On October 23rd, a patient at Pharmaca asked how I was enjoying "the first gray day of the season." While Halloween is the general rule of thumb for the start of rainy season, apparently Portland will not see the sun again from now until May. So far, however, it hasn't been too bad... more on this to come.
During a busy week at the pharmacy, I was eager to get outside on my day off on Wednesday. While I do not yet enjoy rainy hikes, I am learning to embrace cloudy hikes. The trek to Dry Creek Falls (Herman Creek Pinnacles extension) is an excellent option in cloudy weather. The 9-mile out-and-back (~1,000' gain) is the easiest and most interesting of several possible destinations radiating from the Herman Creek Trailhead (including last week's hike to Indian Point).
Making a conscious effort to slow down (What's the rush?), I slept in and took my time getting ready for the day's adventure--10:30am start. Despite the bleak forecast, the sun occasionally peaked out from behind the thick clouds as the temperature rose to a comfortable 60 degrees.
The Herman Creek Trail switchbacks through moss- and fern-covered Douglas-fir and bigleaf maple. There is something to be said about the size of trees here--and of their leaves.
The route deviates at the first junction for a pleasant descent to a metal bridge spanning Herman Creek. Quiet solitude along this trail.
From the rushing creek, the path climbs a hillside with a mix of forest and talus slopes. Pika, who I am used to seeing (and hearing) at 14,000' also find surprisingly good habitat at low elevations throughout the Gorge.
One mile from creek, the trail connects to the famous Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), which eventually leads to the Human Creek Pinnacles. This pair of crumbly rock spires is difficult to capture on film because they receive minimal sunlight due to their location beneath the north-facing cliffs of the Gorge.
I continued hiking west on the PCT for 1.5 miles to Dry Creek. A short side trip upstream gives rise to the spectacular Dry Creek Falls.
I returned to the trailhead by 2:30pm (4 hours RT), thinking how fascinating it would be to someday complete the entire PCT from Canada to Mexico...
