Waves at Fort Stevens

Paula and I made a day trip to Astoria, Oregon to celebrate the week off from work (me) and school (Paula).  We visited Fort Stevens State Park, Fort Clatsop National Park, the Maritime Museum and got to learn about the history of the area, which was pretty interesting.  The waves, wind and rain were out in force, but we took a few photos.

Shipwreck off Fort Stevens Park

This is the remains of the Peter Iredale, a ship that ran aground on it’s attempt to find the entrance to the Columbia River.  I linked to the wikipedia article which has its story if you’re interested.  The Peter Iredale’s Captain’s final toast to his ship was: “May God bless you, and may your bones bleach in the sands.”  The wind was very fierce which whipped sand around.  Paula and I were covered in sand from just a few minutes out in the wind.  The poor Sports Kia was covered, too!

Paula on Ft. Stevens Viewing Deck

Paula and I went up to the top of a Viewing Deck at Fort Stevens to see the wind and waves up close.  You can see the big waves and rocks out there.  A little further up would be where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean at the infamous Columbia River Bar.  At both the Fort Stevens State Park and the Columbia River Maritime Museum, this is referred to as the “Graveyard of the Pacific”, because there have been so many shipwrecks.  The Columbia River pushes so much water that hits the force of the Pacific Ocean and creates a giant turbulent mess.

The Columbia River Maritime Museum had a little video that talked about ships crossing the bar, and they have special “Bar Pilots”, who board inbound and outbound ships to pilot them across the bar because it is so dangerous.  Then, once they’ve crossed the bar, another “River Pilot” boards the ship and pilots it the rest of the way, while the Bar Pilot gets off and heads over to the next ship.

Battery Russell at Fort Stevens

Next, we stopped at Battery Russell at Fort Stevens.  There’s a link to one of the Fort Wiki pages where you can get more information about the fort if you’re interested.  As you might guess from the picture, it’s no longer in service, but it was used for Columbia River defense and also during World War II.  It had two large 10-inch gun emplacements for firing on enemy ships.

Battery Russell

This photo was taken up on the second floor of the Battery.  The big hole on the left is where a big 10-inch gun was mounted.  It could raise up over the wall of the fort and point out toward the Pacific Ocean (left) and fire at incoming ships.  Then, it could rotate back around to the right and hide below the horizon behind the fort and its earthen and concrete walls. One of the websites I’ve linked to talked about new 12-inch guns that had been developed for sea fort defense, but Battery Russell was already under construction, and it was too late for the 12′s, so they stuck with the 10′s.  Up on the right is another room, I’d guess for machine guns and observation.

Battery Russell

The Battery saw action in World War II, where a Japanese submarine surfaced and started shelling Fort Stevens.  None of the shells hit the Battery or the Fort, but 17 were fired before the submarine left.  According to a historical poster at the site, to the dismay of the soldiers at the fort, they were ordered to keep quiet and not return fire, so they did not give away the position of the Battery to the submarine.  I read somewhere that there was also speculation that the submarine may have been just out of range of the 10-inch guns.  I read somewhere else that the Japanese were shooting at a submarine base that was planned, but had not been constructed yet, and were unaware of the Battery.

Looking down the Battery Russell Hallway

While Paula and I were exploring the Battery and seeing its dark, spooky rooms, we were talking about how it might be a neat place for a paranormal investigation.  Imagine our surprise (or lack thereof) when we found Battery Russell listed by a few websites as a haunted fort.  That link mentioned a ghostly former park caretaker making the rounds with a lantern at night.

Top of Battery Russell

The Battery Russell was named after a commander, David Russell, who was killed during the Civil War.  It was deactivated at the end of 1944 once a newer and better sea defense Battery was completed.

View of Battery Russell from the other side

Lastly, here’s another view of Fort Stevens Battery Russell from the opposite end.  So, Paula and I headed back out to our next destination, which was Fort Clatsop in the Fort Clatsop National Park.

Fort Clatsop

Fort Clatsop was where Lewis and Clark spent their winter in Astoria.  The original fort disintegrated over the years and was rebuilt for it’s 150 year anniversary.  It burnt down and was rebuilt in 2005, so we’re looking at the rebuilt version of it.  We checked out the museum and walked the nature trail.  We would have taken more pictures if the weather didn’t get extra nasty.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the pictures, and also that my blog post didn’t turn into a history lesson!

Mount Hood and Burnt Lake from East Zigzag

Let me introduce you to one of my new favorite hikes in Oregon, the Burnt Lake Trail to East ZigZag Mountain. It all started on a nice Sunday (8/2/2011), when I needed to give Paula some space to study, so I looked at my new Green Trails map and Sullivan’s 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon book and found a nice trail called Burnt Lake.  It was rated moderate and had some options to extend into a longer hike, so I was game.

Start of Burnt Lake Trail

After waking up early in the morning, heading out to the Mt. Hood forest up some sketchy gravel roads, I hit the trailhead just before 9:00am.  There were some lost hikers on Mt. Hood from the day before and the Search and Rescue teams with their orange jackets were staging at the Burnt Lake trailhead.  I asked one of the SAR members if I should keep a look out for anything while out on the trail.  He said “Keep an eye out for guys in orange jackets running up the trail, and if you see them, get out of the way!”.  We laughed and I headed out into the forest.

Burnt Lake Creek

Burnt Lake trail starts out following Burnt Lake Creek.  The trail was very steady with a slight grade.  I was able to maintain a quick pace, mostly to stay ahead of the SAR team at the trailhead, but also since the temperature was cool and it felt great!

Burnt Lake Creek Crossing

Next, I passed a little waterfall at the Burnt Lake Creek crossing, where you had to hopscotch across the rocks to the other side.  I was making a great pace, and thought to myself, “Is this Lost Creek Falls?”, which was about 2 miles in.  Turns out this wasn’t.

Burned out Tree Trunk

Burnt Lake was named after giant, burned-out, old growth tree trunks leftover from a huge 19th century forest fire.  Here’s one of them along the trail.  Here’s another Photo of the Burned Out Tree Trunk with a little more light.  The forest was dim, so most of my other pictures didn’t come out.  (as if there weren’t enough pictures in this post anyway…)

Inside the Tree Trunk Looking Out

The burnt out trunk in the previous photo was big enough for me to walk inside and photograph the outside world, too.  Doesn’t this look like one of those pictures where the negative space is supposed to look like something?

Little Clearing out in the Forest

The trail continued to ascend, and we passed out into a clearing, where I could finally see some blue sky and sun.

Devil's Club's Evil Leaves

As I moved higher up, I saw some Devil’s Club.  I discovered this evil plant actually has thorns on the tops of its leaves!

More Devil's Club

Here’s more Devil’s Club.  It means business!

