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 | | Dayhikes: Ramona Falls, OR
Thursday, November 03 @ 08:33:42 PDT by Drew (1225 reads) |  Vicinity Location:
The trailhead is about 42 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 4.2 miles and turn right onto a paved road, just a little past the end of the road maintenance sign.
About 4.9 miles from Hwy 26, turn right and cross over the Sandy River. At about 5.3 miles is a brown road sign. Continue straight, towards the Ramona Falls Trailhead, passing the junction on the right.
At 6.6 miles is another junction and sign for the Ramona Falls Trailhead. Turn left at the junction with Forest Service Road 1825 and continue on the single lane paved road.
The road leads to a large gravel parking area. The trailhead is on the right side of the parking area.
A wilderness permit is required. The free self-registration for a wilderness permit is about 200 feet from the trailhead along the trail.
No bathrooms are available. Bathrooms may be available in the summer.
A Northwest Forest Park permit is required to park here.
The access road to this road is closed during the winter.
Length and Elevation:
7 miles roundtrip, elevation gain 1,000 feet and loss 17 feet to Ramona Falls. Total gain and loss is 2,034 feet. Trailhead elevation is 2,440 feet, Ramona Falls is at 3,423 feet.
Trail:
Ramona Falls Loop Trail #797, Timberline Trail #600 and overlapping with the Pacific Crest Trail #2000.
There is at least one geocache for this trail at: N 45° 23.215 W 121° 49.876 Info at Geocaching.com.
Trail Maps:
Topo Map
History:
January 16th and 17th, 2011, the pineapple express dropped over 9 inches of rain on Mt. Hood. The rain melted snow and flooded down the Sandy River. The river tore at the banks washing away rocks, trees, roads, and bridges. The river crested at 22 feet, almost 4 feet past flood stage and washed out part of Lolo Pass Road. The Sandy River also washed out access to this trailhead in November of 2006. 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. After walking along the river, the trail comes to a crossing of the Sandy River. The old bridge has been washed out and now there is a seasonal bridge which is removed in the late fall. In 2011 there were a couple of downed trees that could be used for crossing the stream. Au-natural log crossings become dangerous after the tree has been dead a couple of years because the bark can suddenly, and without warning, slough off when you walk across the log. If the seasonal bridge is gone, the logs are gone, or crossing on the logs is too dangerous, then the creek is about a knee-deep ford. You can’t see the bottom of the stream because of the glacial silt. Continue upstream about .25 mile to the junction of Ramona Falls Loop and the Pacific Crest Trail. Turn left at this junction and continue up the trial. The trail to the right is the return trail. After walking about .5 mile through the pleasant forest, over Ramona Creek, and along the gently rolling landscape, you come to another junction, JCRF1, on the Ramona Falls Trail. Turn right and walk past a horse gate, a fence built to stop horses, and continue just a few hundred feet farther along, to another trail junction. A small trail leads off to the left to a hiker bridge over the Muddy Fork of the Sandy River and then to the Pacific Crest Trail. From the junction, the main trail continues southeast towards Ramona Falls gaining only about 400 feet in the next mile. The trail parallels Ramona Creek for much of the next mile, crossing over the creek a couple of times. The creek may be the prettiest in the fall when the golden leaves fall along the trail and into the stream. The trail passes another junction just before Ramona Falls. Just downstream of Ramona Falls is a very nice log bridge over the creek. On the other side of the bridge is an area that has been trampled of most vegetation but is a lovely spot to watch the falling water. The 120 foot waterfall cascades down a blocky basalt cliff and the water fans out across the face of the falls. This cascading water makes a wonderful sound and with the water falling down the rocks there is a below average amount of spray from the falls which allows you to linger near the falls without getting soaked from the spray. After you’ve had your fill of Ramona Falls, continue along the trail passing through another horse gate. The forest here becomes thinner as you get farther from the stream. This section of trail passes by Rhododendron bushes. Walk generally west about .4 miles from the falls to a junction with the Timberline Trail/Pacific Crest Trail. Turn right and head downhill with the Sandy River far below. In about a mile the trail drops down to near the level of the Sandy River and trail passes over a re-routed section of trail. The river has washed away the old trail and threatens to wash away additional portions of the trail. This is another portion where undercutting creates a dangerous edge of the riverbank. Soon the trail comes back to the junction of Ramona Falls Loop and the Pacific Crest Trail. The river crossing is .25 mile down the trail. From here follow the same trail back along the Sandy River to the trailhead. This hike is an easy pleasant hike through the forest along Ramona Creek to picturesque Ramona Falls. The scenery, ease of access, and easy trail make this trail the most popular dayhike on the west side of Mt. Hood. There is a large parking lot so expect large crowds on nice weekends. Enjoy the photos!! Gallery PicsSwitchback Steve
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Dayhikes: Timberline Trail - Paradise, OR
Tuesday, September 27 @ 10:41:46 PDT by Drew (1757 reads) | 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 to Government Camp. Turn left onto the road to Timberline Lodge.
