Surprises on Hardy Ridge

Hardy Ridge wasn't my first choice for a hike.

The tiger lilies were out!

After a group excursion to Ramona Falls was cancelled at the last minute, I was hankering to go there.  My friend Katie and I made plans to visit this trail the following Saturday.  But then my car ended up in the shop with transmission problems (don't even get me started on how much that cost...)

Brushy trail

So Katie became the default driver.  All was well until we met that morning, and Katie complained of back pain.  It made her uncomfortable to sit in the driver's seat for long periods of time.  Ramona Falls was a good hour and a half drive, and she really didn't want to hike someplace that was so far away.

Droplet-speckled foxglove

She suggested we try Hardy Ridge.  Located on the Washington side of the Gorge at Beacon Rock State Park, it was a fairly quick jaunt from east Portland.  Although disappointed my visit to Ramona Falls had been thwarted yet again, I smiled and told Katie Hardy Ridge would be fine.

These water drops looked like diamonds

My friend John had hiked this trail the previous week, and gave a glowing report about the number of wildflowers blooming.  Oh well, if I couldn't see a waterfall, at least there'd be flowers to photograph.

The tiger lilies were abundant

At the trailhead parking lot, my friend and I observed a large group of people (it appeared to be an extended family) with many young kids pull up in multiple cars.  Katie and I hustled to get ready and beat this group on the trail.  Unfortunately, they began their hike at the exact same time we did.

Tunnel of green

Not wanting to follow a large, slow group of people, Katie put on the afterburner, setting a quick pace down the trail.  I struggled to keep up.  Luckily the first mile was on an abandoned road, and although slightly uphill, it had a nice even walking surface.

Loved these yellow "Oregon sunshine"

I spied some lovely orange tiger lilies blooming in the underbrush.  Making a quick photo break, I managed to capture a few images before the group began to catch up.

Larkspur

And so it went for the first two miles, Katie zipping ahead, and me stopping to catch a photo or two, and then practically running to catch up.  We followed the old road for a mile, and then turned onto another long-abandoned road turned trail.  This one was totally overgrown necessitating a small bushwhack through the tall grasses and desert parsley.

Honeysuckle

The previous night had been a rainy one, as evidenced by the amount of water droplets covering the foliage.  I initially wasn't planning to wear my gaiters until Katie commented that things might get wet.  Now, charging through the waterlogged vegetation, I was thankful for my friend's advice.  Despite the dampness, my feet and lower legs were staying dry.

Interesting color of paintbrush

The flowers were nice along this second trail.  Besides tiger lilies, paintbrush, lupine, foxglove, and some cheerful yellow flowers called "Oregon sunshine" decorated our path.  It was very hard not to stop and photograph each and every one.

Topping out on the ridge trail

At the next trail junction, Katie, who'd hiked this trail many times, warned me this was the place where things got steep.  And, boy was she right!  Our path took off nearly straight up.  Katie charged uphill like a mountain goat.  Panting and sweating, I struggled to keep up.

Wild rose

Although a tough climb, the amount of flowers blooming along this stretch helped lessen the pain.  We came across huge fields of yellow Oregon sunshine, Indian paintbrush, lupine and larkspur.  Katie spied some vibrant orange honeysuckle on a nearby bush.  Everytime I turned a corner, there was something new and beautiful to admire.

Foggy views from Hardy Ridge

Finally, my friend and I came to a small trail sign announcing Hardy Ridge.  From this point, trails branched out in different directions, some heading back downhill, while others followed the ridgeline.  Katie opted to continue across Hardy Ridge, promising me we'd get some nice views.

Paintbrush cluster

However, today was a typical cloudy and damp PNW day.  Even though the weather was less than ideal, I could still catch glimpses of the Columbia River through the clouds and fog.  Nearby forested hills and the Oregon side of the Gorge drifted in and out of view.  The vistas along Hardy Ridge were indeed nice.

Happy to be on top!

But parts of the ridgeline trail were thickly overgrown.  That meant more bushwhacking through dripping wet vegetation.  Both Katie and I began to get wet.  Our shirt sleeves and upper pant legs (what wasn't covered by gaiters) became soaked.  The higher we climbed on the ridge, the stronger the wind became.  Although Katie had hoped to reach the other end of Hardy Ridge, we were fast becoming cold, wet and miserable.