Lost Creek Falls

At about 2 or 2.5 miles in, there was a side trail down into a gorge where I could hear rushing water.  Looking at my map and my trusty-but-sometimes-questionable-pedometer, I figured out that it must have been the trail down to Lost Creek Falls, and I wasn’t on track to set a new speed record.

Here’s a fun video of Lost Creek Falls in action.

First Glimpse of Mt. Hood from the Burnt Lake Trail

After taking a few minutes to feel the cold breeze off Lost Creek Falls, I headed back up to the main trail and continued my trek up toward Burnt Lake.  This was the first good glimpse of Mt. Hood as the forest started to open up.

Neat fungus along the trail

I spotted this really cool looking fungus along the trail and had to take a picture.

There's a fungus among us...

…and since we were taking pictures of fungus already, I had to get a picture of this slimy looking one, too.

Finally, I reached peaceful Burnt Lake.  Mount Hood is behind the trees off to the left, so I was going to need to hike around to the far right bank to get a shot of it, hopefully reflecting in the lake.

Mt. Hood Reflecting in Burnt Lake

After hiking around to the spot on the right, I could see Mt. Hood, as majestic as ever across the lake.  There was too much of a breeze, so unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get the postcard-quality reflection shot. You can see some of the Douglas Fir pollen on the surface down at the bottom of the photo.  I was reading about how earlier in the month the pollen was really bad!  Good thing I’m not allergic to Douglas Fir pollen!

Rhododendron on the way up!

I ran into a nice couple along the trail around Burnt Lake, who had camped out overnight and had hit East Zigzag earlier that morning, and were on the way back down.  It was barely 10:30am, and I was feeling great, so I was going to check out the view from up top.

Snowman along the trail to Zigzag Mountain

The snow was mostly melted, but I was able to find a few nice patches along the way up!  The trail climbed higher and higher, switchbacking to the left and to the right.

Rhododendron and Bear Grass

The Rhododendrons and Bear Grass were in bloom on the way up the trail, and as the path got steeper, I slowed down.

Mount Hood and Burnt Lake from Zigzag Mountain

And finally, I made it to the top of the Zigzag Mountain ridge, and an amazing view of Mt. Hood!  I like this picture of Burnt Lake’s blue reflection amid the dark green forest.

Mount Adams from Zigzag Mountain

From this vantage point, I could see all the way up to Mt. Adams in Washington.

East Zigzag Summit from the Trail

I grinned triumphantly, having reached the “top”, and took a water break.  As I contemplated eating my sandwich, I looked over to the left and realized that I wasn’t even at the summit!  Well, this wouldn’t do at all!  The sandwich would have to wait, I’m taking that hill!

Wildflowers on Zigzag Mountain

To get there, I had to cross a meadow full of wildflowers.  I don’t know the names of any of them…

Wildflowers on Zigzag Mountain

…and the ones I think I do know the names of, I’m totally wrong.  The official botanist of my expedition was back home studying, so let’s settle on “wildflowers”.

Mount Jefferson from Zigzag Mountain

As I got higher and higher, and could see to the south, Mt. Jefferson joined the view.  A few other peaks crept into view, although I couldn’t identify them.

East Zigzag Summit Marker

This was the marker I found on the East Zigzag summit. It reads something like:  “Reference Mark U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey” with details on who to contact if you have questions.  Here’s another angle on the summit marker.

East Zigzag Mountain's Rocky Summit

Those rocks are the highest point on the East Zigzag summit, so that’s exactly where I was going to have lunch!

Jeff on East Zigzag Summit

And here I am, on the highest point, having lunch!

Mt. Hood and Burnt Lake from Zigzag Summit

The view from the top.  Best seat in the house.

Another Hill, Cast Mountain, Maybe?

On my way back down the mountain, I noticed another hill off to the south that I hadn’t noticed before.  I think this might be Cast Mountain, near Cast Lake, or possibly one of the other peaks on Zigzag mountain.  This is likely another hike for another day.  Stay tuned.

Mount Hood Reflection in Burnt Lake - Take 2

When I arrived back at Burnt Lake, the sun had moved a few degrees to the West, so I tried to get the reflection shot again, but it was still a little choppy.  This one came out a little better than the first try.

East Zigzag from Burnt Lake

Then, I hiked around to the other side of the lake to the rocks to the right on the previous photo to take a photo of East Zigzag from Burnt Lake.  The wind was blocked by the trees behind me, so I was able to get a nice reflection shot here.  From here, I headed back down the trail, completeing about 11 miles total with all my side trips and exploring.

I’m also happy to report that on my way down, I passed the SAR team, who appeared to be in mid-rescue just below Lost Creek Falls, preparing to bring what looked like weary-looking hikers back to the trailhead.  Nice work to the Search and Rescue Team!

Mt. Hood from Tumala Mountain Trail

Since it was such a nice day today (Sunday), we decided to go for a hike up to Squaw Mountain, which was recently renamed to Tumala Mountain.  (You’ll find I use them interchangably through this blog post, because I don’t know (care?) what is the official or not name for anything at this moment)  Anyway, it was rumored to be a nice, moderate trail with a decent view of Mt. Hood at the top, with the ruins of an old fire lookout tower at the summit.  So we loaded up and headed out to the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness looking for adventure.

Mismarked Trailhead

Fortunately, prior to leaving, I checked out Portland Hikers’ forum for any recent trail reports, and I found one that reported that the Forest Service apparently mixed up the trailheads to the Eagle Creek Cutoff Trail and the Squaw Mountain Trail.  We scouted around prior to starting the hike, and located the trailhead for the trail up to Old Baldy, but never definitively located the Eagle Creek Cutoff.  The post I read said the Eagle Creek Cutoff trail goes down and the Squaw Mountain Trail goes up, and this one looked like up, so away we went!  Imagine the confusion if we hadn’t known about this mix-up!

Trees along the Squaw Mountain Trail

The trail wasted no time in getting steep.  Right out of the chute, we’re on a steep, but steady climb up the hill.  The forest was very quiet and full of Hemlocks and Doug Firs.  There were some neat old snags along the trail.  The trail wasn’t as steep, but it changed to a steady climb.

Jeff building a Snowman on Tumala Mountain

We hit some patches of melty snow as we neared the top of the ridge.  Here I am building a snowman along the trail. 

Paula along the Tumala Mountain Trail

Tumala Mountain showed us patches of blue sky through the tall trees, tricking us into thinking we were nearing the top, but when we rounded the corner, the trail kept climbing steadily up.  We finally broke through to the ridgeline and got a glimpse of Mt. Hood!

Little Mountain Flowers along the Squaw Mountain Trail

As we climbed higher up the mountain, we saw different kinds of wildflowers along the trail.

