwood plants, or bunchberries, growing along with a myriad of other plants.
 
About .5 mile further is a junction to the left for McGee Creek Trail. Continue straight ahead following the trail as it climbs along the ridge through the forest of nice sized second-growth trees. As you gain elevation the amount of beargrass and other wildflowers increase. Walking uphill about 20 minutes more brings you to a nice little clearing which is a good place to take a break.
 
The trail continues climbing along the ridge and at VPHD1 comes out to a mountainside meadow with a spectacular view of Mt. Hood. Off to the right down in the valley is the Muddy Fork of the Sandy River.
 
The trail continues through the forest, crossing a seasonal stream and passing a small pond. In another .3 mile is the junction for the McNeil Point Trail. Turn right off of the Timberline Trail.
 
From the junction of the McNeil Point Trail, climb fairly steeply up a narrow ridge and turn right across a rockfield or snowfield, depending on the season. The trail then curves around and goes through a small mountain meadow with only the peak of Mt. Hood showing. The trail continues climbing up the slope of Mt. Hood.
 
The trail comes to a junction at the beginning of another mountainside meadow. The trail to the right goes lower, skirts the top of a fairly steep slope, and leads to the McNeil Point Shelter. Follow this trail to the steel-roofed stone shelter. Wander around the corner to overlooks into the Sandy River Valley. There are a couple of campsites here and a couple more scattered around the area. This area can be dry in the summer and the last streams are back near the junction of the McNeil Point Trail and the Timberline Trail. Please respect the rule of no campfires within 500 feet of the stone shelter.
 
To continue up to McNeil Point it is probably easier to retrace your steps back to the junction and continue uphill following the most obvious user trail.

To return, retrace your path back to the trailhead. An alternative route is available from the shelter down to the Timberline Trail but it is very rough and steep.

Certainly in the spring and early summer, Top Spur Trail has a lot more stream crossings to break up the walk through the forest than most of the other trails on the north side of Mt. Hood. The trail is in excellent condition for the most part, all the deadfall has been cleared out.
 
About a mile before the trailhead the trail climbs slightly for about .5 mile before dropping back down to the trailhead. Once back in the car, there are some nice views of Mt. Hood from the road that you can see as you drive back home.

Enjoy the photos!!

Gallery Pics

Switchback Steve

About 168 miles northeast of Portland, OR. and 75 miles east of Seattle.

Driving Directions:
From Seattle, take US2 east towards Wenatchee to the outskirts of Leavenworth. Look for Icicle Creek Road and turn right. At about 4 miles, the Snow Creek Trailhead is on your left.

To reach the Lake Stuart Trailhead, continue about 4 miles and turn left on road 7601 (about a mile past the Eightmile Campground). After the turn, stay straight (left is the Bridge Creek Campground) and follow the road to the trailhead. The first trailhead you will encounter is the Eightmile Trailhead. Continue driving on road 7601 about a mile to the end of the road and the Lake Stuart Trailhead.

Length and Elevation:
24 miles one-way. Elevation gain 9,000 and loss 7,200 to Lake Stuart Trailhead. Elevation at the Snow Lakes trailhead is 1300 feet. Elevation at the Lake Stuart Trailhead is 3,450 feet.

Wilderness permits are required until after October 15th of each year.

Other rules and regulations:
Group Size

• Eight (8) people is the maximum allowed together in any of the permit zones.
• You may not exceed the limit at any time or anywhere while camping or travelling.
• Groups with pack or saddle stock may not exceed a total of eight persons plus head of stock. (4 people + 4 mules = 8).

Campfires:

• Fires are prohibited nearly throughout the Enchantment Permit Area; no fires anywhere above 5,000 feet or within 1/2 mile of any lakes, and no fires during times of high fire danger. Bring a stove.

Pets:

• Dogs are prohibited, as are any other pets, throughout the permit area.

Goats and other Wildlife:

• Do not feed mountains goats, jays, or any other wildlife. Hang food, toiletries, and other attractive items when in camp, and keep food and camp waste where bears, mice, and other animals cannot reach.
• Do not urinate on vegetation or soils or within campsite areas, as this encourages goats to become habituated to human contact and leads to abnormal and aggressive behaviors.
• Discourage wild animals from becoming too tame - enjoy them from a distance that is safe for both you and them.

Campsites:

• All members of a permit group must camp together.
• You may only camp in the permit zone(s) listed on your permit.
• Camp only at established campsites-do not camp on vegetation, move rocks, build walls, or disturb soils to improve a site.
• Make camp early in the day to ensure finding an available campsite.
• It is illegal to cut any standing tree, dead or alive, damage vegetation, or damage any natural feature for any reason.

Toilet Facilities & Water Quality

• Use toilets where provided. Do not put trash into toilets, use them for their intended purpose only.
• Do not urinate on vegetation or soils. Use gaps between boulders, crevices in rocks, large flat rocks, sandy bare areas, or the toilets provided. Urine attracts goats and leads to pawing and chewing of plants and soil and is a cause of abnormal aggressive animal behavior.
• If you're not near a latrine, dig a small hole 6 to 8 inches deep at least 100 feet or more back from water sources or campsites. When finished, fill hole and cover with soil.
• Bathe and wash dishes at least 150-200 feet from lakes and streams.
• All soaps pollute water including soaps labeled biodegradable.

Pack and Saddle Stock:

• Groups with pack or saddle stock may not exceed a total of eight persons plus head of stock. (4 people + 4 mules = 8).
• Stock are not allowed on the Snow Lake and Colchuck Lake Trails, and are only allowed on the Stuart Lake Trail in the fall from the first Saturday after Labor Day until the end of that year.
• Stock may not be grazed, tied, hitched, hobbled, or held within 200' of any lake or pond.
• Camping with stock in the permit area is allowed only at the designated stock site at Upper Caroline Lake or other suitable sites more than 200' from water. No camping with stock within 1/2 mile of the Eightmile Lakes.
• Stock may be tied directly to trees only for short periods of time, not to exceed 4 hours, and not to trees of less than 6 inches diameter.