Columbine

So Katie and I decided to stop at an overlook about halfway along the ridgeline.  It was past noon, and we were both starving.  We huddled behind a small amount of vegetation.  I changed out of my wet shirt (so thankful I always carry a spare!) and donned a warm jacket.  PB & J, hot tea, and fresh cherries made for an excellent lunch.

Katie pauses in a field of wildflowers

As we ate, I admired the view below.  Not only the Columbia River, stretched out like a shining ribbon, but our panorama also overlooked Bonneville Dam. 

Lupine

Katie, who'd just celebrated a BIG birthday a few days before, commented that last week she'd taken the last hike of the 60s, and today was her first hike of the 70s.  She is one amazing lady!   I was honored to be the person to accompany her for this milestone hike.  When I'm her age, I hope I can charge up steep hills like Katie does (with a sore back, no less!).

Daises, specked with raindrops

Food really does work wonders on tired bodies.  After filling our bellies, Katie and I were ready to tackle the return trip.  This time, I got smart and donned my rain jacket.  No more wet arms for me!

Katie admires a tiger lily

The overgrown trail sections were much drier for our return trip (we'd already knocked most of the moisture off the leaves).  We headed downhill at more leisurely pace, perfect to capture more of these incredible wildflower gardens.

Droplet-studded tiger lily

Hands down, my favorite flower of the was the tiger lily.  I took so many great photos of these lively orange blooms, it was hard to narrow down which ones to include on this post (hopefully I'm not overloading you too much!). 

I'm so very glad Katie took me up Hardy Ridge.  I came with no expectations, and was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of this wonderful trail.


Sharing with:  Weekly Top Shot and Today's Flowers. and Our World Tuesday.

Orange

I originally wasn't going to participate in this week's 52 Photos Project.  The prompt this week was "orange."  Although I have many photos of orange things (I am an Oregon State fan after all!), the obvious seasonal orange thing (aka a pumpkin) I've already posted.  The fall colors here haven't quite kicked into full gear, so no great foliage pics yet.

I was gonna post a self-portrait of me from last year all decked out in orange for an OSU football game (go Beavs!).  But that photo isn't really artful or beautiful (and you see enough of my mug on this blog!).

Then I remembered my tiger lily images from a hike this past summer.  These lovely orange blooms are my favorite wildflower.  I especially liked the angle of this shot - a top view highlighting the artful curl of the petals.  I hope you enjoy it too.

More cool orange photos can be found here: 52 Photos Project  and also here:  Orange you Glad its Friday.

Unexpected Soggy Hike

It's time again for another edition of New Hike Friday!  And today's winner . . . the Upper Salmon River Trail.  Earlier in the summer I'd hiked the lower portion of this same trail.  Now it was time to explore the upper reaches.


Size matters!  Click on any photo to enjoy a larger image.

Trailhead sign swallowed by the rhodies

The Salmon River Trail stretches a total of 14.5 miles from the lower portion, just south of the town of Zigzag, to it's termination, near Trillium Lake on Mt. Hood.  With a car shuttle, it's possible to hike the entire thing one-way (which I'd really like to do someday).  But today it was just Bear and I, so we headed toward the upper section, accessed from a maze of Forest Service Roads near Trillium Lake.

Waterlogged tiger lily

My old Sullivan hiking book (circa 1994) described a 6-mile loop.  Starting on the Salmon River Trail, after 0.6 of a mile I would detour onto the Dry Lake and then the Fir Tree Trails.  After 2.5 miles on these paths I'd intersect again with the Salmon River Trail, and follow it the rest of way back to my car.

Log bridge crossing

The weather report predicted sunny weather for Friday, so I went ahead and took the day off.  Imagine my surprise when I woke Friday morning to wet, cloudy skies.  Foiled by the weatherman again!  But I'd made my plans, and wasn't going change them now.  After making sure my raingear was in the car, I loaded up Bear and headed to the mountain.

This trail was anything but dry!

Driving through alternating mist and heavy rain, I began to doubt my decision.  But by the time I reached the trailhead, moisture had quit falling from the sky.  A good omen!  Or so I thought anyway...

Midway creek crossing

The first portion of the Salmon River Trail was an absolute delight.  There were flowers blooming, including some lovely tiger lilies.  We crossed a clear, bubbling stream on a nice log bridge.  The trail was wide and nicely graded.  And the rain held off.

Yep we were definitely in the wilderness!