Mt. Hood from Tumala Mountain

Finally, we made it to the top of the ridge.  Check out the zoomed in picture of Mt. Hood.  We noticed there appears to be a mountain goat pattern in the rocks and snow just right of center.  Never noticed that before!!

Paula on a Tumala Mountain Cliff

Once we arrived at the top, Paula and I explored to see what we could spot from here.  We found an epic view of Mount Hood at the edge of this tall cliff.  This is looking northeast from Tumala Mountain.

It’s a long way down!

Paula taking a picture of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Adams

Next, we wandered to a viewpoint facing North/Northwest.  In the picture above, you can see some white on the horizon, which is Mt. St. Helens, some white on the right, which is Mt. Adams, and then almost exactly in the center of them, there is maybe one or two pixels that are white or light blue, but that is the base of Mt. Rainier–it didn’t come out very well on either camera.

Mt. Hood from Tumala Mountain

We found another little viewpoint looking Northeast with another view of Hood.

Mt. Jefferson from Tumala Mountain

We then went around to the Southern viewpoint, where we spotted Mt. Jefferson peeking through the trees.

Mt. Jefferson from Tumala Mountain

We also caught fleeting glimpses of Broken Top, and the Three Sisters, although it was a little hazy, so we lost sight of them before we thought to try to take photos.

Jeff at ruins of Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout

Lastly, we searched out (and pretty easily) found the ruins of the old Squaw Mountain Fire Lookout.  These lookout towers are located all around the Pacific Northwest’s timberland so the Forest Service can keep an eye out for forest fires.  If you remember, we saw the foundations of one on South Fork Mountain just the other day.

Squaw Mountain Lookout Marker

In the middle of where the Fire Lookout used to be, we found this little marker memorializing the lookout station.  I’m amazed that the picture turned out!

Paula at Tumala Mountain Summit

So Tumala Mountain turned out to be a really nice hike, and blasted by our expectations!  We were thinking at the summit, we’d get a decent view of just Hood, but instead, we were surprised by some amazing panoramic views of our favorite Cascade Range volcanoes–what a great spot for a lookout station!  We also got to see all sorts of different wildflowers in bloom.  And then, after we hiked back down, we drove back down to Estacada and got ice cream!  Now, how can you beat THAT?

Now for a fun game:  In our last photo, see if you can find:

• The Squaw Mountain marker
• Mt. Hood
• Paula
• At least 4 diferent kinds of wildflower
• and the state of Washington
• (the butterfly didn’t want to cooperate and stayed out of the picture!)

Paula Taking a Shortcut along the Memaloose Lake Trail

Over the long weekend, Paula and I drove out beyond Estacada to hike up to Memaloose Lake and from there, hike up to the top of South Fork Mountain.  The weather was a little cooler and cloudier Sunday morning, but the weather report had the clouds breaking up by late morning, so we were hopeful!

The forest at the Memaloose Lake Trailhead

We pulled off the main road and drove an old forest road for about 12 miles until the pavement ended, and took the gravel road for another 2 miles arriving at the trailhead.  We ventured out into the forest and saw a mighty fine stand of big old trees welcoming us.

Devil's Club

There were some thickets of some nasty-looking thorny plants called Devil’s Club along the trail.  I remember seeing this plant on Man vs. Wild or one of those survival shows, and I wasn’t sure if this was one of the edible plants.  Turns out, the hardy Alaskans have figured out how to eat Devil’s Club.

Memaloose Creek from the Trail

Memaloose Lake Trail continued to switchback up the hill, crossing Memaloose Creek a few times.  We caught a few glimpses of little waterfalls on the creek.  I filled a bottle of water from one of the Memaloose Creek waterfalls, treated it and tasted it later, and it was just as tasty as the water we filtered from our PCT backpacking trip last year.

Memaloose Lake in the Fog

We finally reached Memaloose Lake, but found that the clouds were floating over the far hill and filling the lake with a mysterious fog!  We stopped for a water and fig newton break at a lakeside campsite.

Memaloose Lake

Paula got this cool photo with the log in the lake.  Yes, that is July snow in the background!

Memaloose Lake

Another angle of Memaloose Lake.  Most of the other Memaloose Lake photos I’ve seen online have that far rockslide in the background.

Trailhead for South Fork Mountain Trail

Backpackers on the way down warned us of lots of snow and cold temperatures along the South Fork Mountain trail, but we wanted to hike it anyway.  The forest notably thinned of ground cover as we got higher up the mountain.

Jeff along the South Fork Mountain Trail

For an unmaintained trail, the South Fork Mountain trail was in pretty good shape.  We stopped a few times to clear debris from the trail and fortify a few trail markers.

Forest along the South Fork Mountain Trail

The forest was very quiet except for a few little brown birds who echoed through the trees.  The ferns and devil’s club from the lower elevations gave way to more rhododendrons and bear grass as we got higher up.  We also saw trilliums in bloom, too!

Jeff building a Snowman on South Fork Mountain

This was one of the larger patches of snow we ran into.  Not quite enough to make us turn back, but certainly enough for a snowman.

Paula's cool shot of the sky through the trees on South Fork Mountain

Paula caught this neat photo of the clouds passing over the forest.

Trail back down to the dark forest below

Finally, we broke out of the forest and up to the top of South Fork Mountain!  It was cooler up at the top from the wind, but the sun was shining despite all the clouds.

Jeff and Paula at the Top of South Fork Mountain

At the summit, we posed in triumph and celebrated with turkey sandwiches for lunch!  You can see the flat section behind us where the 1930′s fire lookout used to be.  We searched around and found the old foundations.  I saw where there was a date, but I couldn’t read it, our hiking book indicated that it said 1931.

Amazing Panoramic View from South Fork Mountain ;P

We were also treated to an amazing view of clouds!  The clouds had not yet lifted or blew away, so we didn’t get the panoramic view of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, the Three Sisters, and Broken Top. but we did see some mysterious hints at what lay beyond in the distance peeking through the clouds.  We may have seen a peek of Mt. Jefferson or the Three Sisters, but South Fork Mountain kept its secrets to itself.  We’ll have to go back again on a clear day!

Seven Mile Falls on Eagle Creek

On Day 5 (Thursday 7/29/2010), we awoke to hear the rushing water of Eagle Creek.  We packed up our gear and headed out for the remaining 7 1/2 miles from 7 1/2 mile campground toward our triumphant finish at the Eagle Creek trailhead.  About a half mile beyond the campsite, we encountered Seven Mile Falls.

Brian, with his trusty Stick-Pic, was ready with an update.

Dan and Brian above Twister Falls at Eagle Creek

Brian was anxious and excited to see the much-hyped waterfalls along Eagle Creek…

Zoom-worthy View from the drop off of Twister Falls on Eagle Creek

…and I don’t think he was disappointed!  Twister Falls was very exciting, with 3-layers of waterfall followed by a 100+ foot drop down to the pool down below.  The picture is high resolution, so you can also click into it for more detail.

