Ramona Falls

Date hiked: 7/21/20

The 7.1-mile (1,035' gain) lollipop loop to Ramona Falls is a popular summer destination for outdoor enthusiasts due to the gradual elevation gain, relative proximity to Portland (1 hour) and its beautiful climax at the wondrous falls. The trek begins on a wide, sandy trail from the large parking area. The most difficult section arrives within the first mile--crossing the Sandy River. The original bridge was washed out, so hikers must traverse one of the logs strewn across the water or attempt a ford. A great shot of Mt. Hood lies upstream.

 

The trail picks up on the opposite bank and winds though a forested gully, eventually ascending alongside the river. After bearing left at the Pacific Crest-Sandy River Trail junction, the path soon reaches a log footbridge over Ramona Creek and heads up the bank.

 

Keep right at the Ramona Falls-Pacific Crest Trail junction and continue up through the shaded woodland along the tranquil Ramona Creek. Look left to note the pink and sandy andesite cliffs.

 

Stay right at the junction with the Timberline Trail to admire Ramona Falls' splashing veil from the footbridge that spans the creek.

 

Complete the loop by continuing on the Timberline Trail, which gently drops among stunted mountain hemlocks and lodgepole pines. Turn right at the Pacific Crest-Timberline Middle Trail junction. Follow the path down among rhododendrons to the Pacific Crest-Sandy River Trail junction, staying left to make the Sandy River crossing and return to the trailhead.

Feeling ambitious and energized, I trail jogged the scenic loop counter-clockwise, encountering few people on a Tuesday morning. Next time, I would be interested to check out the longer hikes nearby, or to snowshoe/ski the loop during winter! 10:30am-12:30pm RT. 

Bear Point

Date hiked: 7/19/20

With another perfect forecast on Sunday, Tom and I drove two hours southeast via I-5 S and OR-22 E to the South Breitenbush Trailhead. The 7.5-mile (3,030' gain) out-and-back to Bear Point is a challenging but rewarding trek that is off the beaten path at the base of Mt. Jefferson. The route begins east on Trail #3375 with a gentle climb over 2 miles through dense forest and several small streams. Bring bug spray! Keep left at the junction with Trail #3342, which begins the arduous 2-mile ascent to the summit of Bear Point. Trekking poles recommended for the steep and rocky terrain.

As the trail climbs 1,700' in 1.5 miles and emerges from the cover of the forest, spectacular views abound to the south--Mt. Jefferson, Sisters and Three Fingered Jack. At the summit of Bear Point (6,043'), Mt. Hood dominates the northern view.

 

Tom and I are eager to spend more time in this area by way of an overnight backpacking trip to Jefferson Park. 11am-3pm RT.

 

Devils Peak

Date hiked: 7/16/20

Practically giddy to go to the mountains twice in one week, Little Red and I headed back towards Mt. Hood on Thursday; nothing but blue skies ahead. We followed Highway 26 east through Zigzag to Cool Creek Trailhead. The 7.6-mile out-and-back (3,200' gain) route to Devils Peak is a very steep assault of a small peak with a fire lookout on top.

Cool Creek Trail #794 begins in the lush Still Creek valley of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, and immediately heads steeply uphill. The forest is thick with Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western red-cedars. Trekking poles recommended.

 
 

The trail reaches a ridge with a view of Flag Mountain, Zigzag Mountain and Mt. Hood. Then it continues to climb and passes over a trickling stream. The gradient becomes easier at a section of bear-grass, huckleberry and rhododendrons.

Following a series of rocky viewpoints, I recommend taking a short spur trail up to the ridge for a stellar shot of Mts. Hood, St. Helens, Adams and Rainier.



A right at the Hunchback Mountain-Cool Creek Trail Junction and then a quick left leads to the Devils Peak Lookout (elevation 5,045'). The fire tower is maintained by volunteers with a log book inside where overnight visitors can sign in; first come, first served.

 

On a clear day, views extend south to Mt. Jefferson and east to the Devils Tooth rock outcropping and the Salmon River Valley. Now that the peak is no longer an official fire lookout, the surrounding trees are growing up and will soon obscure most of the expansive vistas. 10a-2pm RT.

 

Tom Dick and Harry Mountain

Date hiked: 7/13/20

Summertime weather finally arrived in Oregon by mid July. On a free Monday, I drove an hour southeast on Highway 26 towards Mt. Hood. My plan was to hike the 7.7-mile out-and-back (1,460' gain) to Tom Dick and Harry Mountain.

The trail begins on a wide path that undulates beneath a shaded forest, crossing several footbridges over trickling creeks. A lake shore trail encircles Mirror Lake, which draws many visitors to photograph its reflective views of Mt. Hood (clearest on a windless day). Don't forget bug spray!