Food and Fish Remains

• Hang all food in a bear-safe manner, or use bear-proof containers.
• Try to plan your meals so you don't have leftovers. If you do, pack them out. Do not feed wildlife or leave food waste for them to find.
• Dispose of fish remains well away from campsites, trails, portages and shorelines.

Storing or Caching Supplies:

• It is illegal to leave camp gear or any other supplies or materials unattended for more than 48 hours.
• Geocaching is prohibited in all designated wilderness areas. Please practice this sport elsewhere.
• All litter, trash, equipment, and personal property must be carried out with you at the end of each trip.

Trail:
Snow Lakes Trail 1553, Colchuck Lake Trail 1599.1, and Lake Stuart Trail 1599

There is at least one geocache along this trail at N 47° 29.905 W 120° 50.003. Info at Geocaching.com

Trail Maps:
Topo Map, Download Garmin .gpx file

Review: July 20, 2011 
The Enchantments 2011

Day 1 – Snow Lakes Trailhead to Upper Snow Lake
Drew and I started planning this trip at the beginning of 2011. I checked out a couple of books from the library and decided to start at the Snow Lakes trailhead. Upon further research I found out the main road, Forest Road 76 had been closed for the past few years at the Ida Creek campground, about 3 miles from the Jack Trail trailhead. The alternate plan was to come out at Eightmile Lake trailhead.

This route would take us through the Enchantment Lakes and over Aasgard Pass, a very steep descent to Colchuck Lake.

The permit system is very restrictive so we tried to line up people who wanted to backpack The Enchantments. We got some maybes but no commitments.

In March, we applied for permits with alternate dates and won a trip through the lottery system. The process allows 14 days to confirm with the names of the party of up to 8 people. I didn’t set a reminder and my permits expired. The system sends an email after the permits is revoked and Drew and I saw the emails. Drew got online and was able to reserve a trip through but without a night in the Enchantment Lakes zone.

I felt really awful that I had let the permits expire but thankful that Drew got a set of permits. Now four of us were on the permits to go; Drew, Zach, Bob, and me. The trip begins July 17th and lasts five days.

We talked about the trip as we heard about snowfalls setting records. We went over our lists of what to take and how much things would weigh. We had to decide if we wanted crampons and ice axes. We speculated about how bad the bugs would be. We tried to figure out if all our gear and four people would fit into a Toyota Prius.

The snows melted slowly through the cool spring and additional snowstorms dumped even more snow at the higher elevations in May but our dates were set. I called to see about adding a day but the Forest Service doesn’t allow that. I would have to cancel my reservation and start all over, and of course, all the good dates had long ago been taken. I did find out that when the Forest Service office closes for Saturday afternoon, the permits are put in a box and they can be picked up Saturday evening or Sunday. Next, I made reservations for a campground in town and for a shuttle so we could drop off our car at the far end.

We left the Portland area about 2PM and arrived in Leavenworth about 7PM. We found the campground, gout our permit from the Forest Service office, and found the turnoff for Icicle Creek road, the road that leads to the Enchantments trailheads. After that, we found a place for pizza and then off to bed. I was glad to have brought ear plugs because some of the other campers got back after midnight and others were talking until late in the night. It was another reminder of why I don’t like drive-in campgrounds.
Sunday dawned pretty clear and we made breakfast then headed to the Snow Lakes trailhead to wait for our 7AM shuttle. The shuttle showed up about 10 after 7 and Drew followed them to the Eightmile Lake trailhead.

After about 30 minutes, Drew returned in the shuttle and we strapped on our 40 pound backpacks and hit the trail.

Elevation at the trailhead is about 1,300 feet and from there the trail drops down a bit and crosses Icicle Creek, climbs a bit and crosses Icicle Canal.  The canal looks like an inner-tube ride but it is signed “NO TRESSPASSING”. From there the trail climbs a series of switchbacks with occasional views of the parking lot and the creek. Most of the trees along this section of trail were burned during a forest fire in 1994 so the hillside is pretty open with the remaining snags creating a silver forest.

The trail climbs and climbs. At times, the trail is pretty good, other times it is littered with rocks of granite. The trail passes by Snow Creek Wall, which towers over the other side of the creek. The wall is a massive slab of granite over 1000, feet high, which is frequented by climbers, though we didn’t see any as we walked past.

About 2.5 miles up the trail the verdant forest returns. There is lush undergrowth and even moisture loving cedar trees growing along the trail. Wildflowers of Fireweed, Shooting Stars, Columbine, and yellow daisy-like flowers abound along the trail.

As we got higher, we saw a group of about 12 mountain goats along the trail. Bob and I had to bushwhack a bit to get around one goat in the trail. We stopped for a while to watch the baby goats play along the trail then moved up the trail as the goat’s browsing brought them closer to us. One goat followed Bob for a while and gave him a surprise when it came within five feet of him when he stopped to take pictures of wildflowers.
As we continued our climb up the valley, I was enjoying most of the fragrances of the forest. One place had this alpine type plant smell that I didn’t much like, but the smells from the different trees was wonderful.

We stopped for lunch along a large rocky slope and watched a ground squired scrounge for food. The views of the mountains across the valley were spectacular. Too bad the weather was cloudy. At least it hadn’t poured down rain as it had the previous day.

The trail climbed steeply up to Nada Lake, elevation 5000 feet, which is about 5.5 miles from the trailhead. We stopped to take pictures of a big waterfall cascading off the cliffs above Nada Lake. The stream had several trout swimming below the t falls; some of the fish were over a foot long.

From Nada Lake, the trail climbed steeply up a rocky granite slope up to Snow Lake. Then lake is in a beautiful alpine setting. Looking at the views from the lake, we spotted The Temple to the north, 8,292 feet tall and McClellan Peak to the south at 8,364 feet tall.

The fun part comes when you have to cross a spillway. The water flows anywhere from 2 to 6 inches deep over the spillway during snowmelt and there are small logs in the way too.  The spillway is about 2 feet wide and drops off about 6 feet on the downstream side.

I went first with my hiking boots and gaiters, just getting my feet a little damp. Drew and Zach crossed in running shoes and Bob crossed over barefoot. We got across safely but it took a while for their feet to warm up.

Upper Snow Lake is drained throughout the summer to provide water for the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery and was constructed in the 1930’s.