Twister Falls on Eagle Creek from down the trail a little ways

You can see the two other layers of Twister Falls and then where the falls gets its name where the water crosses paths around that rock, I guess causing a twisting effect?  Either way, it was cool.

Here is Brian’s video of Twister Falls and the trail beyond.

Tunnel Falls from Eagle Creek Trail

Next, we got to Tunnel Falls, which may have been even cooler!  This is also a 100+ foot drop, but the cool part is that there is a tunnel blasted into the rock so you can walk behind the falls.

Dan and Brian entering the Tunnel Falls tunnel

Dan and Brian went behind the falls first and I took this picture of them next to it to show how big the waterfall was.

Jeff going through the Tunnel Falls cave

Here you can see the tunnel as I’m catching up to Dan and Brian.

Tunnel Falls from the Eagle Creek Trail

Here is Tunnel Falls’ pool down at the bottom.

Eagle Creek's Cold Rushing Water

Eagle Creek had lots of drop-offs where little waterfalls pop up, and it was pretty neat to see, even if the waterfalls were not named.

Dan and Brian up ahead on the Eagle Creek Trail

The trail followed Eagle Creek all the way down the gorge.  The trail is cut into the rock in many spots, and thick steel cables are mounted to the rock as a handrail on the spots where the trail gets skinny.

Eagle Creek Gorge

We found lots of thick trees and high gorge walls.  We had the place mostly to ourselves until we reached High Bridge.  From there on out, we were in range of most of the day hikers and we regularly encountering people.  After a few days of barely seeing anyone else, it certainly seemed like a TON of people.

Loowit Falls on Eagle Creek Trail

With about 3 miles to go we passed Loowit Falls, which was about 90 feet tall.  Loowit is a very popular waterfall with photographers, so we took our obligatory photos, too.

Punchbowl Falls on Eagle Creek Trail

We stopped at the top to view Punchbowl Falls from the top and take a few minutes to rest.  As a group, we were pretty sore from the previous 50 miles, and the mile-long steep side trail and then the return trip up that steep side trail did not sound very appealing, so we took in the view from up here.  After a few minutes, we triumphantly headed out to victory and we celebrated with Pizza and Beer.

Spot Track of Day 5

Our final Spot Track of the trip, going from 7 1/2 mile campground to the trailhead put us at 7 1/2 miles for the day.

Wahtum Lake at Junction of Pacific Crest Trail and Eagle Creek Trail

After a good night’s mosquito-free sleep, Day 4 (Wednesday 7/28/2010) started with us feeling good and refreshed.  We headed out of camp at about 7:30-8:00am.  We had a nice granola breakfast and broke camp along the Pacific Crest Trail toward the junction of the PCT and Eagle Creek trail.  (As you can see by the photo above, we made it!)

Mt. Hood from PCT outside of Indian Springs campground

Prior to the trip, Brian and I both had been looking at the Eagle Creek and PCT maps and discussing the routes, but at Indian Springs, we discovered that my route had us going down the Indian Springs trail to meet up with Eagle Creek trail, but Brian’s had us taking the long way around to Wahtum Lake.  Looking at the topographical map, we saw that the Indian Springs trail was a very steep downhill trail, while going around was less of a grade, but picked up an extra 4 bonus miles, but went out to Wahtum Lake.  We weren’t in a hurry so we decided to loop around to Wahtum Lake.  I was also curious about Wahtum Lake’s campground.

Dan wading in Wahtum Lake along the Pacific Crest Trail

We arrived at Wahtum Lake just before 9:00am.  The water was cold, and the day hadn’t heated up yet.  We spoke to another backpacker before crossing the Sandy on Day 1 who told us that the Wahtum Lake ice had melted and it was warm enough for a swim, so Dan was eager to get in there.  Dan waded around trying to get the courage to dive in.  However, that didn’t happen, so I had to dive in first, and yes, it was very cold, but very refreshing!

Jeff and Dan refreshed after a swim at Wahtum Lake campground

After a quick swim, I was energized and ready to go.  Brian and I started talking about beer and pizza, and it was looking like Day 4 might be the final day of the trip.  It would be nearly a 17 mile day, but we were thinking it was doable.

Dan and Brian along the Eagle Creek Trail

We set off down the Eagle Creek trail, working our way down toward the gorge.  The trail wove in and out of streams like this one as we proceeded down through the forest.

Waterfall above 7 1/2 Mile campground

After 8 more miles, we stopped for a quick break at this nice little waterfall and to check the map to see where we were in relation to 7 1/2 mile campground, where we planned to stop for lunch.  According to the GPS, we should have been close, but we saw no signs of any campground.

Upper Falls on little waterfall above 7 1/2 mile campground

We checked out the upper falls on this little waterfall, thinking the campground may be up there, but no, that wasn’t it either.  So, we decided to rest there for a little longer and then we’d saddle up and continue down to 7 1/2 mile campground for lunch.  Well, after we were nice and rested, we pulled on our packs, hiked about 20 yards from that spot around a corner, and there was 7 1/2 mile campground!

Clothesline Repair at 7 1/2 Mile Campground

7 1/2 mile campground was above Eagle Creek and consisted of about 10 sites.  We found a nice campsite with a nice fire pit where someone left a clothesline and broke out a high-energy lunch of bacon, summer sausage and cheese on pitas while we considered finishing the remaining 7 1/2 miles (guess how the campground got its name) out to civilization.  After lunch, it was decided that 10 miles was enough for today, and that wading in the cold creek was a better idea instead.  At about this time, we noticed the sky starting to cloud up, so we set up the tarp tent, and sure enough, within minutes of getting it set up, the clouds faded away.  So, we took about 5 minutes to check out the creek.  Upon returning to the camp, Brian noticed that a chipmunk had seized that 5-minute opportunity to attack our pitas, and chomped into the bag and took a few big bites.  Brian hooked the food bag to the clothesline as a temporary solution, but the line was old and it immediately snapped.  (don’t worry, we fixed it with what we had available, see above)  So, we decided to do it the right way and hang the food bags from a tree.

Calling upon Dan’s demonstration of bear bag hanging technique from the day before, I deftly hung half the food high up in a nearby tree with one of the bear bags.  Brian pointed out that we forgot to add an item, and we went to pull the bag down, but found that the bear bag hanging training session was not a demonstration of the ‘proper’ way to do it, and half the food was stuck way up in the tree, out of reach from chipmunks, bears, and of course, us.  The second bear bag had still not been hung, so Brian and I reviewed the setup I used and identified the flaw.  The throw bag had slipped through the carabiner, pulling the rock inside tight against the rope and putting the brakes on tight, so there was no pulling it down.

