Pinnacle Ridge

In 2011, a massive wildfire torched Mt Hood's northern flank.  Named the Dollar Lake fire, after a tiny nearby pond (that coincidentally the fire never touched) it burned over 6,000 acres before finally being snuffed out by fall rains. 

This fire burned through the heart of Pinnacle Ridge, one of my favorite northside Hood trails.  I hadn't returned to this area since the fire.  But, hearing that the forest was in full recovery, I recruited two of my hiking buddies to go check things out.

Mt Hood through the burned forest

So one glorious, but hot, late July Saturday found myself, Young, and Steve bouncing down a gravel road bound for the new Pinnacle Ridge Trailhead.  Since the fire, the Forest Service had rerouted portions of this trail, and relocated the trailhead nearly a mile further away from the old one.  My friends and I laced up our boots, slathered on sunscreen, and located the new trailhead sign. 

Fireweed!

We started off winding through an unburned forest, but that quickly changed.  Soon, stark gray tree trunks lined our path.  Although somber, there was also lots of green undergrowth sprouting from the forest floor.  Further down the trail, I noticed brilliant pink fireweed brightening up the landscape.  And I now noticed a perfect view of Mt Hood through the bare tree trunks - a new clearing created courtesy of the wildfire.

The old trailhead

After about a mile, Young, Steve and I came upon the old trailhead message board.  It looked as though the fire had touched some of the forest here.  After a quick photo op, we continued our climb through the burn zone.

Climbing through the burn zone

Although sad to see all the trees that burned, there was also a stark beauty to this silver forest. 

Creek crossing

And the higher we climbed, the better the fireweed bloom became (provided lots of photo distractions!)

Lots of fireweed photo ops

I especially liked this backlit stalk.

Backlit fireweed

These bright pink blossoms provided a nice splash of color to the forest floor.

New life from the ashes

But as the morning sun rose higher, the lack of shade in the burn zone became more apparent.  Temps were getting quite toasty!

The pinnacle is visible through the trees

Despite the fire's damage, I recognized much of the trail from the last time I'd hiked it, over 6 years ago. 

Silver forest

I even remembered the trail as it passed through a boggy area, which was still very much intact, and just as muddy.  Here Steve, Young and I lost the trail for a few minutes before we waded back through the muck and retracted our steps.

Surprise avalanche lily bloom

Near the junction with the Timberline Trail (Mt Hood's famous 'round the mountain path) we came upon a huge field full of frilly white avalanche lilies.  A huge surprise, as these flowers typically bloom right after the snow melts and are long gone by late July.

Lunch at Dollar Lake

Although supposedly only 3.5 miles from the trailhead, the Timberline Trail junction seemed to take forever to reach.  Climbing through shadeless woods in the hot sun didn't help.  But finally the sign and trail came into view.  My friends and I celebrated with an impromptu snack break, sitting right on the trail itself.

Magenta paintbrush

Now that we'd reached the Timberline Trail, it was decision time.  Did we hike over to Elk Cove or up to Dollar Lake first?  My friends, wanting a nice lunch spot voted for Dollar Lake.

Fabulous mountain views

So we trekked a short distance up a rocky meadow sporting magenta paintbrush blooms until we came upon the famous water body.  A tiny glacial tarn, round as a silver dollar, it was situated in a beautiful basin with great views of Mt Hood.  My friends and I sat on the shore, admired the scenery, ate lunch, and slapped at the pesky flies that wouldn't leave us alone.

Mt Hood from the Timberline Trail

The flies began to bother all three of us, so lunch was cut short in favor of continuing our hike.  Young, Steve and I climbed back down the ridge and rejoined the Timberline Trail, heading east towards Elk Cove.  The mountain views on the way down were nothing short of spectacular!  A parade of Cascade peaks - Mt Adams, Rainier, and St Helens lined themselves across the horizon.

Dollar Lake fire burn zone

And the scenery just kept getting better....we rounded one bend to a slope chock-full of colorful wildflowers.  Orange paintbrush and fluffy Western Pasque flowers covered the forest floor.