From here, ditch the crowds and follow signs to Tom Dick and Harry Mountain. The route ascends through thick forest with pink rhododendrons in early summer. This section features views of Mt. Hood and the Zigzag Mountain high country. A rock cairn at 3 miles marks a switchback toward the summit. Continue at an easy grade along the ridge through open lodgepole trees before reaching a steep, rocky section near the western "Harry" summit of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain.

The final pitch is up an open rocky crest, where the view is dominated by Mt. Hood and Mirror Lake nestled in the forested bowl below. On the northern skyline, Mts. St. Helens, Rainier and Adams can be seen on a clear day. The vista also includes Mt. Jefferson to the south and the high, wild ridge tops of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness to the southwest. The village of Government Camp and Timberline Lodge are also visible. Golden-mantled ground squirrels and pikas scuttle about on the slopes of platy andesite. Elevation 4,930'.





Note that a loop option exists by continuing along the ridge, but I flipped it around after soaking in the sunshine from the airy perch. I've recently started trail jogging easy parts of hikes, so I clocked in around 2.5 hours RT (1:30pm-4pm).

Siouxon Creek

Date hiked: 7/7/20

Located 1.5 hours northeast of Portland in southwest Washington, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest’s Siouxon Roadless Area is part of the 1902 Yacolt Burn. Much of the 100-year-old forest, however, is younger because fires continued to erupt in the area until 1930. The easy out-and-back trek to Chinook Falls (roughly 1,000' elevation over 8 miles) features the main waterfalls of the Siouxon Basin along the undulating Siouxon Trail (pronounced "SOO-sahn"). Visitors are entranced by the deep green and lush shadiness of the valley, and the proximity to water.

From the trailhead, pick up Siouxon Trail #130 and descend into a lush forest of Douglas-fir and western hemlock with a carpet of oxalis and sword fern. Take the footbridge over West Creek and continue along Siouxon Creek. Keep straight at a junction and cross another footbridge over Horseshoe Creek.

 

After 2 miles, reach a bench that looks out toward Siouxon Falls. The creek here plunges noisily through a rocky cleft and forms a large pool, which is great for a dip on a summer day.

 

Continuing on, come to another junction and follow the path along Siouxon Creek. Take the final footbridge to the next junction while looking upstream to 14-mile Falls. From here, Chinook Trail #130A follows Chinook Creek, eventually reaching the crossing below Chinook Falls. The 60' waterfall is best viewed from mid-creek or the west bank.

 

Note: experienced hikers can continue on to Wildcat Falls, which requires crossing a rushing ford to complete a lollipop loop or backtracking for a longer trek. After enjoying the view, I turned around at Chinook Falls. 12:30pm-3:30pm RT.

This beautiful waterfall hike reminded me of Opal Creek. A misty drizzle blanketed the trail all afternoon, which caused me to reflect on my growth since my Denver days when I would never consider such an outing without an early alarm and a bluebird forecast. I would love to return to this area later in summer and backpack to one of the campsites along the creek.

 

Marco Island, FL

The summer solstice coincides with International Yoga Day at the end of June every year. In Portland, daylight stretches from 5am to 9pm this time of year. Just as the city began to reopen, Tom and I left PDX for my sister's wedding in Florida. Traveling for a destination wedding in the middle of a pandemic caused stress and tension within my family. However, COVID-19 does not seem to be leaving us anytime soon, so I suppose that we should live our lives while taking proper precautions.

Armed with face masks, sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer, Tom and I braved the airport on Tuesday morning. After a brief stop in Dallas, we arrived in Fort Lauderdale that evening. From there, it was a two-hour drive to Marco Island--located in the Gulf of Mexico off southwest Florida. I was eager to meet my parents and Anna and Alex at the hotel. It was difficult to maintain physical distance given the trying circumstances of the past few months, and the fact that this was our first reunion since Christmas!

 

Wednesday was wedding day! I joined Mom and Anna at Rita's rental house, helping her and her friends get ready. That afternoon, Rita married Patrick at a Catholic church under the grace of Patrick's uncle. During the homily, he explained that their wedding date fell on John the Baptist's birthday. Starting now, the days gradually shorten until Jesus's birthday (in exactly six months), at which point they begin to lengthen. In this way we may conceptualize selfless love; decreasing yourself so that your partner and your relationship together may increase. 

 

After the ceremony, the small procession celebrated at the waterside venue, Snook Inn.

 

Thursday was spent lounging at the beach and pool. Florida in June is hot and humid--so much so that cooling off in the water is not even refreshing!

After many heartfelt goodbyes, everyone parted ways on Friday. Despite the anxiety surrounding this occasion, I am grateful that it worked out. Family is everything.

Wishing Rita and Patrick a lifetime of love and adventure.