From the spillway, we continued along the lake, gaining 15 or 20 feet, and then dropping back down to the lake. Parts of the trail are boggy but most of those spots have old logs that you can walk across. Most all of the designated camp spots were taken but we were lucky and found two nice spots at the west end of the lake. We took the very last spot with a great view of the lake. The mountains here are spectacular and the creek feeding the lake has emerald green water. 

Today we walked 8.5 miles in 8 hours, gaining 4,510 feet and losing 647 feet. The elevation at Upper Snow Lake is 5,445 feet.

Day 2 – Snow Lake to Colchuck Lake
We knew it was going to be a long second day without a core Enchantments campsite. We got up at 5am and made oatmeal for breakfast. I had seen a mountain goat in my flashlight beam when I got up for a midnight bathroom break. The mountain goats are looking for the salt from people’s urine. The Forest Service asks that you not go on plants or the dirt because the goats will eat the plants and dig up the dirt.

After breakfast, we filtered our water from the lake, made our toilet stop without walls, and headed out.

The trail immediately starts climbing alongside of roaring Snow Creek, which is the inlet to Upper Snow Lake. The trail becomes hard to follow once you reach “The Wall”. This granite hillside is strewn with boulders and exposed bedrock. You have to use your hands in a couple of spots to pull yourself up. There are tree filled views of the lake and a thundering waterfall on the way up. At one point, the trail goes left around a huge boulder and the creek splashes onto the trail as you round the boulder. We had to hunt for the trail here, finally finding a cut log from long ago trail maintenance. Routefinding skills are needed on the section of the trail. Look for old logs with cut ends, stone cairns, and looking back to remember the trail in case you have to backtrack. Just before reaching the top is a good view of Snow Lake far below.

The trail eventually reaches the outflow from Lake Vivane. To the right are nice views down into the lake. Up above the lake on the right is a nice campsite.

The trail continues over the lake outlet and climbs above the lake. We stopped for a while to watch two young mountain goats browsing and playing. They were not afraid of us and stayed pretty near. They let us take some fantastic shots of them with the peaks for a backdrop.

The trail was hard to find with all the snow still on the ground so we followed tracks as best we could. The views of the mountains and lakes are breathtaking. Prusik Peak, at 8,000 feet, dominates the view with its lone spire of granite thrusting into the sky. Most of the lakes were thawing out but some were still completely frozen and snow covered. We saw the gentle slopes leading up to Little Annapurna but with all the snow and having a long  day we passed on climbing it. We had to consult the GPS several times to stay on course.

We only saw two guys doing a day hike and a group of six asking us which way to Snow Lake. The trail became obscured with snow much of the time but we did see cairns through most parts of the trail. The sky had dark clouds gathering in front of us and we hoped there wouldn’t be a thunderstorm. We reached the pass about 2PM and Zach and Drew headed right on down. Bob and I stayed at the pass to marvel at the eye-popping views. Aasgard Pass is flanked by two nearly identical spires of towering rock. It reminded me of being in a marble cathedral. Being at the top of the pass is a singularly beautiful view.

A mountain goat hung around for a while then ran over to where I had gone to the bathroom. Bob was afraid the goat would push me out of the way. We took some more mountain goat pictures and finally headed down from Aasgard Pass. My daughter tells me it means place of the Gods and at 7,800 feet high, you can easily feel like you’ve accomplished more than most mere mortals.

We finally headed down what looks like a steep trail but soon turns into a loose-rock descent. There are places where you have to face the mountain and down climb several feet, then look for cairns and continue down. The trail heads off to the right as you go down and passes under towering cliffs of dark granite.

We stopped on the way down to watch a pika. I got a couple of pictures of it but it soon disappeared before I could get closer.

About 2/3 of the way down to Colchuck Lake, the trail changes to boulder-hopping. The rocks vary from car sized to cinder-block sized and they aren’t all stable.

Once down to the lake the trail is close to the lake for the first part, then the trail turns back into boulder hopping.

Crossing a small stream the trail vaguely reappears to the right. Going upstream is a dead end. It is a bit of a scramble to get up to the trail and it isn’t much of a trail. It goes up and down along the west shore of Colchuck Lake. There were some muddy spots in the trail because of the late snows, which made plenty of places for mosquitoes to breed.

We were dog tired after being on the trail for 10 ½ hours and w found a great campsite overlooking the lake.

We got situated and made dinner and relaxed for a bit. We were tired and went to bed early and decided to get up at 7AM the next day.

The totals for the day were 6.6 miles in 10.5 hours, gaining 2,950 feet and losing 3,100 feet. The elevation at Colchuck Lake is 5,570 feet.

Day 3 – July 19th
Bob saw a mountain goat when he went to the bathroom last night. Rain started coming down before we were fully awake. It was a steady rain which made us all want to stay in our tents as long as possible. I listened to the patter on the fly and fell back asleep. I woke up just after 7:30 and it was still raining. Good think I didn’t choose a low spot to pitch my tent.

I put off getting out of my bag for another 20 minutes. Today’s trip is short, only 4.5 miles of down, the up to reach Lake Stuart.

We all got out of our tents into the rain at about the same time. It was a pretty quiet breakfast; rain in the morning is never a good start to the day. We heated water in the rain to use o make our breakfasts, then packed up our wet tents. Just as we were packing up our tents the rain slacked off for a while.

The trail goes along the lake over pillows of granite then dropped down away from Colchuck Lake. The eroded trail had roots and areas of washouts made easy places to slip and trip.

The trail crossed Mountaineer creek on a nice 2 log bridge with railings, then met the junction to Lake Stuart Trail, a short time later. The first part of this trail is a nice trail through the forest. The trail passes close to some marshes then begins climbing. As the trail nears the lake it passes through avalanche areas. You can see some of the trees bent away from the mountain slope. The mosquitoes are very persistent along this part of the trail as well as at the lake. After the meadows, the trail reenters the woods, goes up one more set of switchbacks, and passes a waterfall on the left.

We made it to the lake about 12:30PM and found a beautiful lakeside camp. The rain had stopped about halfway through our hike and we put up our wet tents so the stiff wind would dry them out. We hung around camp watching the low clouds get caught on the mountains and stayed under the trees to stay dry when the sporadic showers blew by. It was a great time to kick back and take an afternoon nap.