In winter, it is required to carry chains or have traction devices. The road to Timberline requires chains during much of the winter.
A wilderness permit is required. The free self-registration for a wilderness permit is about a mile north of Timberline Lodge, along the trail.
Bathrooms are available at the Wy'East Day Lodge or at Timberline Lodge.
Permits are required to park here seasonally. No parking permit is needed during the summer. A Sno-Park permit is required to park in the winter (Nov. 1st -thru- Apr. 30th).
Length and Elevation:
11 miles, Elevation gain 1,380 feet and loss 1,565 feet to Lost Creek. Gain of 1,660 and loss of 1,480 to the start of Mississippi Head, above Paradise. Total gain and loss is 2,945 feet to Lost Creek. Trailhead elevation is 5,940 feet, Paradise is at 5,600 feet.
Trail:
Timberline Trail #600 and overlapping with the Pacific Crest Trail #2000, Paradise Park Trail #778, Paradise Loop Trail #757, with connections to the Mountaineer Trail #798.
There are no geocaches along these trails.
Trail Maps:
Topo Map
Review: September 17 & 20, 2011
There are a couple of places to access the trail. A couple of hundred feet south (to the right) of the lodge is a set of stairs leading up from the parking lot which lead up to a short path to a paved service road. Follow the service road about 500 feet up to the Pacific Crest Trail and turn left onto the trail.
The trail goes along the side of the mountain, passing underneath some chairlifts, to the wilderness boundary. At the boundary fill out the wilderness permit and drop a copy in the box and put the other copy on your pack. In about .25 mile you take a switchback down to a creek that may be dry on cloudy days and flowing on sunny days. From the creek, climb back up on the shoulder of Mt. Hood and continue along the generally descending trail clockwise around the mountain.
In just under a mile the trail passes the junction for the Mountaineer Trail on the right and in a short distance is where the old Timberline Cabin, built in 1916, once stood, on the left. Only the parts of the foundation and chimney remain.
About 1.75 miles from the trailhead the trail crosses the normally dry valley but looking farther down the valley there is a spring with a creek bursting out of the ground.
About .25 more miles farther along is a nice viewpoint looking into Zigzag Canyon and up towards Mt. Hood. From the viewpoint follow the trail down along the top ridge of the valley back into the forest and through a series of switchbacks, passing trickles and small streams dropping down to the Zigzag River crossing at the bottom.
Usually this crossing is a step across but sunny days or heavy rains could make this a wading crossing. Crossing Zigzag River, look about 400 feet upstream to where the river plunges over a waterfall. You can negotiate the rocks along the bank for a closer look.
After climbing for about .5 mile from ZigZag River there is a trail junction. To the right is part of the Paradise Loop and straight ahead is the Pacific Crest Trail. Follow the Pacific Crest trail uphill.
At about 4.5 miles you come to an unsigned junction to the right. There is a viewpoint off to the left. Continue to the right for about 200 feet, dropping down a bit to the signed junction for the Paradise Park Trail 778. Follow the trail to the right uphill through meadows of flowers in the summer.
The trail climbs about .5 mile and intersects with the Paradise Loop Trail 757. From here you can continue straight up and wander around in the paradise area. The smell of a meadow full of lupines in bloom is an amazing perfume smell. You don’t notice the smell of one lupine but a meadow of thousands fills the air with their sweet scent.
From the junction of trails 778 and 757, head north, slightly uphill on the Paradise Park Trail. Walk about .25 mile to a creek crossing. This is Lost Creek and it has a beautiful backdrop of Mt. Hood.
Hop across the creek and walk just a bit farther to an area where people camp. Look about for the remains of the Paradise shelter. All that is left is a bit of the stone foundation.