Tarp Tent at 7 1/2 Mile Campground

We came up with a cunning plan to lash my Ka-Bar knife to the end of a hiking stick, creating a spear.  Then using the spear, we would jab the orange throw-bag, hoping to cut it open, and let the rock fall out.  Once the rock fell out, the weight of the bear bags would pull the now-empty throw bag through the carabiner, and we’d get our food back down from the tree.  So, I set to work using the string from the tent to tie the Ka-Bar to the hiking stick and gave it a few jabs.  The string did not keep the knife very stably tied to the spear, so I decided to tie on two socks to add extra support.  At about that time, this hippie chick ventured into our campsite from the forest and started admiring Brian’s tent.  The hippie chick was obviously impressed by the quality, size and stature of Brian’s tent, that she didn’t even notice (or did a good job pretending to not notice) that we were tying a big knife to a hiking stick to do who knows what!

Ka-Bar and the Bear Bag

Anyway, the hippie chick walked off to rejoin her hippie flock, and Brian and I completed the newly secured “Spear of Destiny”, and with a few mighty thrusts, we cut the bag open, the rock fell out, and the heavy food bags came crashing down.  With our objective completed, we determined that the Spear of Destiny was too powerful of a weapon for a mere mortal to wield.  So we disassembled the Spear, returned my socks to my backpack, sheathed my Ka-Bar, and tossed the stick back into the forest.  (That was way easier than trekking to Mt. Doom and tossing it into a Volcano!)  Brian and I taped up the throw bag with duct tape, clipped the bear bag correctly, and then Brian demonstrated how to Properly hang the bear bag.  At about that moment, Dan came back from the creek and we realized that we should have had Dan up there to videotape this ordeal, as it would have been an excellent video of how to rescue an improperly hung bear bag.

Spot track of Day 4 on the Pacific Crest Trail to Eagle Creek Trail

Here is Day 4′s Spot track.  You’ll notice that the Spot either gave us up for dead and stopped responding, decided “eh, they’re close enough”, or was too deep in the canyons and forest to get a signal out to the satellite.  Otherwise, Day 4 was about a 10-mile day.

Lost Lake from Bull Run (Devil's Pulpit or Preacher's Peak, I think)

“BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!” *swat!* “Damn it!”  “BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!” *swat!* “Damn it!” “BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!” *swat!* “OK, is anyone else up?!?!” “Yes!” “I am!” “Are you guys ready to get moving?!?” “I’m ready!” “Let’s go!”…   Day 3 started early–like 5:30am early!  The mosquitoes at Salvation Springs were relentless all through the night.  We skipped the tent, slept close to the smoldering smoky fire and covered every inch of skin, but the mosquitoes never gave up through the night and were already regrouping for another attack, so we packed up and moved out–walking breakfast by 6:00am.  By the way, Peanut Butter Cliff Bars are probably the worst walking breakfast ever, dry and sticky–probably would have gone better with coffee.

We got to see Lost Lake through the trees and Mt. Hood in the early morning light, and there was a slight breeze coming down from the mountain keeping the mosquitoes at bay which was very welcome at this point!  I’m not sure if this Lost Lake view was from Preacher’s Peak or Devil’s Pulpit, we didn’t want to stop for very long, so I didn’t get to match it up with the map.  Paula and I camped over at Lost Lake two or three years ago with the canoe.

Brian’s video of the trek out of the mosquitoes.  Mosquito Mecca, Mosquito Nebula, Mosquito Nirvana–whatever you want to call it–it was finally behind us!  And good riddance!  Also, Brian introduced me to the backpacker’s Vitamin I (aka Ibuprofen), as a relief to a sore knee resulting from the 15 miles done on Day 2–and I was hooked for days!  I had aspirin along, but next time, I’m bringing some of the good stuff!

Trees along the Pacific Crest Trail through Bull Run

We reached the top of the very cool ridge and it was mostly flat, and the nice breeze kept us energized, so we started raking up the miles already.

Mt. Hood from Bull Run section of Pacific Crest Trail

We reached a nice clearing beyond Buck Peack where we got some very nice views of Mt. Hood.  Funny how the mountain seems to be getting smaller in each of these pictures?

Wildflowers up on top of Bull Run

There were also a variety of wildflowers up there.  Of course, my picture doesn’t really do them justice, but they were pretty vibrant colors scattered around the mountain meadows.  The other neat thing was that these were totally different varieties than we saw up on Mt. Hood at the higher elevation.

Mt. Hood from Bull Run

We took a few minutes of photo break before crossing over to Waucoma Ridge to begin the trek across to Indian Mountain.

Looking West from Waucoma Ridge

One of the first things I noticed was the abundance of gray rocks when we crossed over to the ridge.  It seemed that we were more in the trees up on Bull Run, but now we were approaching the treeline.  We stopped to rest at a nice water source–a tiny little PVC pipe under some rocks on the stream from a tiny little spring.  Since it took forever to fill the water bottle, we gladly took a rest, enjoying a nutritious snack of beef jerky and trail mix.  This was actually a neat idea to keep thirsty backpackers from damaging the stream trying to get flowing water to fill their canteens.

Looking West at Mt. Hood Foothills from Waucoma Ridge

As we progressed up the ridge, we ran into an old abandoned road, I believe Brian’s PCT guide book had it listed as the Oregon Skyline Trail, which paralelled the PCT for several miles, some of the time below and other times above the PCT.  From the number of downed trees, you’d certainly need a 4-wheel-drive…and a chainsaw.

Jeff and Dan backpacking up Indian Mountain on Waucoma Ridge

By now, the mid-morning sun really started to beat down and the nice rocks started to really heat up.  There was very little shade to be found!

Benson Plateau view from Indian Mountain on Waucoma Ridge

The Pacific Crest Trail continues along the ridge here, down through Indian Springs, out to Wahtum Lake and then up Benson Plateau.  There’s Benson Plateau from Indian Mountain.  It also seemed as is the further North we got, the fewer gray rocks and the more brown and tan rocks there were.

Dan and Brian resting on Indian Mountain on Waucoma Ridge

We stopped at this nice cairn for a photography break.  Dan and Brian are resting here on Indian Mountain.  You can see Mt. Adams in Washington looming in the background.

Jeff, Dan and Brian from the Pacific Crest Trail at Indian Mountain on Waucoma Ridge

Brian’s Stick-Pic got to see some action with a group shot of the team at Indian Mountain.  Yes, I said the Stick-Pic!  Isn’t that what they call “the bring back”, in the business, Brian?  Or is that just a shameless plug?

Mt. Adams off in the distance

Mount Adams from Indian Mountain–this time with no resting Dan and Brian in the picture.