The breeze kept the mosquitoes away but it wouldn’t clear the skies. There were a couple of chipmunks in camp and one of them started to chew on Zach’s food bag. Most of our food was in bean cans so we chased the critter away and put the food into our bear cans.

There was half-rotted tree trunk that we could use as a counter to fix our dinner and after dinner we started talking about having pizza after the trip. A long, cold wind sent us to our tents for the night. 

The GPS information for day 3 was a gain of 953 feet and a loss of 1,563 feet over 4.2 miles. It only took us 3 hours backpacking to get to Lake Stuart from Colchuck Lake.

Day 4 – July 20th
The wind died overnight and the clouds were thinning when we woke. Some squirrels chirped at us and I guess the little chipmunks had moved on. There wasn’t much discussion about day hiking to Horseshoe Lake, with Zach’s legs hurting we were headed out. As we left the lake I took a few last pictures of Lake Stuart.

The trail is in good shape for the most part but there are rocky, eroded sections on steeper parts of the trail. I thought it interesting how the mind plays tricks on you. Coming in I didn’t remember much downhill at all but going out I sure noticed the uphill sections.

We made it back to the Colchuck Lake Trail junction in a little under an hour. We went back to the bridge over Mountaineer Creek and took some pictures, now that the weather was sunny. It wasn’t long before Zach caught up and we headed on down the trail.

The trail drops at a steady rate to the Lake Stuart Trailhead. The trail goes along Mountaineer Creek and makes a short, sharp switchback down to a log crossing over the creek. The switchback is easy to miss because the horse trail goes straight along the creek. People have put branches across the horse trail but some people don’t recognize the indications and proceed down the horse trail. This trail leads to a creek fording but no bridge. In the early season the creek looks to be about thigh deep and moving fast.

Once over the log bridge the trail mainly goes down with some short uphill sections. Look for the horse ford sign on the right side of the trail and take a short walk to the horse ford. This is a very picturesque view of the creek rushing down the mountain.

I met Drew, who had dropped his pack and was going back up the trail to help Zach with his pack. It wasn’t long before I met Bob, who was sitting next to Drew’s pack. I thought Drew had made it out to the trailhead to drop off his pack, but it was still about another .5 mile away. I told Bob we should carry Drew’s pack to the trailhead so I game my trekking poles to Bob and I hoisted Drew’s pack on top of mine.

Bob suggested suspending Drew’s pack from the trekking poles so after Bob took a turn carrying the pack we took a rest break and threaded our 4 poles through the pack straps and wend down the trail with the pack between us.

We went this way the rest of the way to the trailhead. Just before we got to the trailhead Zach caught up with us with his pack on. He must have been on the section of trail to the horse ford and Drew passed him.

I dropped my pack and headed back to find Drew. It wasn’t long before I met him coming back out. He had gone all the way back to the junction with the Colchuck and Lake Stuart trail looking for Zach.

Drew was worried because he didn’t find Zach and then his backpack was gone. Looking back on it, I should have left Drew a note about taking his pack.

This was a short day with plenty of time to get back to town. 

Totals for our last day were 4.8 miles with an elevation loss of 1,600 feet and a gain of 200 feet taking about 3 hours to go from Lake Stuart to the Lake Stuart Trailhead.

Once we were joined back up we decided to call it a day and had back to Leavenworth. On the way down the road, we saw two women that we had talked with back on the trail. Their car was back at the Snow Lakes Trailhead and w had offered them a ride. We stopped and got all of us and all of our gear loaded and drove back to our starting point. The two women had stayed at Lake Vivane two nights ago and had hiked through Aasgard Pass on the bad weather day. They had even been snowed on near Aasgard Pass.

We introduced ourselves and dropped Matina and Cara off at their car. They said they would email Drew about more hiking opportunities.

We headed back to Leavenworth, got a campsite at the local KOA for the night, and went to the Ranger Station for more information. The woman at the station told us that they were no longer allowing trips like the one we just took. You now must have a core Enchantments permit to through camp. You also can’t just get permits adjacent to the core Enchantments within a 2-week window.

This was a great trip with Bob, Zach, and Drew. It was Zach’s first time using crampons and going down a steep slope, Aasgard Pass.

I can hardly wait to take this trip when the lakes have melted out. Maybe next year.
 
Enjoy the photos!!

Gallery Pics

Switchback Steve

Notice: 3/27/12 - This trail is posted with a sign referring to 36 CFR 261.9. Here is the link for that regulation which refers to property damage and entering structures.

Vicinity Location: The trailhead is 27 miles east of Portland, OR in the Columbia River Gorge.

Directions:
From Portland, take I-205 north past the airport and cross the Columbia River. Get into the right hand lane and take the exit for Camas. Drive about 28 miles. The trailhead is .9 mile past milepost 28. It is an unsigned parking area just past the Prindle highway maintenance building on the left side of Highway 14.

There are no bathrooms or water at the trailhead.

Length and Elevation:
12 miles roundtrip. Elevation gain 2,800 and loss 900 to the turnaround at the powerline,  total 7,400 feet in elevation change. Elevation at the trailhead is 150 feet.

Trail:
Cruzatt Rim Trail

There is at least one geocache along this trail at: N 45° 34.305 W 122° 11.875. Info at Geocaching.com

Trail Maps:
Topo Map, Download Garmin .gpx file

Review: June 12, 2011 

Vicinity Location: About 63 miles east of Portland, OR.

After July 1, 2011 a State of Washington Discover Pass is required for parking.

From the north end of the parking lot, follow the jeep road northeast for a short distance. The jeep trail dips down past some electric meters and to a gravel path off to the right leading to a viewpoint of the Palouse River and the Upper Palouse Falls. Head back to the main jeep trail and continue heading north to the end of the jeep trail. Find the trail through a narrow defile leading down to the trail tracks.

Turn to the right, walking north for about two to three hundred feet. Follow along the shoulder of the tracks, watching for fast-moving trains, to pick up the trail at the top of a switchback.

Follow the rock and gravel path leading down to a meadow and to the upper falls of Palouse River. Of course this is rattlesnake and poison oak country so take the appropriate precautions.

