Category Archives: Oregon
A Night in Paradise Park
It had been 3 weeks since I last escaped to the wilderness so I just had to take advantage of the two day good weather forecast.
Timberline Ready for Winter
I initially tried to select another outing in the Tillamook State Forest since my last trip to Elk Mountain had been so rewarding, but something drew me to higher elevation. What about Mt. Hood, even if it may have gotten some fresh snow. Perfect, I had wanted to check out Paradise Park ever since my PCT segment that took me past the trail loop back in July. From Timberline Lodge it is about 5 miles to where I would want to camp. The Timberline webcams showed melting snow. The forecast called for a clear but cold night so let’s do it.
Cold Start
I packed my warmer bag and my perma-rest air mattress along with adequate warm cloths which turned out to provide sufficient comfort as the temperature may have hit a cold of 30 degrees. After a lunch buffet and IPA at Timberline I was off.
The typical day hike distance to the Zig Zag Canyon overlook and below offered a before and after shot showing just how much the weather changed from the trek in and next day return.
The trail takes you down to the bottom of the canyon and then you get to climb back up, but it went very well with a fresh body.
Autumn Color
I was a little slower on the return trip as I was feeling some tired muscles. Hiking in late October does not provide the lush foliage but it was just as interesting seeing the mountain prepare for its winter blanket. I arrived at Paradise Park around 4:30 pm.
Setting Up Camp
I scouted the terrain quickly selecting a campsite with a view and accepting the consequences of a cold wind. The October evening was playing out way to fast. I had to enjoy the view but I also needed to setup camp.
Deer Family Visitors
Then a family of deer, 4 doe and a young buck strolled by. They stood near looking at me as if to say, “what are you doing here”.
Back to the view, which was highlighted by the clouds opening to a valley exploding with sun rays. I had no idea what lay behind me as Mt. Hood was engulfed in a cloud. However, the hopes for a glorious sunset were high, but the temperature was dropping rapidly. The sunset did turn out to be unique but it was not photogenic due to the light sky above. The cold drove me into the tent where it seemed like I might be in for an uncomfortable evening.
It turned out to be just fine after I closed my air vents and put on a second pair of socks. It seemed like it was coldest at about 10 pm and then the wind shifted from the east. I wanted to enjoy the almost super moon rising over Mt. Hood but it was just too cold.
Mt Hood in Moonlight
When I got up around 3 am it was awesome, a bit warmer and the moonlight exposing a clear Mt. Hood was gorgeous.
Good Morning
Morning brought a reluctance to leave the warmth of the sleeping bag even though the sunrise potential with a clear Mt. Hood was high. I quickly took it in and then slept in until 8ish. The sun was quickly providing welcome warmth allowing for a pleasant coffee and hot chocolate wakeup.
Joys of JetBoil
I hung around most of the morning enjoying the view from Paradise.
The hike back offered numerous views of Mt. Hood and Jefferson which I cherished via my many stops for rest.
Mt Hood’s Glory
The impulse backpacking escape turned out to be perfect.
Mt. Jefferson
Return to Timberline Lodge
I am so grateful to be able to take advantage of God’s gift to us.
Mountain Top Experience
My backpacking choices just seem to get better and better. The weather October 5th was exceptional and I did not have any commitments for the start of the week so why not find a local backpacking trip. This one was stimulated when I stopped by the Tillamook State Forest Visitors Center and asked a forest ranger for a backpacking recommendation. I think the ranger knew I was serious because she gave me advice about trails that stated they were not for backpacking. Well the Elk and King Mountain summits caught my eye because they created a nice loop option for a day in day out quick trip.
Radically steep trail
I chose Elk Mountain because it appeared to be a relatively short but challenging hike to the summit which I could pull off with an afternoon start. It was 1.5 miles and a 1900 ft climb, which of course had to translate into a steep trail. I found a blog post at crystaltrulove.wordpress.com that was valuable for helping me understand the false summit confusion, but even though I was warned of the difficulty of the steep trail, I assumed it would be a quick way to knock off 1900 ft.
Views of Wilson River Valley along the Trail
Well that 1.5 miles felt more like 5 and it took me about 3 hours to summit. The recommendation that this is not a back-packable hike would be accurate. But Oh what a reward at the top.
This trail has been adopted by the Mazamas for which I applaud their work in helping to make this trail available.
Summit Sign & Log Book
At the summit I signed the log book which the Mazamas have provided. This mountain top consisted of about 700 sq ft of land with maybe enough space for 20 people and one campsite.
Elk Mountain Summit Campsite
I had it all to myself and the evening was shaping up for a good sunset. This was too good to be true when you consider what would be the nicest front porch view you could have for an evening. Again, the weather was perfect with very little breeze so I setup camp and had dinner as I watched the sun set over King Mountain.
The gallery of photos below gives you a feel for the sunset and the coming prize of the starry night. There was no moon and you are far enough away from the Portland metro area lights to have excellent star viewing.
This was definitely a no fly on your tent night.
The experience got even better with the sunrise.
I jumped out of the sleeping bag to take photos and kept the camera close as I had my coffee.