Young can't decide what to photograph first

Poor Young just couldn't decide what to photograph first!  I must admit I had the same problem too....definitely slowed down my hiking pace.

Western Pasque flowers and orange paintbrush

Elk Cove is a gorgeous mountain valley with a clear glacial stream, and reputation for amazing summer wildflower displays.  However, this appeared to be an off-year as the flowers weren't as thick as I'd seen in past visits.  And down by the creek, the flies were so bad, my friends and I didn't linger long.

Back down the Pinnacle Ridge trail

So it was back the way we came, retracing our steps back to the Pinnacle Ridge Trail's junction with the Timberline Trail.

Admiring Mt Adams view

Afternoon sun lit up the adjacent Cascade peaks beautifully.  When we reached the boggy area once again, it's wide clearing provided a great place to take in the mountain panorama.  Can you spot all three mountains in the photo below?  (Hint...Mt St Helens is a gray shadow on the far left next to the tall trees).

Can you spot all three Cascade peaks?

Then it was back down the endless trail through hot, dusty, shadeless forest.  Young and I kept our spirits up by discussing what brewpub we'd visit for our traditional after-hike beer.

Aster bloom

As I mentioned in the prior post, this past weekend my beloved Columbia River Gorge was the victim of a huge wildfire.  All week I watched the news in despair, thinking of it's lovely mossy forests now forever destroyed by flames.  But going through photos from this Pinnacle Ridge hike made me realize forests do recover, plants and flowers return, and sometimes new vistas are opened up.  So I hold out hope that when the fires are out, although altered, the Gorge trails just might have some new and interesting sights to see.

Great day with good friends

Good to see an old favorite trail rising from the ashes!  Eleven miles traveled, 2100 feet of elevation gain, and a fun day in the woods with my friends.

Duffy and Santiam Lakes

After a successful hike up Crescent Mountain I returned to our campsite to find my hubby had just arrived.  Due to heavy traffic, what is normally a two hour drive took twice as long.  He was more than ready for a beer!  Which, after unloading his truck, is what we both enjoyed.

Our wonderful riverside campsite

Here's our beautiful riverside campsite.  The North Santiam River was just beyond the trees.  We spent a lovely evening sitting around the campfire, listening to the music of its rushing waters.

Someone forgot the Coleman camp stove!

Of course, it seems every camping trip there's something vital we forget, and this trip was no exception.  In his haste to leave, my poor hubby neglected to grab our Coleman camp stove.  So, we had to make do cooking on the campfire coals.  We did a pretty good job with breakfast the following morning.  (Note - this trip took place in mid-July, about a week before all the fires began breaking out in Central Oregon, so campfires were still allowed)

Hubby zipping away down the trail

The following morning, hubby said he'd join me on a hike.  Consulting my trusty hiking book, I found a nearby trail that led to Duffy and Santiam Lakes.  Places I'd yet to visit, it became the day's destination.  We loaded up the truck and drove a few miles down the highway to the trailhead.

Blue sky and lovely pine forest

After yesterday's nearly people-free trek up Crescent Mountain, it was a shock to see dozens of vehicles parked at the Duffy Lake trailhead.  As hubby and started out, we noticed a large group of backpackers had begun assembling by the message board.  Not far down the trail we began meeting more backpackers heading in the opposite direction.  I had no idea this trail was so popular!  (Of course, it was a Saturday)

Bunchberry

On the subject of things we forgot, that morning hubby realized he'd also neglected to grab his backpack.  So...I lent him mine and just toted my huge camera bag/fanny pack.  It was funny hiking with just that bag and nothing on my back.  You'd think it would make me hike faster, but that wasn't the case.  Of course, my hubby is an extremely fast walker, so he shot off like a rocket leaving me to meander along the trail, snapping photos when something struck my fancy.

Lupine was plentiful

And there was much to photograph.  At first the path led through a dense forest of tall pines.  But after a mile and a little elevation gain, I began to notice the first patches of purple lupine brightening up the trailside.  The further and higher I went, the more lupine there was.