Coming back, walk south on the trail and go straight when you get back to the junction of trails 778 and 757. This takes you down the Paradise Loop Trail #757. The trail drops quickly out of Paradise with a few last looks at Mt. Hood as the trail winds down past a small ravine and continues to lose elevation at a moderate rate.
The next junction reached is the Pacific Crest Trail. Turn left, back towards Timberline Lodge and continue down the switchbacks towards Zigzag Creek. As you come down into Zigzag Canyon the trail drops down a couple of switchbacks. Look for a short viewpoint trail after one of the switchbacks. The trail leads to a nice view into Zigzag Canyon.
When the wildflowers are at their peak, this is a “must” hike. This hike is great for older children because of the length of the hike and total elevation gain to Mississippi Head. There are some very steep drop offs along the trail going down into Zigzag canyon but no sheer cliffs.
Enjoy the photos!!
Gallery Pics
Switchback Steve
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Dayhikes: Falls Creek Falls, WA
Tuesday, September 27 @ 10:41:16 PDT by Drew (1574 reads) | Vicinity Location:
The trailhead is about 44 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Directions:
From Portland, Oregon, there are two ways to drive to the
trailhead. If you have an extra 30 minutes then make your trip a loop drive.
For the loop drive, take I-205 north across the Columbia River. Exit I-205 on HWY 14 east for about 28 miles through the town of Stevenson.
For the non-loop option, take I-84 east from Portland and take exit #44 for Cascade Locks.
Take the first right turn, just after you go under the Bridge of the Gods. Pay
the $1.00 toll, cross the bridge, and turn right onto Highway 14 and drive 2.5 miles to Stevenson.
Once you get to Stevenson, drive about 2 more miles east to Wind River Road. Wind River Road is 5.9 miles east of the Bridge of the Gods. Drive
on the Wind River Road for 16.5 miles. You will pass through the community
of Stabler and turning right just after the fish hatchery at Milepost 14.38.
Drive .8 mile and turn right on FR3062. There is a
brown road sign for Falls Creek. On FR3062, drive for 1.9 miles and continue straight for another .9 mile to the junction of FR3062 and 057.
For Trail 152A, turn right onto road 057. You will arrive at the trailhead for
trail 152A in .4 mile.
For Trail 152, continue straight for .3 mile and arrive at the trailhead.
Note: Forest Road 3062 is closed at mile .2 between
December 1st through April 1st.
To return, take Highway 14 west back through Stevenson, and after about 2.5 miles, turn left and cross the Columbia River at the Bridge of the Gods. The toll
for cars to cross the bridge is $1.00.
After the bridge, the road loops around and intersects Hwy 30, Cascade Locks
Hwy, near the base of the bridge. Turn left here and you will merge onto I-84
west in about ½ mile. Follow I-84 west, back to Portland.
No permits to park are required at this trailhead.
Bathrooms are available seasonally at the trailhead for Trail 152A. No
bathrooms are at the trailhead for Trail 152.
Length and Elevation:
Trail #152A: 3.4 miles roundtrip. Elevation gain 700 feet and loss of 95 feet to the falls. Total gain and loss is 1,590 feet. Elevation at the trailhead is 1,420 feet, the falls are at 2120 feet.
Trail #152: 4.4 miles roundtrip. Elevation gain 760 feet and loss of 100 feet to the falls. Total gain and loss is 1,720 feet. Elevation at the trailhead is 1,360 feet, the falls are at 2,120 feet.
Trails:
Falls Creek Trail #152, Falls Creek Trail #152A.
There is at least one geocache for this trail at: N 45° 54.636 W 121° 54.837 Info at
Geocaching.com.
Trail Maps:
Topo
Map
Review: October
9, 2011 – From
Trailhead 152 hike upstream along Falls Creek. After walking about 200 feet, there is a bridge over Falls Creek.
There are some nice views of the creek from the bridge.
Return to the trail and continue walking upstream, enjoying the sounds of the
creek and the pleasant forest. After about .5 mile you reach the junction of Trail 152A.
Continue walking upstream, straight ahead.
From Trailhead 152A, walk along the wide trail a short distance to the junction
for Trail 152, which is on your left.
Just near the junction is a place where you can walk down to the creek for
tranquil views of the stream. The trees lean out over the quiet water and the
rapids in the distance nicely accent the mossy rocks.