It is a pretty easy walk along the Palouse River to the overlook of Palouse Falls. There are no railings so there are several places where one misstep could result in falling off the trail and being swept downriver over the falls, or just plain falling down the falls to certain death.

At the viewpoint above the falls are some interestingly shaped fingers of basalt with splotches of orange and green lichen growing on them. This formation is called Castle Rock. Looking at the falls, the river usually runs brown because of the erosion from the surrounding farmland colors the river brown.

Palouse Falls plunges over a basalt cliff and down to the riverbed 120 feet below the overlook. The falls make a constant mist in the spring and it is easy to spot a rainbow on a sunny day.

On the trip back, at the beginning of the jeep trail, take the trail to the left and walk along the edge of the sheer basalt cliffs above the river.

For more views of the falls, walk to the south end of the parking lot and follow the paved path to the Fryxell Overlook in honor of Roland Fryxell who discovered bones and artifacts nearby which were proven to be 10 to 12 thousand years old. This was much older than any other discovered skeletal remains found anywhere in the western hemisphere.

Enjoy the photos!!

Gallery Pics

Switchback Steve

Review: March 6th, 2011
From the visitors center, walk east, downhill, to the southeast end of the parking lot. Climb up the snow berm and follow Paradise Valley Road downhill for 1.9 miles.   At the junction turn left on the Mazama Ridge Trail and go uphill about .4 mile.

At the junction for the Mazama Ridge Trail, keep right to go down the ridge to Reflection Lakes. The trail that continues up Mazama Ridge is unmarked and is sometimes has no track.

Vicinity Location:
About 30 miles west of Portland, OR.

Directions:
From Portland, take Highway 26 west for about 20 miles. Continue on Highway 26, past the exit for Hwy 6.

Continue on Highway 26 for several miles from the junction Hwy 26 and Hwy 6. Turn left onto NW Timber Road and drive 3.1 miles to the community of Timber. Turn right onto Cochran Road and drive 2.5 miles. The first .5 mile is paved and the other 2 miles is dirt road. Drive about .1 mile past Reehers Campground and turn left into the day use area.

No permits are required.

There is an outhouse at the trailhead.

Trail:
Gales Creek Trail, Step Creek Trail with connections to Triple C Trail.

There is at least one geocache for this trail at: N 45° 36.881 W 123° 22.985 Info at Geocaching.com

Trail Maps:
Topo Map, State of Oregon Map (6.89mb), Download Garmin .gpx file


Length and Elevation:
5.2 miles round trip. Elevation gain of 440 feet and loss of 195 feet to Rice Road. Elevation at the trailhead is 1,140 feet. Elevation at Rice Road is 1,385 feet.
 
Review: January 29, 2011
The trail starts at the Gales Creek Trailhead and heads downhill on a wide, well drained trail. After a short distance you come to a road and the trail goes over Gales Creek and off to the left. After about .2 mile the trail crosses a small stream on a footbridge and winds gently uphill through the forest. You can see this is a coastal rainforest because all the horizontal branches have moss covering the bark in a thick green carpet.

A mottled green blanket of mosses and ferns cover the ground along the trail. Continuing climbs through the woods for about .2 mile and crosses a seldom used railroad track. The trail climbs for another .2 mile to JCTR at N 45° 42.034’, W 123° 20.677’. The right fork of this unsigned junction leads out to a logging road. Make a left at this junction and continue along the trail. The trail will come out to a logging road in about .1 mile. Turn right and walk about 50 feet to find where the trail continues across the road. The trail may be obscured by downed trees over the trail.

It doesn’t take long before the trail starts switchbacking down towards Step Creek and comes out to an abandoned logging road. These switchbacks are probably have the gentlest grade of any switchbacks I’ve ever been on.  Turn left onto the abandoned road and head downhill along a small creek.  The trail follows the old road for about .25 mile before looping back to cross over the small creek on a nicely built wooden bridge.

You can take a side trip to a large meadow near the turn-around point at waypoint MDWS at N 45° 41.393’, W 123° 20.068’. You’ll know the spot because it is just as you turn right and head away from Step Creek. Make your way left through the semi-open forest to the lower edge of the meadow. This meadow is the headwoater for Step Creek and is quite muddy in the winter.

Continue up the trail about 750 feet farther to Rice Road. From here, retrace your path back along the trail to JCSTC. At this point an old trail continues along Step Creek down to the railroad tracks. You can choose to follow this trail down to the tracks or continue back along the trail.  If you follow this old trail then you will need to make a left at the railroad tracks and walk back to where you first crossed the tracks. From the trail crossing, turn right and follow the trail back to the trailhead.

Follow a trail and old logging roads through verdant forests. This trail is a pleasant walk through the woods and along Step Creek.

Enjoy the photos!

Gallery Pics - future

Switchback Steve

Enjoy the photos!

Gallery Pics

Switchback Steve

Notice: 4/14/12 - There is significant downfall and damage to the lower portion of Starvation Ridge and Mt. Defiance Trails. One small section of the Mt. Defiance Trail has slid away. Consider not hiking this trail for the next few months.

Vicinity Location:
About 50 miles east of Portland, Oregon

Directions:
From Portland, Oregon, take I-84 east for about 50 miles, drive past the town of Cascade Locks, and take exit #55 – Starvation Creek Trailhead – Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.

The exit leads right into the parking lot next to the freeway.

To return to Portland, continue east on the freeway for 1 mile and take exit 56 for Viento State Park. Turn left to drive under I-84 and turn left again to the westbound on-ramp for I-84 back to Portland.

From Hood River, Oregon, Turn Left to take ramp onto I-84 West towards Portland and drive about 12.7 miles to exit 51. Take exit #51 for Wyeth.

Make a U-turn by driving about .2 mile and turn left under the freeway on Wyeth Road then turn left onto the ramp for I-84 East. Drive back towards Hood River for 3.8 miles. Take exit #55 for the Starvation Creek Trailhead and the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.

The exit leads right into the parking lot next to the freeway.

To return to Portland, continue east on the freeway for 1 mile and take exit 56 for Viento State Park. Turn left to drive under I-84 and turn left again to the westbound on-ramp for I-84 back to Portland.

