Lookback

Timberline Trail High Point from Cloud Cap 7/28/2017 (#39)

We drove up the dusty switchbacks of Cloud Cap Road, through the burned forest from the 2008 and 2011 fires. Lupine, goldenrod, penstemon, aster and paintbrush lined the road, and the views to the Cascade peaks to the north appeared as we gained elevation.

Lupine lined road to Cloud Cap through the burned forest

The trail head is at 5600 feet, and we began our hike in the forest. We soon rounded a bend to clear views of the mountain, and of our trail heading up through loose moraine and across a stream. Abundant wildflowers lined the trail despite the dry dusty nature of the substrate.

Looking up toward Mt Hood

and back east down Tilly Jane Creek drainage

After crossing the drainage, we continued up and soon emerged above timberline on a rocky alpine slope with local patches of snow. We saw stunning views to the peak of Mt. Hood and it’s eastside glaciers, and to the Washington Cascade peaks of Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier and Mt Adams.

We continued gently up and down on the Timberline Trail, around ridges and across snowfields. We could see the peak, and the Cooper Spur moraine and ridgeline made distinctive by a huge boulder called tie in rock. We hiked that ridge to the base of the glacier a few years ago, and we could see a few antlike people hiking along the ridgeline today. We opted to stay along the timberline trail to its topographic high point, about 7300 feet. We traversed along the ridge adjacent to this point to a lunch spot with 360 degree panoramic views, including views to the south of Gnarl Ridge, Lamberson Butte, and much further to the south, the silhouettes of Mt Jefferson and Black Butte that were somewhat obscured by wildfire smoke in that direction. To the north, the view was still clear to Mt. Adams and Mt Rainier.

Cooper Spur moraine and with Tie-in Rock in the saddle

South view-Mt Jefferson in the smoke haze

Mts Rainier and Adams to the north

Though the landscape looks barren from a distance there were abundant flowers along the trail, some of them short or dwarf varieties.

Dwarf lupine, pussypaws, buckwheat, yarrow

Mountain aster

Partridge foot

Jacob’s ladder

Phlox

Penstemon

I love to look at the shapes and textures of the glaciers:

These suncups in a melting snowfield on the trail created an otherworldly landscape.

We stopped to look at the stone Cooper Spur shelter, and get a better look at the upper part of the Eliot Glacier.

Our round trip hike for the day was about 6 miles and 1650 feet.

GPS track

Flower list

Lookback: We completed this same hike in October of 2015 with friends. At that time there was an early winter dusting of snow, creating a frosted white landscape. The clarity and blueness of the sky was remarkable that day, despite the patchy clouds, with Cascade peaks both north and south easily seen.

The three Washington peaks to the north from timberline:

July 2017

October 2015

and from above timberline, with the Cloud cap shelter on the left:

July 2017

October 2015

Mt. Hood from the Timberline trail high point lunch spot; Cooper Spur/Tie-In Rock on the right:

July 2017

October 2015

Looking down Tilly Jane Creek from the trail crossing:

July 2017

October 2015

Craft Update:

I made a key basket for my son, and added one and a half knitted tortillas to my collection:

key basket

knitted tortillas

Vista Ridge Hike 6/30/2017 (#35)

The Vista Ridge trail, trailhead at 4500′, is one of my favorite ways to hike to the summer alpine meadows along the Timberline Trail on the north side of Mt. Hood. The area suffered a large forest fire in 2011, so much of the lower part of the trail is through a burned forest. Each year the undergrowth in the burn zone has increased, and there are many huckleberry bushes now filling in the ashy ground, but there is little shade in the scorched forest. We see glimpses of the stark white peak of Mt. Hood through the screen of burned trees, and each year we notice more fallen trees. Usually we wait to hike until the snow has melted out up to the Timberline Trail at about 6000′, and we have noticed abundant lily seed heads lining the trail through the burn zone. We have also seen the social media posts about the incredible avalanche lily display that follows the snowline up the mountain. We have previously seen swathes of lilies in the upper trail area, but this year we went early enough to see the lower trail in full bloom. With the heavy snowpack this year, it may be a while before the Timberline trail is snow free.

Dan hiking toward Mt. Hood in the lower lily fields, flowers fading to pink.

There were millions of lilies along the trail and throughout the forest floor. The lilies in the first patches we encountered were fading and turning pink, petals tips curling up. But soon enough we were surrounded by fresh blooming flowers with crisp white points and yellow centers. They were beautiful and amazing and the pictures speak for themselves. It was lovely to be able to walk through them. We hiked to about 5300′, where snow obscured the trail and the lily plants in the patches of snow free ground had not yet bloomed.

Fresh blooms

Lilies line the trail

Entering the snow zone

Meanwhile, we were walking among the ghosts of a forest past – trees reduced to spiky trunks, sloughed black bark, chalky curled branches and ashen soil. Trees with haunted sad faces, gaping mouths, and twisted empty eye sockets occasionally loomed above, watching us walk by. The contrast between blue sky and bare trees creates a starkly beautiful if tragic setting.

Two photos from previous year’s hikes show one of the tree faces that I couldn’t find this year, so it must have fallen. The August 2014 photo shows abundant lily seed heads. In March of 2015, a low snow year, I saw the same face with a snowy ground.

August 2014

March 2015

Returning down the trail, Mt. Adams seems to float on the skyline, reminding me of Carl Sandburg’s Village of Cream Puffs.

Mt. Adams to the north

Mt. Adams, floating like Carl Sandburg’s Village of

There were only a few other wildflowers blooming on this day, including some seen along the road to the trailhead. Our hiking mileage for the day was 4.2/800 feet.