For the distances from Trailhead 152, add .4 mile.
From the junction of trails 152 and 152A, the trail parallels the creek about 30 feet above the streambed. There are places
along the stream where people have walked to the edge to look into the shallow
canyon.
After .3 mile from the junction the trail comes to a
suspension bridge over the creek. The bridge is suspended on thick cables
anchored into the rocks along the stream. There are nice views of the creek
from the middle of the bridge and the short span is pretty stable.
The trail continues a gentle ascent along the north bank of the stream and
there are very nice views of the creek. The trail starts climbing a little more
steeply near the falls and there are some places where the trail narrows and
slopes towards a dropoff next to the trail.
Coming around a corner the upper third of the falls comes into view and it is
interesting to notice how the view of the falls changes as you approach the
falls.
The trail comes to a viewpoint overlooking the lower part of the falls. The middle
part of the falls looks very different than the lower tier of the falls. The
lower falls is a plunge into a pool and the upper tier cascades down a rocky
cliff. The falls totals 250 feet tall and a pretty good amount of water
flows over the falls during the fall, winter, and spring.
For the more adventurous you can find a narrow waytrail that leads up from the
viewpoint, over a couple of logs, and along a precipitous trail that leads to
the base of the middle part of the falls. A slip on this narrow trail means a
tumble into the creek and a good possibility of being swept over the falls to
your death. This section is definitely not for dogs. After saying that warning,
if you choose to clamber to the base of the middle falls, it is a sensual treat
of touch, sight, and sound. There is a good place to stand and admire the power
of these falls once you negotiate the narrow waytrail.
The maintained trail is a good trail for dogs and children. The trail from
trailhead 152 to the junction with trail 152A is about the same elevation as
the creek. After the junction it is advisable to keep dogs on a leash because
of the cliffs between the trail and the creek.
Enjoy the photos!!
Gallery Pics
Switchback Steve
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Dayhikes: Observation Peak, WA
Wednesday, December 31 @ 16:00:00 PST by Drew (1414 reads) | Vicinity Location:
The trailhead is about 42 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Directions:
From Portland, Oregon, there are two ways to drive to the trailhead. If you have an extra 30 minutes then make your trip a loop drive. For the loop drive, take I-205 north across the Columbia River. Exit I-205 on HWY 14 east for about 28 miles through the town of Stevenson.
For the non-loop option, take I-84 east from Portland and take exit #44 for Cascade Locks. Take the first right turn, just after you go under the Bridge of the Gods. Pay the $1.00 toll, cross the bridge, and turn right onto Highway 14 and drive 2.5 miles to Stevenson.
Once you get to Stevenson, drive about 2 more miles east to Wind River Road. Wind River Road is 5.9 miles east of the Bridge of the Gods.
Drive on the Wind River Road for 16.5 miles. You will pass through the community of Stabler and turning right just after the fish hatchery at Milepost 14.38. At about mile 16.5 from Highway 14, turn left onto Dry Creek Road #64.
From Dry Creek Road, pass through a green gate at .2 mile. At 1.7 miles, keep straight, don’t take the road on the right. At 3 miles continue straight on the paved road.
The pavement ends at 4.1 miles. Continue straight ahead.
At 6.1 miles, go straight past a 4-way junction. At 6.6 miles, keep left and pass a small road on the right. At 7.4 miles, keep left and pass a small road on right. At 7.9 miles, keep left. At 8.1 miles is the trailhead parking area on the left.
The last couple miles of the road has areas of potholes at wide spots in the road. In summary, once on Dry Creek Road, follow the most used road, taking the main road, always choosing the main road on the left.
To return, take Highway 14 west back through Stevenson, and after about 2.5 miles, turn left and cross the Columbia River at the Bridge of the Gods. The toll for cars to cross the bridge is $1.00.
After the bridge, the road loops around and intersects Hwy 30, Cascade Locks Hwy, near the base of the bridge. Turn left here and you will merge onto I-84 west in about ½ mile. Follow I-84 west, back to Portland.
No permits to park are required at this trailhead. A free Wilderness Permit is required to be filled at the permit box.
No bathrooms are available at the trailhead.
