Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Multnomah Basin Sept 27th

Ann and I did a quick 10 mile hike to Multnomah Basin.  We started and finished at Multnomah Falls.  Great weather and not many people at the start, but met the crowds on the way back down the switchbacks.


Swag by Multnomah Creek
Swag by old Buick

Old Buick
View from lookout by Nesika Lodge

Low water in Columbia River

Looking up to Bonneville Dam

Looking up to Beacon Rock
Nesika Lodge

Nesika Lodge


Nesika Lodge out building.
Multnomah Basin Road

Multnomah Basin Road
Christmas Ornament Trail

Christmas Ornament Trail

Christmas Ornament Trail
Small falls caused by log jam.

Swag and Ann enjoying the view.
Multnomah Lodge
Highway marker

Monday, September 21, 2015

Yocum Ridge Sept 19-20 2015

Ann and I did an overnight backpack trip to Yocum Ridge on the west side of Mt Hood this last weekend.  We got a late start and didn't leave the trail head until 2:20 pm and didn't arrive up to the viewpoint until the last hour before sunset.  The first two campsites were filled, and we settled on the third site which is around the backside of the ridge, but it was still a great site.  The skies were clear overnight and into the morning on our way back.  The loop was 19.4 miles with 4,000 ft elevation gain.

Since the bridge over the Sandy River was washed away last year, you now need to cross on logs.
The section just past the Sandy is now well marked making it easier to find the trail again on the other side.

Swag enjoying a break before we began the climb that last 4 miles up Yocum Ridge

A few clouds didn't ruin the start of the Golden Hour on Mt Hood as we made it up to the upper section of Yocum Ridge.
As we made it around the backside of the ridge, the Golden Hour was in full swing.
Close up of Illumination Point.

Last light on Mt Hood from our campsite.
That is the moon behind us, not a street lamp.
Portland City Lights

Night View of Mt Hood, just enough light from the moon to capture some detail in the trees.
Looking up from campsite.  I really need to learn how to make the Milky Way show up better in pictures.

Playing with the camera at breakfast. (the beer was not our breakfast)

Swag posing while some clouds drift in front of Mt Hood.
Close up of the Sandy Glacier.
The sun rising above Mt Hood and we made it back to the first viewpoint on our way back down.
Looking down from the viewpoint at the Sandy river.

The dead flowers gave a glow with the backlight.
Looking across at Boy Scout Ridge & Split Rock and Mt Jefferson in the background.
Ann taking a break at the rock fall area.


Not much fall colors but the vine maple did add some color into the scene.
More Vine Maple above the rock fall area.







Old sign becoming part of the tree.


Swag enjoying the view at Ramona Falls

Ramona Falls bridge.
This section below Ramona Falls was so green

Ramon Creek below the falls on the way back to the trail head.

Looking back up to Mt Hood as the clouds seemed to be moving in from the Sandy River.
Sandy River Crossing.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Mt Hood Loop - Labor Day Weekend

Ann and I did a three night backpack trip on the Timberline Trail around Mt Hood this last Labor Day weekend.  The weather was nice, though Sunday was a cloudy drizzly day.  We spent the first night by a spring next to Newton Creek, the second night just above Dollar Lake, and the final night at Paradise Park (which we almost passed up due to only seeing 20 yards due to clouds/fog).  We finished by heading up and around Mississippi Head and down Palmer to Timberline Lodge where we had started on that Friday afternoon.  It was a total of 43 miles with 12,000 ft elevation gain.  We encountered 67 other Timberline Loop hikers over the weekend.
Mt Hood was in and out of the clouds all day on the first day.  This picture from Boy Scout Ridge right before we dropped down to White River.
Just after Mt Hood Meadows Ski area during one of our hourly breaks.
The skies to the east looked ominous, but the showers never approached us.
Ann Crossing White River.  Most of the rivers were low due to the colder weather.

Some snow left over from earlier in the week.


Mountain Ash turning yellows and reds as we approached Clark Creek.

Ann crossing Clark Creek.
Our campsite near Newton Creek.  The campsites right next to Newton Creek were filled, so we backtracked to a spring with a nice flat camp spot.
Crossing Newton Creek the next morning
Gnarl Ridge was a steady, but not hard climb.


Top of Gnarl Ridge

On the was past Lamberson Spur



Some snow still left from the previous weeks light snow falls.

The clouds were in and our as we took a break near Lamberson Spur.
Trail Carin near Lamberson Spur


We used the ropes to cross the Eliot

Looking up the Eliot

Ann almost to the top

Ann at the bottom of the rope looking down on the Eliot.
Ann crossing the Eliot

The Eliot
The Coe was tame this time and easy to cross.
Mountain Ash as we climbed out of Elk Cove
Dollar Lake very low

The skies cleared overnight just above Dollar lake for our second night camp.
Dollar Lake fire damage

Dollar Lake fire damage.
Ann crossing the Ladd.
Mossy north side of Mt Hood near McNeil Shelter trail.
Interesting trees on the north side of Mt Hood.
We choose to take the lower Muddy Fork crossing due to time and weather.  Not much of vistas due to socked in weather.
Crossing the lower section of the Muddy Fork River.
Crossing the Sandy River, by far the strongest current of all our river crossings.
Roaring River as it nears the Sandy River.
A long climb up from the Sandy river, the Timberline Loop sign was a welcome sight.
I was able to still get some pictures despite being socked in with the weather.  We almost passed up favorite  Paradise Park camp site due to the poor visibility.
The skies cleared up overnight, but with the moisture still in the air, the moon gave a halo as it was rising over Mt Hood.


The moisture collected in the trees gave off a white light when a flashlight was shown upon it.

Sunrise at Paradise Park.

Looking south to Mt Jefferson in the morning with the low clouds in the valleys.
Starting the long climb up to Mississippi Head.
Long climb up to Mississippi Head

Looking up to Mississippi Head.
Plane parts from the 1949 crash of a B-26

Hoped to find the propeller, but only found the small parts near the impact point.
Some of the snow on the way from Mississippi Head and Palmer

Not much snow to cross, and what we found was easy to walk in, no traction devices required.
Not much snow as we neared Palmer.
What appeared to just be dirt, ended up to be a covered snow field.
We enjoyed a Folk Music festival when we got back to Timberline Lodge.