Looking down at Eagle Creek Canyon from Indian Mountain

While the PCT wound around and up to Benson Plateau, we planned to meet up with the Eagle Creek trail and follow that out, so we could see some scenic waterfalls.  This  picture above is the Eagle Creek gorge.  The Columbia River is just beyond those hills–about 10 miles straight shot, probably 18 to 20 “trail miles” away.  If you follow the far hill on the left and Benson Plateau on the right, and follow them down to where they meet at the bottom, the Columbia River is just beyond that point.  The hills in the distance are on the other side in Washington.

Dan on the Camera at Indian Mountain on the Pacific Crest Trail

Dan was in charge of the digital camcorder.  Here he is making videos at one of the Indian Mountain viewpoints before we proceeded down the hill to the next water source and the Indian Springs campground.  I’m not sure if those videos can go up to Youtube, but we’ll see.

10 Miles before 1:00pm

We arrived at Indian Springs campground just before 1:00pm.  Brian’s fancy Garmin GPS contraption marked us at just over 10 miles for the morning.  Meanwhile, my trusty pedometer had us around 6 and change.  The pedometer did not do very well on the uneven ground with the shorter and longer steps here and there, so it continued to sell us short.  We had a pretty good laugh every time we checked to see the mileage, we’d also have to double-check on the pedometer.  Maybe it doesn’t sound very funny right now, but believe me, if you were there, you’d understand.

Dan and Brian at Indian Springs Campground

We stopped at Indian Springs Campground to fill up the water and to have a Bacon, Cheese and Summer Sausage Pita sandwich to fuel up for another few miles for the next campground.  However, after hanging out for a bit and getting a mid-day siesta, we decided that Indian Springs Campground was a very nice campground, specifically because there were no mosquitoes, and the next campground we ran into could very well be infested with them.  So, we decided to camp at Indian Springs.  Dinner was a delicious Chicken Italian, which was at least as good, if not better than Brian’s Cranberry Chicken.  Dan demonstrated the proper way to hang a bear bag, so I took a stab at hanging a bear bag, and it appeared to work like a charm, securely hanging our food well out of reach of bears, rodents and other mischeivous animals.  We made a really nice campfire and since it worked so well at Salvation Springs, we skipped the tarp-tent again to sleep under the stars.

Google Map with Spot Track of Day 3

Here is our Day 2 Google Map and Spot track for Day 3.  Salvation Springs, where we started, is somewhere between spot 10 and 9.  Also, no bears or cougars to report.  10.4 miles for the day.

Mt. Hood from the Sandy River Canyon

Morning came on Day 2 of our Pacific Crest Trail backpacking trip and we awoke at our campsite along the Rushingwater Creek near the Sandy River crossing.  Brian made some excellent granola that we enjoyed for breakfast.  After packing up camp we headed out to ford the Sandy River.

Mt Hood - Sandy River up Close

The overnight temperatures slowed the snowmelt and let the river level drop a few inches, making the crossing less perilous.  We crossed the field of boulders to the simple crossing made of a few fallen trees.

Looking up at Mt. Hood from the Sandy River

Mt. Hood has these small black flies that buzz around during the day and land on you and twitch.  On the previous day, we found ourselves counting the number of black flies that we swatted in a row.  It was still early, so we got out to a cool morning before the black flies did.  We also noticed that we were down quite a bit lower than the previous day and we did not see the same patches of snow all through the forest.

Dan crossing the mighty Sandy River on Mt. Hood

When I said the crossing was made from fallen trees, I should have said two small fallen trees.  The previous evening, the river was rushing over the logs, so we were happy to have a few more inches between the river and our feet.  Brian and I crossed the river and then he got out the video camera to watch Dan cross.  Not that we expected him to fall in or anything… but we wanted to be ready just in case!

Once we were across the river, we proceeded another mile or two across the forest toward Ramona Falls.  The hiking stick I picked up with the purpose of balancing as I crossed the Sandy stayed with me, partly because I knew the Muddy Fork crossing was coming up, but also because it was kind of nice to have a hiking stick along.

Ramona Falls on Mt. Hood

We reached Ramona Falls and stopped for a few pictures.  This photo barely does Ramona Falls any justice.  Ramona Falls is big.  It is tucked away in the canyons surrounded by trees, which hides Ramona Falls in the shadows.  Then, the rock face that the waterfalls come down is huge!  Every picture I’ve seen of it on the Internet makes the falls look dark and tiny.  Lastly, the spray off the waterfall blows down through the trees and cools everything off.  It was really cool to see, and I think you have to see it in person to really appreciate it!

Photo of the Elusive Pacific Crest Trail Marker

At this point, the mountains decided we had a pretty easy go, and decided to mix things up a little, and make things a little more challenging.  From Ramona Falls, we set off down the Ramona Falls loop trail #797, across the Sandy River’s Muddy Fork and began the difficult switchbacks up Bald Mountain.  I got particularly worn out going up this stretch.  The switchbacks were long and steep and just when you thought you reached the top, here comes another switchback.  The ascent was from 2800 to 4300 feet in 2 miles.  We got about halfway up and stopped for Tuna Pesto sandwiches and water.  Meanwhile, Bald Mountain went for the Day 2 knockout by attacking our Achilles’ Heel and attempted to knock out the water filter with it’s extra silty water.  It succeeded in gumming up the filter for the rest of the trip, but it was still usable.  We learned the hard way that it pays to pre-filter the water with a bandanna before putting it through the filter.

Mt. Hood from Bald Mountain Ascent

After Tuna Pesto and a long rest waiting for the water filtration, we set out on the even-steeper second mile of the Bald Mountain ascent!  By this time, the early afternoon sun started beating down and it got very hot.  The switchbacks eventually subsided and turned into a long uphill slog through the forest.  I determined that all of the training hikes were insufficient and that I was not conditioned at all!  It seemed like we’d go 20 or 30 yards and then I’d be out of breath, just panting away, the dry air parching my throat, so I had to stop for water, and then this wicked process would repeat again and again.  Bald Mountain was winning, and almost had me beaten!  Miraculously, I made it to the top where we stopped and through the help of my beef jerky and some level ground, I was able to get my energy level up, breathing pattern back on track and I was ready again to rack up another 3 miles to the campground!

We began the descent from Bald Mountain toward Lolo Pass, where we expected to make camp for the night, but where Bald Mountain left off, Bull Run and Hiyu Mountain took over.  First, because of Bald Mountain, we were low on water, so we were hopeful for water at Lolo Pass campground.  We had already gone about 10.4 miles for the day, and decided the campground at the bottom of the hill was a good spot.  When we arrived, we did not find any water.