Length and Elevation:
6 miles roundtrip from. Elevation gain 1,030 feet and loss or 400 feet to the summit. Total gain and loss is 2,860 feet. Elevation at the trailhead is 3,540 feet, the summit elevation is 4,207 feet.
Trails:
Observation Peak Trail #132, Observation Peak #132A with connections to Big Hollow Trail #158, Trapper Creek Trail #192.1 and Shortcut Trail #132B.
There are no geocaches along this trail.
Trail Maps:
Topo Map
Review: October 8, 2011 – This trailhead is the northern end of the Observation Peak Trail. From the parking area, take the trail that leads uphill into the trees. The wilderness boundary is just up the trail and you are required to fill out a free Wilderness Permit form. The trail starts in a nice forest of Douglas Fir and Hemlock and continues to climb about a mile up to Sister Rocks. The trail passes through an older second-growth forest and the forest floor has and understory of Vine Maple, Mountain Ash, Huckleberries, Bunchberries, and other plants typical of the damp forests of the Northwest.
At Sister Rocks the trail starts to lose elevation. Just past Sister Rocks, look for a trail off to the left that goes to a nice view from the face of Sister Rocks.
After hiking about 1.75 miles you come to the junction of Big Hollow Trail and Berry Camp. If you want to camp, there is a spring just a few hundred feet down the Big Hollow Trail. Please be kind and bury any human waste and toilet paper or pack out the toilet paper.
From the camp, continue on the trail, passing the Trapper Creek Trail which goes off to the right. The tree canopy is thicker here and there is less undergrowth away from the trail. The trail begins climbing gently and comes to two trail junctions close together. The first is Shortcut Trail #132B, leading off to the right, and the second is a Y junction. At the Y, the left trail is the continuation of the Observation Peak trail and the right trail is the Observation Peak #132A.
Take the trail on the right and begin the climb up to Observation Peak. The trail ascends a couple of switchbacks and passes a waytrail on the left. The waytrail leads up to a rocky point with a 180 degree view towards the east.
The Observation Peak Trail then makes a steady climb to the top of Observation Peak. There are a couple of spots where the trail is fairly steep but the sections don’t last long.
This peak was the site of a fire lookout and you may find melted pieces of glass and other items from the old lookout. There are a couple of flat areas to camp but the closest water is near Berry Camp.
On Observation Peak you can see the Carson Fish Hatchery, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, Mount St. Helens, and Mt. Rainier. On very clear days you can see Mt. Baker to the north and Mt. Jefferson in the south.
Heading back down you might find some Huckleberries to snack on. Return the way you came, or you can combine this with other trails in the area to add a loop.
This is a good trail for dogs and children as the only cliffs are along user trails to viewpoints. This is an excellent trail for barefoot hiking because most of the trail is covered with fir needles. The only rocky part of the trail leads up to Observation Creek.
Enjoy the photos!!
Gallery Pics
Switchback Steve
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Trail Recipes: Caramel Nut Log
Tuesday, September 27 @ 10:40:09 PDT by Drew (1556 reads) |  A sweet treat on the trail!
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
Servings 36 Calories 112 Calories from Fat 53 Fat 6 g Saturated Fat 3 g Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 3 mg Sodium 64 mg Total Carbohydrate 20 g Dietary Fiber 1 g Sugars 16 g Protein 1 g
Switchback Steve
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| Previous Articles | | Thursday, November 03 | | · | Ramona Falls, OR |
| Tuesday, September 27 | | · | Timberline Trail - Paradise, OR |
| · | Falls Creek Falls, WA |
| · | Caramel Nut Log |
| · | Starway, WA |
| Thursday, June 02 | | · | Goat Rocks, WA |
| · | McNeil Point via Top Spur, OR |
| · | The Enchantments, WA |
| · | Cruzatt Ridge and Pancakes Ledge, WA |
| · | Wilson River Trail - Elk Mtn - Kings Mtn, OR |
| · | Elk Mountain - Kings Mountain Loop, OR |
| · | Coyote Wall, WA |
| Monday, November 22 | | · | Palouse Falls, WA |
| · | Paradise Valley Road |
| · | Step Creek Trail, OR |
| · | University Falls Trail, OR |
| · | Central Gales Creek Trail, OR |
| · | Multnomah Falls - Horsetail Falls, OR |
| Wednesday, October 20 | | · | Mt. Defiance, OR |
| Friday, August 20 | | · | Ed's Trail, WA |
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