No permits are required to park at the trailhead.

Restroom facilities and drinking water are available at the trailhead.

Length and Elevation:
19.0 miles roundtrip. Trailhead elevation: 115 feet.  
Starvation Ridge Trail - Long and steep. Elevation: 3,920 feet gain, 100 feet loss. Highest point 3,820 feet. Mt. Defiance Trail from Mitchell Point Trail 1,210 feet gain, 90 feet loss to summit.

Mt. Defiance Trail descent - Longer and steep. 4,900 feet of elevation loss, 50 feet of elevation gain.
Total loop - 5,150 feet gain and 5,150 feet loss.

Trail:
Starvation Ridge Cutoff Trail #414B, Starvation Ridge Trail #414, Mitchell Point Trail, Mt. Defiance Trail #413, Mt. Defiance Cutoff Trail #413B, with connections to the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, Warren Lake Trail #417A, and Bear Lake Trail #413.

There is at least one geocache for this trail at: N 45° 38.865 W 121° 43.405 Info at Geocaching.com 

Trail Maps:
Topo Map, Download Garmin .gpx file

Review: October 20, 2010, April 14, 2012
The trailhead is at the west end of the parking area and goes west. The trail adjoins the shoulder of the freeway for about .2 mile. At .25 mile west of the trailhead is the trail for Starvation Ridge Cutoff Trail #414B. The trail goes sharply to the left and steeply uphill. Take this left and begin the long climb away from the noisy highway up Starvation Ridge. The trail is well maintained and the basalt rock base provides good traction in wet weather.

The trail climbs quickly up to a slight viewpoint of the Gorge, then steeply switchbacks up the end of Starvation Ridge through the forest about .6 mile to the junction of Starvation Ridge Trail #414. Turn left and continue up the Starvation Ridge Trail. The trail is in a Douglas Fir forest mixes with maples and Vine Maples. The ground cover mainly consists of Sword Fern, Oregon Grape, and mosses. The terrain here is rocky with a thin layer of topsoil and the drier climate helps to keep the underbrush sparse. Coming up the trail you hear Cabin Creek but the sound of the stream quickly fades as the trail makes for the ridge.

The trail soon climbs to a very nice overlook at the edge of the ridge at the top of steep cliffs. A trip here would be fatal.

About .25 mile after the viewpoint the trail comes into an area cleared for the overhead powerlines. Continue steeply switchbacking up the west side of Starvation Ridge climbing beneath powerlines. After reaching the crest of the ridge, walk out to the jutting ridge. From here there are great views to the east and west. Continue back under the powerlines and head directly up the spine of Starvation Ridge.

After climbing uphill for about a mile, the ridge flattens out for about .2 mile before resuming the upward struggle to the top. Climbing relentlessly to the 2 mile point, along the ridge towards Warren Lake. Waypoint VP2 gives an excellent view looking west to North Bonnevile, the Columbia River, and beyond. At about 2.25 miles the trail moves to the east side of Starvation Ridge the trail starts switchbacking up the edge of an old talus field providing views of the Viento Ridge to the east and out into the Gorge. There are a couple of places along the trail where you can see Mt. Adams clearly through breaks in the trees.

It is a long 3 miles to where the trail finally starts dropping down to Warren Lake. It is uphill almost all the way with a gain of almost 3,800 feet from the trailhead. No the trail gently goes downhill to the junction to Warren Lake. You can see into the Gorge through the trees from the ridge top.

Walk along the needle-covered trail for about .5 mile to Waypoint JCMPT which is the junction of Warren Lake Trailhead #417A and Mitchell Point Trail. Going to the left leads to Forest Road 2821 in .25 mile.

Just before Warren Lake is a campsite on the left. There is a trail that goes from the campsite to the east shore of Warren Lake. Right next to the lake is a small flat area where you can sit and enjoy the lake. From the campsite the trail continues down to  Warren Lake. You can see that the lake is shallow most all the way across.

The trail goes along Warren Lake for a short distance, then goes off into the woods uphill to the right. Follow the trail through the woods to where it crosses through a small boulder field, climbing about 20 feet, then reentering the woods. As the trail heads straight up the hill into the woods, look back and catch a list view of Warren Lake.

The trail soon crosses a small talus slope and swithbacks up the slope and back into the woods. This section of the trail is less used than other trails and is sketchy at times. The trail will be very difficult to find whenever there is more than 6 inches of snowcover. You will need a GPS with waypoints or excellent map and compass skills whenever there is a snowpack present.

Waypoint JMPT is the junction of the Mitchell Point Trail and the Mt. Defiance Trail. Take a left at this junction and continue uphill towards Mt. Defiance. At waypoint JCMD there are two small rock cairns marking this trail junction. The right fork of this trail is the return trail from Mt. Defiance. Continue straight ahead at this junction and go up the trail. After more uphill walking on the rocky trail, cross a jeep road, looking across and a little to the right for where the trail continues back into the woods. The trial comes out to the jeep trail farther up the hill and look across the road and uphill and you’ll see where the trail reenters the woods. You are so close that if there are any people working on the towers you’ll be able to hear their voices.

The Mt. Defiance Trail comes out by where the north guyline from one of the towers is anchored. There is a faded sign on a tree marking the trail. From the antenna field, take a small waytrail to the west that leads to some boulders. Climbing to the top of the rocks gives views of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier. The trees are slowly encroaching on the views as the years go by.

At Waypoint MDLP, head downhill from Mt. Defiance. This waypoint is on the south side of Mt. Defiance and the trail  was not signed at the time of this review. The trail begins to curve to the right as it heads downhill. Pass a false junction in the talus and in about .2 mile there is a junction for Beak Lake on the talus field, turn right at the broken-down sign and continue on a general contour of Mt. Defiance across the talus and rock fields. This part of the trail has spectacular views of Mt. Hood. The trail continues to flank Mt. Defiance and heads towards the Columbia River Gorge. A short distance farther continues across the talus slope and the green waters of Bear Lake come into view far below.

The trail briefly enters the trees and continues pass junipers and other tough alpine plants growing among the rocks. After Bear Lake there is a great view of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier in the distance. Looking down you can see the dome of Wind Mountain far below on the Washington side of the Gorge.