A few straggler beargrass poofs

And then I began seeing small patches of beargrass.  Beargrass!  I thought it was past season, but apparently some stragglers didn't get the memo.

Aster

All the while I was hiking towards Duffy Lake, I saw many groups, mostly backpackers, heading out to the trailhead.  Hubby and I even encountered a large group of people on horseback, leading more pack horses, that said they'd spent an entire week camping in this lovely wilderness area.  Again, I had no idea this place was so popular.

Duffy Lake GoPro pano

It was another hot day, and by late morning, I was sweating profusely, enjoying any and all shade I could find.  Although the trail wasn't too steep, it provided just enough uphill to wear me out quickly (the combo of yesterday's hike and today's toasty temps didn't help either)  And to add even more misery, the mosquitoes woke up and decided my hubby and I would be their breakfast.  I kept my long sleeved shirt on and fumbled to find a small bottle of non-deet skeeter spray in my backpack. 

Duffy Lake east side

Finally we came upon Duffy Lake, a beautiful blue water body nestled between tall foothills.  Many groups were already camping here, some enjoying a swim.  As hot and sweaty as I was, the water looked mighty tempting.

Another Duffy Lake shot

But we'd only traveled about 3.5 miles so far.  Not quite enough for a good day's hike.  My map showed it was a little over a mile further to nearby Santiam Lake.  We were so close - why not check it out?

Beargrass macro

So off through a sometimes-rough trail scattered with blowdown hubby and I traveled, him zooming far ahead, and myself meandering behind.

Lupine on the shores of Santiam Lake

I passed by a spectacular meadow, colored with many different varieties of wildflowers.  But not wanting to squish these fragile plants by wandering into the middle to capture things, I lingered on the edge and tried to zoom as much as my lens allowed.  (Sadly none of my photos did it proper justice)

Three Fingered Jack rises over Santiam Lake

For such a short distance that mile and a bit seemed to take a long time!  Hubby and I traversed a couple of steep uphills, and wandered on a side path that went nowhere before finally locating our destination.  Surrounded by huge patches of vibrant purple lupine, Santiam Lake was worth the extra mileage.

Soaking our feet in Santiam Lake

We walked around to the opposite shore to get away from a group of incredibly loud people (why do folks think they have to turn up the volume when they're in the wilderness?  Spoils everyone else's enjoyment and solitude)  Hubby found a couple of nice rocks at the water's edge.  Perfect places to sit and soak our hot, weary feet!

Three Fingered Jack reflection

The water was cold and refreshing.  We enjoyed a nice lunch with fantastic views of Three Fingered Jack Mountain, which towered over the lake, casting perfect reflections in it's waters.

Lots 'o lupine!

Food, rest, and a soak in cold water does wonders to restore two hot, weary hikers!  After a nice lunch break, hubby and I packed up for our return trek.  By now the day was quite hot.  And we had only one small bottle of water between us.  Hubby carried the water, but I warned him to not race off too far ahead......he agreed to stop and check frequently with me in case I needed a drink

One friendly butterfly

On our trip back towards the trailhead, we met a large number of hikers (mostly backpackers) heading towards Duffy Lake.  I don't know where they were all going to camp, as all the designated sites around this lake appeared to be taken.  Another beautiful wilderness area that was being loved to death.

Moss hanging from a tree

Promises of a cold beer (or three) once we arrived back at our campsite kept hubby and I going through the endless dusty trail and afternoon heat.  We ended up with a total distance traveled of 10 miles and 1100 feet of elevation gain.  Not too shabby!  We definitely earned our beers.

Sadly, the following weekend, lightning sparked a huge forest fire in the Mt Jefferson wilderness not far from here.  It was the beginning of what has been a horrific fire season in Central and Southern Oregon.  And just this weekend the destruction hit home, as my beloved Columbia River Gorge went up in flames. 