I knew that the back side of Elk Mountain also offered up some radical vertical which is even more difficult going down, but it was not as extensive as the climb up.
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- Decent to Elk Creek Trail
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- Wilson River Valley
What did surprise me was the 2 mile segment to the Kings Mountain Trail that inserted more summit climbs and more awesome views of the valley. Another pleasant surprise was how beautiful the final 4.8 miles of the Elk Creek Trail turned out to be.
This was truly a Mountain Top Experience.
Backpacking Lessons Learned
My first segment on the PCT taught me a lot, but the most important was that you cannot beat the heat. My goal was Willamette Pass to McKenzie Pass, about 80 miles in 9 days. I aborted after 6 days and about 50 miles after 2 days of 90+ degree heat with thunderstorm humidity did me in. The other lesson taken away was to keep your destination schedule open, since you never know what will affect that schedule.
OK, now for a quick update on what I did accomplish. Remember, I am 61 years old, healthy, but not really in great shape and I have been living at low altitude.
First Campsite Overlooking Rosary Lakes
I started off in the afternoon figuring I just needed to get a few miles under my belt to loosen up. I ended up going 5 miles and climbing 1200 vertical to end up at a fabulous overlook campsite. I felt great and was so pumped to be transitioning into this new wilderness mindset.
Winter Ski Cabin
The second day I enjoyed the comfort of a really nice winter ski cabin to escape the mosquitos and reorganize a bit. I determined that I would camp at the top of the next climb which meant I had to pack more water which I secured at Bobby Lake. I put in 9 miles and more good vertical and the body was responding well. Also to my surprise I had cellular service (maybe from Waldo Lake), although sporadic, but it did allow me to let the world know I was doing OK.
Carlton Lake
Mosquito Survival Net
The third day felt good, I get up early to take advantage of early morning coolness which allows you to wear longs sleeves to combat the mosquitos, but that is nothing new, just inconvenient.
Trail Maintenance Team
I knocked off a number of miles and stopped at Carlton Lake to filter water and cleanup a bit. The mosquitos were getting worse and the breeze off the lake was a a welcome relief.
I was feeling good so a set a goal of another 9 mile day to get to Taylor Lake. Along the way I thanked a trail maintenance team for the work they do and travelled through maybe a 10 year old fire area.
Fire Burn Area
Peaceful Taylor Lake
I got to my campsite early afternoon and took advantage of relaxing by Taylor Lake enjoying the mosquito less breeze. This was the first time I realized I had pushed my body to about max, but I could tell that I was able to refresh it with rest.
Around dinner time I was joined by a couple of PCT through hikers, trail names: Ranger and Bubba Gump, which made for good conversation as I compared my PCT adventure to theirs. They may have been one of the first through hikers to reach this far north, however, they skipped the Sierras to avoid the late winter storm.
Ranger and Bubba Gump
They did plan to return to do the JMT.
Next day I watched the young buck through hikers leave me in the dust I again felt strong and very satisfied with how my body was responding. However, the temperature was rising and all was about to change. I pushed myself this day for 10 miles and ended up at a campsite totally depleted of energy as the heat was taking a toll on me that I still believed I could plow through. That night we had a thunderstorm which did little to reduce the temperature but it did raise the humidity. The overcast morning made for a warmer and more intense mosquito start to the day. After my initial few miles of enthusiastic trekking my body started rebelling. I was sweating a lot which I think I was replenishing with liquids, but the heat toll was greater then that. I had hoped to put in 12 miles and make it to Elk Lake Resort. However, as my body began to fail, symptoms of heat exhaustion setting in, I made the decision to stop at Dumbbell lake only half way but my only good camp option.
Therma Rest Float
Anyways, wisdom was setting in and I knew I had to back off due to the heat and this lake looked ideal for the swimming potential. So I made camp before noon and focused the afternoon on body recovery. Floating around the lake on my Therma Rest Pad provided a wonderful way to cool down and great relaxation. However, I was now challenged to make my designated destination pickup at Lava Lake Trailhead. Unfortunately, it was still hot and more storm clouds added to the humidity.
The only remaining option which would allow me to complete the planned segment would be to put in 10 miles and summit Koosah Mountain with a difficult 1200 vertical or bailout with a 6 mile mostly downhill trail to Elk Lake Resort.
End of my Trail
Well about 4 miles into the effort it was obvious that heat exhaustion was not going to allow me to accomplish the needed goal so Elk Lake it was.
Actually aborting in this way made for a fairly interesting adventure in figuring out how to get home. I hitchhiked from Elk Lake, something I have not done for 40 years. The couple that gave me a ride dropped me off at the Cascade Lake Brewery in Bend, OR. I was able to connect with an old GEOAID colleague who gave me a bed for the night. Then I took a bus shuttle to Gresham, OR, where I caught the MAX light rail train to Hillsboro. All in all, it was a wonderful first phase of the adventure. Backpacking is tough, but the rewards of experiencing God’s earthly beauty justify the effort. I’m ready to hit the trail again in a week after this heat wave subsides.