The trail passes another viewpoint of Mt. Adams, Rainier, and St. Helens before reentering the woods. Continuing along the trial there will be an opening along the left, marked as VP7. it leads to an incredible 180 degree panorama of the Gorge and the mountains to the north as well as the Columbia River and the town of White Salmon. Stop awhile to admire the view, then continue towards the Mt. Defiance Trail junction.
About .2 mile after the viewpoint is the junction with the two small rock cairns. Turn left and head down the Mt. Defiance Trail and in about .3  mile is the junction for the Mitchell Point Trail towards Warren Lake. It is marked by a fairly large stone cairn and faded trail sign. Help a little with the trail and add a stone to the cairn as you walk by. Continue straight ahead along the Mt. Defiance Trail to another nice viewpoint opening to the north and east. There are a few cairns along this section of trail. This trail winds along a rocky slope and will disappear quickly under just a few inches of snow.

As the Mt. Defiance trail drops rapidly it becomes less rocky in sections and is softly covered under a layer of fir and hemlock needles, passing from the Mark Hatfield Wilderness into the Mt. Hood National Forest. The walk is pleasant and the forest is fairly open along this section of trail and going downhill makes the walking easier.

The alternates between forest duff and rocks for the next couple of miles and finally reaches a flat spot at about the 2,300 foot elevation to provide your feet some for your feet. This mostly level section lasts about .3 mile before dropping off the ridge. Waypoint FLT1 marks the flat area and a grove of beautiful Vine Maple which forms a canopy over your head and it is especially nice in the fall when the leaves are just turning yellow.
Soon the trail descends countless switchbacks, passes a viewpoint of Wind Mountain and the Columbia River, and continues down the switchbacks.

After walking along the powerlines for about .3 mile, the trail passes Wonder Creek and Lancaster Falls which cascades over the rocks. This point is less than a mile from the trailhead and the elevation is about 250 feet and only about 100 feet of elevation to lose before returning to the trailhead.

Just after the waterfall is JCSTA, the junction for the Starvation Ridge Trail. Continue towards the trailhead because you don’t want to walk this trail twice in one day.

Soon the trail comes to Hole-in-the-wall falls and crosses the stream over a nice wood bridge. The highway sounds are pretty loud here and at last you come to tiny Cabin Creek Falls. It is barely noticeable next to a giant basalt plug along the freeway.

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Switchback Steve

Check out the Gallery for Drew's pictures of this hike. It was a kick butt workout. Click to get into the Gallery. Mt. Defiance or see it here on Local Hikes:LocalHikes/Mt. Defiance

It would be a good idea to avoid this trail on rainy days. The steep sections get a little slippery. The meadows have wonderful wildflower displays in early July and the open areal afford expansiver views of the mountain peaks of the area. This trail was created and is maintained by the Chinook Trail Association of Vancouver, WA.

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Switchback Steve

Seasonally there are outhouses at the trailhead.

The parking area is large enough to accommodate a lot of cars.

A Northwest Forest Park permit is required at the trailhead.

Length and Elevation: 
11.5 miles round trip. Elevation at the trailhead is 4,450 feet. Elevation gain is about 820 feet and the loss is 210 feet to the shelter at Elk Meadows. Total gain is 2,736 and loss is 242 feet.  Total gain and loss is 4,975 feet. Elevation of Lamberson Butte is 6,633 feet. High point is about 6,950 feet.

Trail: Elk Meadows Trail #645, Gnarl Ridge Tie Trail #652A, Gnarl Ridge Trail #652, Timberline Trail #600, Newton Creek Trail #646. Connections to Umbrella Falls Trail #667, Bluegrass Ridge Trail #647, Bluegrass Ridge Tie Trail #647B

There are no known geocaches along this trail at the time of this review.

Trail Maps: National Forest Service Map, Topo Map, Download Garmin .gpx file

Review: August 21, 2010
This trail becomes dusty during dry periods because of the fine volcanic soil. The first mile of this trail is relatively flat as you make your way towards Newton Creek. At .4 mile from the trailhead is a trail junction for Umbrella Falls. Continue straight ahead and cross Clark Creek on a large log bridge.

The trail next crosses a few small creeks, and continue straight at the junction of Newton Creek Trail. The bridge across Newton Creek washed out several years ago but there is usually a makeshift bridge across the creek. At the time of this review there is a 12 inch wide log to cross on. The log is just above the creek so any flooding will wash away the bridge.

Once across Newton Creek, find where the trail enters the woods again and the tread becomes covered in a thin layer of forest debris which eliminates the dust. The trail immediately starts switchbacking up the ridge on the north side of the creek.

The switchbacks don’t last very long and you reach the plateau, walk through the forest for a bit and 1.75 miles from the trailhead you come to a 4-way junction with the Bluegrass Ridge Trail, #647 that goes towards Elk Mountain and the Gnarl Ridge Trail on the left. Continue straight ahead and continue to Elk Meadows.

At 1.9 miles is the trail junction for the Elk Meadows Perimiter Trail. #645. Turn right towards Pollallie Campground and follow the perimeter trail towards Elk Meadows. Following around the edge of the meadows you come to Bluegrass Ridge Tie Trail #647B at 2.4 miles from the trailhead. Turn left here and continue following the mostly level trail around Elk Meadows.

Elk Meadows is marshy along the edges where the mosquitoes like to breed but it also affords great views of Mt. Hood. At just over 2.5 miles is a trail junction to Polallie Campground, waypoint JVPOL. Turn left at this trail junction, heading back into Elk Meadows along a small stream.

The next junction is for the Elk Meadows Shelter. Go straight and walk about .1 mile, over a stream, and reach the shelter. The shelter is a wooden structure covered in cedar shakes. The 3-sided adirondak is slowly falling apart. You can see the nails pulling out of the roof and the shakes coming off the sided. The roof is mostly waterproof and there is a dirt floor with a firepit out front. The best time to see the lupines flowering at Elk Meadows would be in July. The meadows contain masses of lupines and the must look spectacular in full bloom.