I'm glad my hubby and I were able to slip in a midsummer camping and hiking trip before everything went south.  My advice - if you've been waiting to visit some special place, do it now.  Nothing is here forever, and you just never know when something you love might disappear.

Crescent Mountain

Trudging up the steep path through a hot, humid, seemingly endless forest, I thought to myself  "This had better be worth it."

Bridge over Maude Creek

In mid-July I talked my hubby into a weekend camping trip near Central Oregon's Mt Jefferson.  We decided to visit our favorite Forest Service campground on the banks of the North Santiam River.  Half of it's sites were first come, first serve, perfect for last-minute folks like us.  I had the Friday off, while dear hubby had to work until noon.  Fearing all the campsites would be claimed by afternoon, we hatched a plan where I'd drive up early Friday morning, secure a site, and then be free to go hiking.  Hubby would follow later in the day with the lion's share of the gear, coolers of food, and of course, the beer!

Cascade Lilies

Our plan worked perfectly.  I was able to snag a gorgeous secluded riverside campsite (timing is everything - I came upon it right after the previous night's occupant had vacated).  After erecting our tent and setting up a few chairs around the fire ring, (to signal that the site was taken) my work here was done.  Time to hit the trail!

Dried beargrass stalks

One of the hikes I'd been wanting to cross off my list was the trek up nearby Crescent Mountain.  A challenging climb to a large open ridge, this area had a reputation for stunning early summer beargrass displays.  Although various hiking websites indicated the peak bloom had happened a couple of weeks ago, I was game to see what flowers might still be around.

Scarlet Gilia

So I drove about 20 miles from the campground, turned onto a nice (paved even!) Forest Service road and traveled a short distance on another good gravel road.  I was a tiny bit worried that the trailhead might be full, but upon arrival its large parking area was totally deserted.  Locking the car and shouldering my pack, I could feel the day's temperature already on the rise.  It was gonna be a toasty one!

Beargrass and lupine

The trail started out mellow enough with an easy downhill mile to lovely Maude Creek.  But after crossing it's ample wooden footbridge, things changed in a hurry.

A few daisies

The path climbed steeply through dense, viewless woods.  Both the temperature and humidity began to rise, turning my trek into a sweaty slog.  There were no flowers to speak of, and besides the forest, nothing interesting to see.  Slowly I puffed along, wiping my brow.  It was the longest 2.5 miles I think I've ever hiked!

Finally some views!

But finally, I spotted some gorgeous Cascade Lilies, their fragrant blooms sweetening the air.  As the trail wound past this lily  patch, I noticed  more color on the adjacent hillside.  The forest appeared to be receding.

Colorful slope

I came out onto an open ridgecrest.  Views of the adjacent rounded hills spread out before me.  Bright purple lupine covered the open slopes, accented by orange Scarlet Gilia.  It was sure nice to see something besides forest.

Lupine was in prime shape

I'd definitely hit the height of the lupine bloom.  The tall purple flowers were everywhere!   But as predicted, the beargrass was nearly done.  All that remained were the tall stalks, which I thought were scenic in their own way.  Judging by the large number of stalks, I could tell the rumors of plentiful beargrass blooms were true.

Lots of mountains to be seen from the summit (Hood and Jefferson)

The meadows were chock-full of colorful flowers.  Beside lupine, I noticed lots of yellow Oregon sunshine, asters, daisies, a few paintbrush, and some pretty unknown pink flowers.  Even though the beargrass was done, the rest of this colorful bloom more than made up for it.

Mt Washington and Three Sisters

The next mile was slow as I wandered through the meadows, snapping copious photographs.

Not a bad lunch view!

Finally, the trail led me through a small wooded area sporting a few straggler beargrass blooms.  Then I climbed a steep spur trail that came out on Crescent Mountain's summit.  Yahoo!  My climbing was finally done!  Time for a good, long lunch break.