Then my dog and I came upon the first junction with the Dry Lake Trail.  It looked a little bit overgrown, but the directions in the book said to take it, so away we went.  I didn't go very far when I ran into the first obstacle.  Rhodie bushes had grown over the entire trail.  The only way to continue was to push through them.  So that's what I did.  And as I crashed through the bushes, the leaves, still wet from the morning's rain gave me a nice shower.

Soggy doggy

I kept running into more and more bushes covering my path.  The trail was totally overgrown.  And every vegetative obstacle I encountered gave me a nice dousing as I tunneled through.  My shirt and pants began to get soaked.  Luckily, I'd thought to put my gaiters on, so my boots and socks stayed dry (the smartest thing I'd done that day).  After a half mile of busting through wet shrubbery, I finally got smart and donned my rain jacket.

Can you find the trail?

With so much vegetation blocking the path, navigation was tough.  I totally lost the trail twice.  And both times, I backtracked and Bear ended up finding the way.  My doggy saved the day!  He's better than a gps.  In one area, unsure if I was on the right track, I looked up and saw a "wilderness boundary" sign up in the tree.  I had to laugh - yep it was indeed wilderness!  But the sign confirmed that I was still on the trail (faint as it may be).

Washington Lily

After a mile of tunneling through the wet forest, I was relieved to come upon a trail sign.  It was the junction of the Dry Lake and Fir Tree trails.  Now it was a mile and a half downhill to the Salmon River Trail.  I looked ahead to the Fir Tree Trail, hopeful that it wasn't as bad as the one I'd just come from.

Happy to be back on a real trail

But the Fir Tree trail was worse!  Much worse.  The tread was fainter, the bushes more dense.  I got lost again and again, only to be helped by Bear (good dog!).  Not only busting through wet leaves, I hit every spiderweb stretched across my path (most of them in my face - ewwwww!!)  Finally, I ended up in a boggy area, where someone had tied pink survey tape into the trees.  I realized this tape marked the trail (or where it was supposed to be).  I started to follow the tape, but it took me through such dense woods, I began to fear getting lost.

Vine maple leaves already turning

What to do?  By my estimation, I'd traveled about a mile and a half.  I was probably less than a mile from the Salmon River Trail.  But the trail had vanished, replaced by pink ribbons in the trees.  The chances of getting lost were high.  But I didn't really want to turn around and hike all the way back through the wet bushes again. 

But I also didn't want to end up on the news.  So I made the difficult decision to turn around and head back the way I came, down a known path (faint though it was). 

Finally hiking on a real trail

My return trip wasn't any better than the initial trek.  The bushes were still wet (I think they saved the last bit of moisture for me).  The spiders must've worked fast, 'cause I hit a bunch more icky webs.  I again lost the trail a few more times, and was saved by Bear (good doggie!).  But we finally made it back to our first junction.  I was never so happy to see that Salmon River Trail sign! 

Bear and I were totally soaked.  My rain jacket and gaiters had kept parts of me dry, but my pants were sopping wet.  Water was starting to soak through my backpack too.  But the sun was trying to come out, and I knew things would dry.  I'd come to hike the Salmon River Trail, and now that's what I was gonna do.

Huge log across the trail made us turn around

After fighting through the underbrush, it was so nice to hike on a good trail!  The upper trail was absolutely wonderful.  It led me down a gentle grade.  After a mile, I could hear rushing water.  The trail began to follow the Salmon River, far below.  The woods thickened, and I began to see larger old-growth Douglas fir and red cedar trees.  Bear and crossed a couple of pretty burbling creeks.  I even saw a few of the beautiful but rare Washington Lilies.

Interesting plant

 Bear and I continued down this wonderful trail.  Then we came across a huge blowdown tree totally blocking our path.  I could've scrambled over top of it, but I didn't think Bear would be able to jump over (he's getting to be an old dog).  I took it as a sign that we'd gone far enough for the day.  Time to head back!

Roadside tiger lily

The only bad thing about starting out downhill was you have to climb back out on your return trip.  But the trail was so nice I didn't mind.  Before I knew it, we were back at my car.  And my pants had almost completely dried. 

On my drive back to the highway, I discovered a huge patch of tiger lilies growing along the side of the road.  You know me, I just had to stop and photograph them.  So I'll end this story with one of my tiger lily photos.

The lesson for today - never trust trail directions from a book published in 1994.  That is, unless you like adventure (and getting wet). 

Linking to This or That Thursday.