Walk back to the trail junction and make a left to continue walking around the perimeter of Elk Meadows. As you cross the stream again there one more small campsite. The trail continues to skirt the meadow in the woods. Walking through the woods for the next .3 mile, look for underground streams along the trail. Looking into the holes you can see the water flowing down in the ground. Be careful not to fall in.

At 3.1 miles from the trailhead is the junction for the Gnarl Ridge Trail #652 and the continuation of the Elk Meadows Perimeter trail. Turn right and take the trail up Knal Ridge. The trail climbs fairly gently at first from Elk Meadows, then more steeply as you come onto the ridge.

At 3.5 miles from the trailhead there are some glimpses of Mt. Hood through the trees. Then in another .2 mile is the junction with the Gnarl Ridge Trail. From here you continue uphill on the trail through the volcanic soil. There still are no rocks in the trail but you can tell from the vegetation that the soil dries out quickly and doesn’t support nearly as much undergrowth as along Elk Meadows. The trees here are mainly Hemlock and Silver Fir.

Where the Gnarl Ridge trail ends at the junction with the Timberline Trail, turn right and head up the dusty trail towards Cloud Cap. Once you are on the Timberline Trail the forest opens up more as you gain elevation because the trees can’t survive the harsh winters. The lupine is changing too. It isn’t as tall as the lupine in Elk Meadows and it blooms later because of the altitude.

The Timberline Trail lazily switchbacks up through open, shady forests and small open meadows with Lupines as the trail climbs along the side of Lamberson Butte. If you take the trail early in the morning you will see deer and elk tracks from the previous night.

At about 4.9 miles the trail comes out of the woods to nice views to the east of Mt. Adams and you can see where the Gnarl Ridge fire burned in 2008.

Also you can see the dry plains of the Columbia Plateau. In a short distance a better view of Mt. Hood appears. After about 5.25 miles only dwarf trees or krumholtz can grou and you come out on a rocky ridge overlooking Newton Creek. From here you have unobstructed views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson.

When the trail comes out of the trees and comes out onto a sandy ridge and you can see a deep canyon off to your left then Lamberson Butte is just behind you on your left. Lamberson Butte is the point of rock behind you.

You can climb partway up Lamberson Butte and there is a nice place to sit and enjoy the panoramic views and the sounds of Newton Creek rushing through the valley below. You could climb up farther to the top of the butte for views of Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier.

If you would like to see a small waterfall you continue up the trail another .25 mile to some snowfields or hike up to Cloud Cap, another few miles away.

On the way back down, enjoy the panoramic views into Eastern Oregon as Mt. Hood becomes obscured by the trees. You’ll find it is much easier hiking down the trail then up. The trail soon becomes less rocky and easier to navigate.

If you’re not bringing a dog, bear right at the junction of the Gnarl Ridge Trail and the Timberline Trail and continue down the Timberline Trail. If you have a dog it is highly recommended that you follow the Gnarl Ridge Trail all the way down to Elk Meadows Trail, then turn right and retrace your way back to the trailhead.

If you choose to continue down the Timberline Trail then be sure to look up from the trail to see Mt. Hood rising above you. In the distance you can hear the waters of Newton Creek.

The trail passes underneath a rocky outcrop as you continue walking towards Mt. Hood. As you approach Newton Creek, the trail climbs about 50 feet up to the streambed. From the floodplain you are treated to wildflowers and a great view of Mt. Hood.

Follow the rock cairns to the stream crossing and once across the stream you have to use your hands to pull yourself up the steep bank on the far side. There is no way to carry a pet up or down this slope at this point of the trail. The trail picks back up on the far side of Newton Creek, a little downstream from where you cross Newton Creek. There are usually some logs to cross over Newton Creek but any high water will easily wash them away. Newton Creek is very dangerous to cross in times of high water.

From the crossing, the trail heads uphill past a lovely spring. The spring is just a couple of hundred feet away from Newton Creek. The water almost gushes out of the ground and is a great place to fill up on water without needing to filter the water.

Once across Newton Creek and past the spring the trail climbs up a couple switchbacks and meets the junction for the Newton Creek Trail #646. Go left here, leaving the Timberline Trail and follow the trail down to the  Elk Meadows Trail. Look back for the last glimpses of Mt. Hood.

The trail follows a lateral moraine along Newton Creek. Lateral moraines are from when the glaciers that were once here deposited dirt and rocks along the edge of the glacier as the glacier flowed down the valley. Parts of this moraine are eroding into Newton Creek and in a couple of places the trail is about to be eroded by Newton Creek so take some care crossing these exposed area. There are a few more viewpoint of Mt. Hood back through the trees.

Traveling along the Newton Creek Trail the dry moraine soil suddenly changes to forested terrain. From here the trail descends a little more gently and the sounds of Newton Creek return. Small sections of this trail have been rebuilt after Newton Creek has washed away the trail and continues to undercut the bank in places. It is only a matter of time before more portions of the trail wash away. Be very cautious in these sections because the bank is unstable from the creek undercutting the bank.

Make sure children and pets stay away from the edge lest they get too close and the edge breaks off and plunges them 15 feet to the streambed below.

After walking along the trail, turn right at the Elk Meadow trail and walk on the fairly level trail back to the trailhead. The hard work is all done and you can enjoy your walk back over Clark Creek and back to the car.

The trail is well maintained and most all the deadfall has been cleared off the trail and there isn’t much brush along the trail.

Elk Meadows and the Gnarl Ridge Trail are fine for children and pets, as long as there is a log crossing over Newton Creek. The Newton Creek Trail has hazardous places for Children and pets.

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Switchback Steve

Continue to walking along the creek and underneath the Thurman Street Bridge, back to the Lower Macleay Trailhead

Since this park is in an urban area, take considerable thought before venturing off-trail. Law authorities occasionally find marijuana plants being cultivated in the park. People who cultivate these illegal plants can be very protective of their plot and don’t take kindly to people stumbling upon their crops. About 100 plants were seized in October, 2007.

Overall this is a great trail for a cloudy day and very child-friendly. There are some steep hillsides but no cliffs along the downhill side of the trail. All the unleashed dogs I saw were out for a romp and not interested in other people.

Enjoy the photos!!

Gallery Pics

Switchback Steve