This butterfly loved my backpack

Foundations from an old lookout tower were all that remained on Crescent Mountain's rocky apex.  But the views were grand.  To the north, I spotted Mts Hood and Jefferson.  To the east, Mts Washington, Three Sisters, and Black Butte.  Although sunny and hot, the day's clear skies made for some spectacular mountain panoramas.

I think it was after my water hose

The early afternoon heat had brought the insects out in droves.  Dozens of colorful butterflies flitted around the summit.  Try as I might, they wouldn't sit still long enough for me to get a photo.  But then I noticed a couple of them hanging on my backpack's water hose.  The butterflies must have been thirsty, because they didn't move an inch.  Finally, I was able to snatch a couple images of these beautiful creatures.

Benchmark on Crescent Mtn summit

Rest, food and hydration were just what my body needed!  After a nice long relaxing break, I shooed the butterflies off my backpack and prepared for the long, steep descent.

Backlit beargrass poofs

I lingered in the flower-filled meadow as long as I could.  It was just as nice the second time around, and I'm sure about the same number of images were captured on the return trip.  The meadows were full of butterflies and it was a delight to watch them soar through the blooms.

Three Sisters view on the return trip

Both Mt Washington and the Three Sisters were front and center as I traveled back down.  Afternoon light was perfect for some nice captures.

Mt Washington

But finally, I had to bid these wonderful meadows farewell, and endure a long punishing descent back down the boring, steep trail.  It seemed to go on forever......there was nothing to see but trees, and the temps hadn't cooled down in the least.  About halfway down I encountered the only other hikers I'd seen all day, a couple heading up.  When finally reaching Maude Creek again, I was so hot I soaked a bandana in it's cool waters and tied it around my neck for some relief.

Lovely pink unknown flowers

Then I trudged uphill on a hot, dusty trail.  I swore that the trail stretchers had been out....a mile never seemed so long.  All I could think about was the cold beer waiting for me back at our campsite (at least I hoped my hubby was there by now).

The only butterfly who sat still

Although the first three miles weren't very exciting, the fantastic bloom in Crescent Mountain's upper meadows and the panorama of peaks at the top made this hot slog worthwhile.  Now it was time to head back to our sweet riverside campsite.....and plan tomorrow's hiking adventure.

Which I'll write about in my next post!


Stats:  9 miles round trip, 2200 feet elevation gain

Sharing with:  Through My Lens

Path of (almost!) Totality

As you may know, the recent solar eclipse passed straight through the middle of Oregon.  For months, I'd been hearing nothing but predictions about the millions of people who would be traveling to our state for the big event.  The media broadcast dire warnings about overcrowded freeways, campgrounds and hotels, and also food and gas shortages etc, etc.......I was so sick of hearing about the stupid eclipse I couldn't wait until it was over so life could return to normal.

My office-mates and I model our eclipse glasses

Afraid of being caught in the traffic nightmares, most folks in the Portland Metro area planned to take the day off work.  The path of totality was about 40 miles to the south, so the expectation was that a huge amount of people would wake up and travel that direction Monday morning.

August 21st, the day of the big eclipse, I got up per normal and went to work.  Not having the required protective glasses, I planned to just peek out the window when time came to see if things went dark.  All the gloom and doom about traffic nightmares, and my commute was surprisingly easy.  There was hardly anyone on the roads, and the light rail train nearly empty.  Upon arrival at work, my friend Hollie asked if I'd join her outside to watch the eclipse.  She happened to have an extra pair of eclipse glasses.  Our office was a ghost town that day, so I decided why not?

Huge crowd in Waterfront Park

Hollie decided to walk 4 blocks to the Willamette River and stand on the Hawthorne Bridge, the closest open area to our office.  The eclipse was supposed to start around 9:06 am so we planned to head down shortly thereafter.  We invited Jake, one of our summer interns to join us (we were nearly the only three people at work that day).

In downtown Portland, the west bank of the Willamette River is lined by Waterfront Park, a wonderful green oasis in this dense urban environment.  As we ascended the Hawthorne Bridge's ramp, I was amazed to see a huge crowd already gathered in the park.  One local radio station had set up a sound system and was broadcasting lovely classical music.

