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.