Prep for Annual Backpacking Trip 2014
Cascade Head Oregon
I leave tomorrow for my annual backpacking trip. This will be five days in the Goat Rocks Wilderness Area in Washington. Going totally offline is a good thing to do. Last time I did this I remember having over 1000 emails to deal with, but life goes on without us. The backpack is ready weighing in at about 37 lbs and I am in fairly good shape having been able to do a few short mountain day climbs this last week. The Cascade Head hike offers spectacular coastal views with a very steep vertical climb. Hart’s Cove ends out on the coast in a secluded cove but it is all down hill (1000 ft vertical) to get there. When I return I will post a trip report to the Portland Hikers Website. Here is a trip report from my first backpacking trip to the Three Sisters Wilderness Area near Bend, OR.
Harts Cove Oregon
No Pain No Gain
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| Looking West at “The Husband” peak |
First I would like to thank the Oregon Hikers Organization for providing me with valuable information that helped me and friend Bob put together a great 5 day trip around/through the 3 Sisters peaks. Also this is a trip report from a couple of old guys who were mostly concerned about survival but ended up anxious for more such multi-day trips.
South Mattieu Lake
This trip starting and ending at the Lava Lake Trailhead, Sept. 14-18, 2011. We decided to modify the traditional 50 mile loop around the 3 Sisters with a 35 mile version that cuts through the Middle and South Sister via Camp and Chambers Lakes. The choice to go from the East over to the West was determined by believing that finding the trail would be easier once leaving Camp Lake heading west. We found that it probably did not matter, the trail was well defined all the way. 
Day one on Sept. 14 (fairly warm day) nearly did me in going 12 miles to Soap Creek. Problem, I was consuming more water than planned and we had been warned that Alder Creek was dry. I did thank God for a strong flowing Alder Creek due to the warm afternoon snow melt. But we did push our old bodies a bit. I’m a 57 year old office guy with 2 artificial hips and Bob is 64. Our packs were about 38 lbs which worked out pretty well, we did end up taking more food then was needed.
First night at Soap Creek junction of the trail to Green Lakes and Camp Lake we met backpacker Jeff, a Medical School Intern at Emory. He also started at Lava Lake and was on his last night. His friends had scared him into believing that bears were a problem so he never cooked anything at night in fear of become a victim of a bear attack. He did say he was heading to Bronco Billy’s for all the ribs he could eat and we to ended up there at the end of our trip.
After re-hydrating and a good night’s sleep day 2 took us to Camp Lake which turned out to be the easiest hiking day. Luckily we got there before a front came in which brought wind, cold and low clouds. But Camp Lake is a treat especially when it is all yours. This was our critical decision point. 
Would we be able to climb over the steep wall to get out of the Camp Lake basin. The trail led us to a fairly steep ice/snow covered incline we had to climb with just hiking poles and normal boots. I am so glad we decided to do it because the reward of going down the West side along Separation Creek was exceptionally beautiful.
Husband Peak coming down Separation Creek
We ended up camping at Reese Lake just North of the trail junction with the PCT. 
A very scenic location looking up at the South Sister and the lake was warm enough to entice us into a swim. However, that 3rd night was the coldest. We woke up to plenty of frost causing our departure to be a bit delayed.
South Sister with a Scarf
Our goal for day 4 was to get beyond the Obsidian area hopefully to beyond Opie Dilldock Pass.
Obsidian Falls
With a late start and late afternoon high cold winds we stopped at Sawyer Bar. The winds were strong and the outlook for comfort bleak, but all this changed by morning to give us balmy temperatures to get an early start.
Actually climbing over Opie Dilldock was more work then we expected, but we saved some energy for a climb to the top of Yapoah Crater.
Overall this 5 day 35 mile loop turned out to be a fabulous trip. No rain, plenty of water, awesome mountain scenery and wild flowers at their finest. I highly recommend this Sisters cut through but realize that the window of opportunity is fairly short when snow does not clear until late summer.
Trail back to Lava Lake Trailhead through Lava Field
My words of wisdom are to set your goal, be persistent with commitment. Be flexible when trying to include others who may not have the same commitment. Do diligence in preparation will pay off. And don’t underestimate what the human body can accomplish especially when survival depends upon it. Or maybe just “No Pain, No Gain“. And be confident that your next adventure will be that much better but no less difficult. Live long and be healthy.
Memorial Day in Oregon
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| Magic Mile run at Timberline on Mt. Hood, May 28, 2011 |
Tomorrow begins the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, CCCU, Technology Conference, that we will be hosting. Should be about 80 tech folks from the 100 or so institutions that make up the CCCU. What a conference of this size lacks in number of quality sessions it does make up for with valuable networking. The weather here in Oregon will be typical with rain, sun and not so warm temperatures. However, I think most of the visitors will love the lush green country and appreciate the temps in the 60’s and safety from tornadoes and floods.
Oregon is a different kind of place. I went skiing Saturday, May 28th, at Mt. Hood. I’ve never skied in May before, but my first run I was floating through 5” of fresh powder on top of 180” snow base. But the prize of the day was skiing the Magic Mile (see photo). Going up that high on Mt. Hood in the winter is generally not possible nor is it desirable. Sunday I played golf, also great, and today I am nursing a sore back, but it was worth it.
The Adventure Continues 