Lots of people on the Hawthorne Bridge

The three of us donned our special glasses, looked up at the sun, and were astounded to see the eclipse already underway.  The moon had begun to move over the sun, taking a small "bite" out of it.  As things progressed, the sun began to look more and more like a pac-man.  Jake tried to use his cell phone to take a photo through his glasses.

Totally unprepared for the day (and not planning to watch the eclipse) I hadn't even brought a camera with me, and had only my cell phone to document this event.  Doh!

More crowd scenes from Waterfront Park

In between peeps of the rapidly shrinking sun through our glasses, we entertained ourselves watching the crowds.  It was quite a mix in the park - office people sneaking a break from their jobs, families, street people, even one parks bureau employee who sat on a nearby gas meter to watch the show. 

Around 10:15, the light started to dim.  It seemed like an overcast day, but the sky was still clear.  Very eerie!  We noticed the street lights had illuminated, and passing vehicles had turned their headlights on.  A cold wind began to blow across the bridge.  It was kind of spooky. 

The streetlights came on!

We gazed in wonder at the sky, totally amazed by what was happening.  The moon now nearly covered the sun, it's light just a mere sliver.  Although not in the path of totality, the eclipse in Portland was supposed to have 99.3% coverage.

After about two very short minutes, the moon began to move again, and the surrounding sky started lightening up.  Some of the crowd in the park below applauded.  And then as if there had been a signal, everyone began heading out of the park.

Mt Hood silhouetted on the darkened skyline

As Hollie, Jake and I walked back to our building, I noticed funny crescent-shaped shadows on the sidewalk.  It wasn't until later, seeing photographs on Facebook, that I realized those shadows were the eclipsing sun filtered through the trees.  Very cool phenomenon.  Wish I would've thought to take a photo!

Although I initially pooh-poohed the whole eclipse thing, in the end I'm very glad to have taken the time to experience it.  What a mesmerizing, unique, awesome natural event!  Now I understand why it's such a big deal.  Since the next total eclipse in the US passes right over Cincinnati, where one of my brothers lives, I may just have to go check it out.

Thanks Hollie for getting me out of the office!

Bloggers Finally Meet!

One of the best things about having a blog is reading stories from all the fascinating bloggers out there.  Many I've "known" for years, trading comments on each other's posts.  But it's rare to actually meet one in person.

Well.....the weekend before last I got my chance.

Mary and I at the PCT in Cascade Locks

I've always admired Mary from The Mountains are Calling.  She's a writer, former wildland fire fighter, ex-wilderness ranger, and superstar PCT section hiker (just to name a few).  Although she's an Oregonian like me, we lived on opposite ends of the state.  Then this summer Mary learned she would be temporarily residing in Central Oregon.  This was my opportunity - I'd probably never be any closer.  We traded emails and promised to connect next time I traveled her way.

Mary's been section hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) every chance she gets.  One of the portions she needed to complete was between Cascade Locks (in the Columbia River Gorge) south to Olallie Lake.  I offered to give her a ride to the Cascade Locks trailhead from Central Oregon the weekend before last.  We had a great trip, and it was fun to chat with another blogger I've followed for so long.

Mary's latest post recaps this particular section hike.  She traveled 20-24 miles per day for four long days, plus an 8-mile trek the afternoon I dropped her off.  (Wow!  And I whine when I dayhike two 10 mile days in a row....Told you she was a superstar)

And....Mary is also a published author.  Her book "The Geography of Water" was nominated for the 2017 Oregon Book Awards for fiction.  I've read her book and it's very good.  She writes beautifully - wish I had her way with words.  Mary also has a second book coming out in September called "Fire in the Heart" which is a memoir detailing her experiences as a wildland firefighter.  I can't wait to read it!

So - everyone please visit Mary's blog (link here) and leave her a comment.  Or read her book(s).  Or do both!

Nice to meet you, Mary.  Here's hoping we meet again on a trail somewhere.