Not the Actual Cougar we saw near Lolo Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail

Looking at the maps, we estimated the closest water would be up Hiyu moutain about a quarter of a mile up.  So we headed up the hill toward the water, crossing under the high voltage power lines from Bonneville Dam.  Suddenly, we saw movement in the bushes to the right!  My immediate thought was “deer!”, but looking more closely, I realized that I was looking at the muscular back end and tail of a cougar as it slinked into the bushes!  It had clearly seen us and determined that we were not worth its time.  It was certainly a moment of awe, as most people never encounter a cougar, so I was happy to have seen one.  I was also content with the fact that the cougar was heading in the opposite direction.  We crossed the power lines, occasionally checking behind us to make sure we weren’t followed, and made it to the next water source, a small stream, where we filled up.  While filling the water container, Brian ran across additional cougar tracks.  The campground near the stream was small, on a sloping hill, full of flies and was close enough to the cougar, so we decided to head uphill in search of another campsite just up the hill, so we shouldered our packs and continued up Bull Run.

The mountains were ready for us now, and as we continued up the hill, we encountered a trail runner who indicated “guys, if you have any sleeves, you better get them on, because there’s a few mosquitoes right around the bend”.  We thanked him for the advice, thinking to ourselves “we haven’t seen a mosquito this whole trip, what is he smoking?”.  However, when we rounded the bend, we were swarmed by the biggest and most aggressive swarm of mosquitoes that I’ve ever encountered.  There was no stopping.  We coated ourselves with mosquito repellent, pulled on jackets, sleeves and sweatshirts, but the mosquitoes kept coming, poking in ears, hiding between packs, buzzing incessantly.  The next campground always seemed to be just another 3/4 of a mile over the hill, but with all the mosquitoes, we just kept going, not wanting to bed down with all the mosquitoes.  By this time, we missed our annoying black flies!

Dan and the Smokey Fire at Salvation Springs Campground

The sun was starting to set when we ran into the Lost Lake #617 crossover trail.  At that point, we realized we had done almost 5 miles since Lolo Pass, and the mosquitoes had not given up.  We pressed on for another quarter of a mile when we eventually came to a small trail with a small sign indicating Salvation Springs.  Brian left his pack on the trail and scouted down the path and found the Salvation Springs campground, with no mosquitoes and signaled us along.  We stumbled into the campground, but within minutes of arriving, the mosquitoes found us!  We were too tired and too annoyed by the pesky mosquitoes that we didn’t bother with the tarp tent, didn’t bother to cook any dinner, being content with PB&J Pitas, then building a smoky fire and then covering every exposed inch of skin from the mosquitoes.  I wanted to show how aggressive the mosquitoes were and exposed my hand and counted to 5, and there were 6 mosquitoes perched on my hand–with mosquito repellent and all!  The photo didn’t come out very well.

Brian in his mosquito-resistant protective gear

After a 15-mile day (Brian and Dan’s all-time best, and certainly mine, too) we were not happy about the mosquitoes keeping us up all night, however, we were in good spirits.  Our joke was that whoever named this campground “Salvation Springs” must have come from a REALLY terrible place!  Actually, Salvation Springs campground was actually a nice campground relatively close to a water source, and we probably would have had a great time if it weren’t for the mosquitoes.  Fortunately, they were most interested in annoying us and less interested in biting.  We built a nice fire and got it nice and smoky and slept around the campfire that night hoping the smoke would keep the mosquitoes away.  It worked somewhat, but we all left Salvation Springs with a few mosquito bites.

We must have also been dreaming of cougars, too, because Brian stepped away to “use the tree” during the night, upon his return to camp, Dan and I both heard him approach, woke up, and lit him up with our headlamps and I had drawn my ka-bar!  All-in-all, it was a long and challenging day, but it was still a good day!

Google Map plus Spot with markup showing the Day 2 progress

Brian, Dan and I preparing to start the Pacific Crest Trail from Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood

Day 1 of our Pacific Crest Trail Backpacking trip began up on Mt. Hood at Timberline Lodge.  Originally, we planned to start the Pacific Crest Trail backpacking trip at Timberline Lodge, however, two weeks prior, Paula and I went on a reconnaissance mission up to Mt. Hood to check the snow levels, and found the trail completely buried by at least 2 to 4 feet of snow.  Beyond the ski area, the trail was unrecognizable, so we planned to take the Paradise Park Trail #778 up the mountain to meet the PCT below Paradise Park.  We planned on checking out Timberline Lodge anyway before starting the journey, and when we arrived, we were very surprised to find the trail was almost totally clear.  As a result, we made a game-time decision to start the trip from the original spot.

Looking South from the Pacific Crest Trail / Timberline Trail on Mt Hood

At this point, the PCT was crossing ground that is generally buried in snow above the treeline, so there was not a ton of vegetation around, and it seemed the volcanic rock and ash were radiating the sun’s heat.  The weather was warm with a cold wind coming down the mountain from the summit making the temperature very bearable.  The air was a little hazy, and in the picture above, you could see Mt. Jefferson to the south and the Three Sisters beyond.  We snapped this picture as we crossed Sand Canyon.

Dan leading the charge down the Pacific Crest Trail

Here is a picture of Dan as we worked our way in and out of the canyons along Mt. Hood’s southwestern face.  This section of the Pacific Crest Trail also overlaps with the Timberline Trail, that goes all the way around Mt. Hood.

Looking up at the Mt. Hood Summit from Little Zigzag Canyon

We crossed several canyons along Mt. Hood’s western face, often stopping to take photos of the summit from where we were.  We had lots of photography equipment of varying degrees of sophistication.  Brian had his digital camera plus Stick-Pic, Dan had along a digital camcorder, and I had a disposable camera plus my trusty iphone camera.

Mt. Hood Summit and Zigzag Canyon from Pacific Crest Trail

The Zigzag Canyon was the first major canyon we needed to cross.  The Zigzag Glacier is up at the top of the canyon.  This was at about 6000 feet.

Zigzag Canyon on Mt. Hood, looking down at Zigzag River

Down below, you can see the Zigzag River, fueled by the summer temperatures and melting snowpack.  The PCT would take us down and around a switchback or two where we would eventually need to cross the Zigzag River.

Brian crossing the Zigzag River on Mt. Hood

We reached the floor of the Zigzag Canyon and reached the icy-cold Zigzag River.  Dan and I looked around for a convenient crossing and leapt across the river, while Brian stripped off his boots to wade across.  Once across the Zigzag, we began our ascent to Paradise Park.

Lost Creek on Mt. Hood

The ascent up the other side of the Zigzag Canyon from the Zigzag River was very steep, and by the time we crossed Lost Creek, I was running out of energy.  We were already at 5 miles for the day, so we stopped for a tasty lunch of Peanut Butter and Jelly Pita Sandwiches, which hit the spot.  Brian also hooked up his water purification system for the first time of the trip, and we got some very cold and refreshing water from Lost Creek.  From here, we took the PCT below Paradise Park, which was where the Paradise Park Trail #778 would have met up, if we did not start at Timberline.  After the physically draining Zigzag ascent, I was a little relieved that we started at Timberline after all.

Sandy River Waterfall on Mt. Hood

After another two miles, we crossed the Rushingwater Creek and got to see a waterfall on the Sandy River.  We would be descending the mountain for about 3 more miles to the Sandy River crossing.

Mount St. Helens view from Mt. Hood

From our numerous vantage points on Mount Hood, we were able to see Mount St. Helens to the northwest and Mount Adams to the northeast.  This photo was a disposable camera developed to digital, and as you can see, the quality is not very good.  I’ll update this post to include some of the higher-quality digital pictures once Brian posts his.  I broke out the iPhone for the higher quality pictures, and used the disposable for the rest, the idea was to conserve iPhone battery.  But for next time, I’m going to skip the disposable camera and just do it right, and maybe I’ll find a better solar charging solution for the iPhone camera.

Setting sun hitting the summit of Mt. Hood view from the Sandy River

We passed another backpacker who started at Cascade Locks and was ending at Timberline who warned us that the Sandy River crossing was a little hairy, so I looked for and found a nice long and sturdy hiking stick that I could use to balance with for the crossing.  When we reached the Sandy River, we were tired and had racked up 10.4 miles for the day, so we opted not to cross the river until morning.  The river was probably higher from the snowmelt during the day, so we wanted to try to cross in the early morning after the snow had a chance to refreeze during the night.

View of the Sunset from Sandy River on the Pacific Crest Trail

We camped at a nice little campsite on the edge of Rushingwater Creek, and set up camp.  Naturally, once we had our camp set up, we found an even better campsite.  We decided to build a fire and have dinner at the other campsite.  Using my c3po Unican stove to prepare it, I enjoyed a tasty cranberry chicken meal that Brian had mixed up in the week prior to the trip.  On this trip, I learned that he is quite the freezer-bag cooking gourmet chef.  I still had a few tricks up my sleeve, as my Rough ‘n’ Ready beef jerky also made it’s backpacking debut on this trip, and it was also a big hit!

View of sky from the Rushingwater Creek campsite

Dan hung the remaining food in the bear bag and then we called it a night in Brian’s trusty backpacking tarp tent.  The picture above was my view of the world after waking up the next morning at Rushingwater Creek. It was a very peaceful sleep after hiking many miles and sleeping next to the creek.

Google Map track of Brian's Spot Locator

Here is the Day 1 Google Map track of the trip from Timberline Lodge around to the Sandy River.

Paula at Lower Punchbowl Falls on Eagle Creek

Paula and I headed North East to Eagle Creek (5/30/2010) to scout out the end of the trail for the Pacific Crest Trail backpacking trip in late July.  Dan, Brian and I plan to start at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood and backpack all the way down and around, ending at the Eagle Creek trailhead.  I wanted to show Paula where Eagle Creek was so she’d know where to pick us up, as well as take a quick hike up the trail to see what the terrain would be like.  So, off we went.

Eagle Creek from the Trail

We were lucky because as we reached the end of the parking lot, someone just pulled out, so we zipped into that space.  Between the time it took to grab our water and stuff, we saw at least 20 cars pull in, look around for a spot, and then head back out.  Sullivan’s “100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon” indicated that Eagle Creek was super-crowded because it was conveniently located along the highway and was a fairly easy trail.  Well, we believed it.

Jeff field testing the Gregory Baltoro 70 backpack

I also took my new Gregory Baltoro 70 backpack along on the hike.  I’d be taking it along on my PCT backpacking trip, so I wanted to test it out.  You can’t really tell from the picture, but I’ve also got my medicine ball and some other weight in the backpack just to simulate actual load.

Metlako Falls from Eagle Creek Trail

The first cool waterfall we saw was Metlako Falls.  Apparently, there’s some hard-to-find trail to get down there, and then you can swim across to the base (I’ve heard about it on PortlandHikers.org), but that wasn’t on today’s agenda.

Creek Crossing the Eagle Creek Trail

There were a few scenic streams crossing the trail.  We have been getting some record rainfall so far this year, so there was plenty of water in the creeks and streams.

Jeff on the rocks at Lower Punchbowl Falls

We found a side trail that took us down into the gorge to Lower Punchbowl Falls.

Paula on the rocks at Lower Punchbowl Falls

Around the corner by Paula in the above picture, you can see Upper Punchbowl Falls.  However, the water was too high, and even after clambering out over the rocks to the end of the path, we still could not see all the way around.  In the summer, that may be a nice and cool thing to see.

Jeff at Lower Punchbowl Falls

This is Lower Punchbowl Falls.  The picture at the very top with Paula is another shot of it.

Eagle Creek Gorge looking upstream from Lower Punchbowl Falls

Here’s Eagle Creek Gorge standing at Lower Punchbowl Falls looking up toward where we were standing out on the rocks.  We then turned around and headed back up to the Eagle Creek Trail and then upstream toward the Upper Punchbowl Falls viewpoint.

Upper Punchbowl Falls from Eagle Creek Trail Viewpoint

Here is Upper Punchbowl Falls.  We ran into a bunch of backpackers with Jet Boil stoves boiling up some water for their lunch.

Mountain Heather (wildflowers) along Eagle Creek Trail

Paula and I continued up the trail passing some meadows full of wildflowers.  I’m pretty sure these purple ones are Mountain Heather.  If they’re not, someone let me know!

Giant Eagle Creek Boulder

That is a cool boulder out in the creek.  It matches everything but still looks slightly out of place.  Certainly worth a photo.

Loowit Falls along Eagle Creek Trail

We managed to step over and around the three different photographers taking pictures of Loowit Falls and got this picture.  Pretty cool

Eagle Creek looking down from High Bridge

We made it up to High Bridge.  I don’t think Paula was very comfortable standing on the middle of the bridge peering down into the deep gorge with rushing water below, so we took a quick picture or two and crossed to solid ground on the other side.

Paula beyond High Bridge on Eagle Creek

She looks quite a bit more relaxed now that we were safe on the opposite side.

Skoonichuk Falls at Eagle Creek

We made it just beyond Skoonichuk Falls to about the 3.5 mile mark, and decided that a 7-mile round trip day would be just fine, so we did an about-face and headed back down the trail.

Loowit Falls from Upstream

We saw this additional view of Loowit Falls on the way back down, which was also pretty nice, so we got this shot, too.  We headed back out and then had a beer and a nice lunch out at Pacific Crest Pub and sampled their extra-hot horseradish.