Tag: hiking

Midnight & Yoran Lakes – Diamond Peak Wilderness

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date October 23, 2014
3 Comments on Midnight & Yoran Lakes – Diamond Peak Wilderness

Our final October hike brought us to the Diamond Peak Wilderness for our second ever visit. This 52,611 acre wilderness is home to numerous lakes and 8,744′ Diamond Peak. Our plan for this visit was to start at the Trapper Creek Trailhead and take the Yoran Lake Trail to Yoran Lake then head cross-country to the Pacific Crest Trail returning on a loop past Midnight Lake. It was a rainy drive for most of the morning but we arrived at the West Odell lake Access off Highway 58 under clouds that were beginning to break up. Parking for the trail is located across from the Shelter Cove Resort next to some railroad tracks.

The actual trail started on the far side of the tacks and quickly entered the wilderness.

Just a short while after entering the wilderness the trail split. The left fork led to Diamond View Lake and the right to the Yoran Lake Trail.

We took the right hand fork which briefly followed Trapper Creek passing a small waterfall just before crossing the creek on a footbridge.

The trail split again at the Yoran Lake Trail which headed uphill to the left while the path on the right led to Pengra Pass and the PCT. We began the steady climb up to Yoran Lake as a little fog rolled through the forest.

Yoran and Midnight Lakes were only two of several lakes we were going to be visiting on the hike as well as a number of smaller ponds. We came to the first small lake after 3 miles on the Yoran Lake Trail.

In another mile we arrived at Karen Lake.

On a clearer day we would have had a great view of Diamond Peak but we had to settle for some briefs peeks of the peak.

Just to the NW of Karen Lake we found Yoran Lake at the end of the Yoran Lake Trail. Diamond Peak was again hidden by the clouds, but we had a little better view of Mt. Yoran.

We made our way around the lake to the northern end where there was a pair of small islands.

We left the lake shore when we passed the second island, crossing a pretty little inlet creek, and headed true north toward the PCT.

At first we were following a faint path but we lost the tread as we passed by a pair of small ponds.

A couple of quick checks of the GPS showed we were on course to arrive at Liles Lake which lies next to the PCT. Our guidebook said to go around the left side of the lake but we arrived closer to the right side. We picked up a trail going around the lake and decided to just follow it around that side.

It looked like the right side might be difficult to go around earlier in the year when the water level would have been higher but we had no problem following the path and hooking up with the PCT on the north side of the lake. We turned right and started downhill passing some small ponds and passing through some interesting forest.

The next lake we came to was Hidden Lake.

We passed several more pretty little ponds between Hidden Lake and the next named lake which was Arrowhead Lake. It was pretty clear why this forest is full of mosquitoes most of July and August with ponds and lakes seemingly everywhere.

We almost passed by Arrowhead Lake waiting for a clear path to it, but when we didn’t find one we made our own. We were glad we did because this lake had some of the prettiest water we had seen that day.

Continuing down the PCT from Arrowhead Lake we passed a rock that Heather dubbed Gorilla Rock due to it’s interesting shape. She thought it looked like a gorillas head and arm.

Shortly after passing the rock we spotted movement through the trees further down the trail. I thought we’d seen another person or dog coming up the trail and then we saw a second flash of color which we could tell was an elk. A total of four elk cows had crossed the trail and passed in virtual silence through the forest and over a small ridge. I was snapping pictures every time one appeared through the trees but I never got more than the back half of one.

The final named lake we visited was Midnight Lake.

We stopped at one final unnamed lake/pond before arriving at Pengra Pass.

We left the PCT at Pengra Pass and followed an old road right .4 miles where a trail split off from the right hand shoulder.

It was only another .6 miles back to the Yoran Lake Trail and .7 more back to our car. On our way home we made a pit stop at Salt Creek Falls, the previous hike we’d taken in the Diamond Peak Wilderness. https://wanderingyuncks.wordpress.com/2013/07/07/salt-creek-falls/

All the lakes were very nice and we are hoping to do some backpacking in the area sometime. Diamond Peak is a non-technical climb and there are trails all the way around the mountain making for numerous possible destinations. More ideas for future trips 🙂 Happy Trails!

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Tags Arrowhead lake, Diamond Peak, Diamond Peak Wilderness, elk, hiking, Karen Lake, Liles Lake, Midnight Lake, Mt. Yoran, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail, PCT, Salt Creek Falls, Trapper Creek, Yoran Lake

High Cascades Hiking Mt. Jefferson Area Oregon Trip report

Jefferson Park – 2014

**Note the 2017 Whitewater Fire burned a portion of this hike.**

The only location we have visited in each of the last three years is Jefferson Park in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. For awhile it looked like that streak might be broken this year, but then Heather accidentally signed up for a 5k race on what was to be our final weekend of hiking in October. We rescheduled our final October hike and I decided to take advantage of the Columbus Day holiday and head to Jefferson Park to keep my streak alive.

We had rotated the trails we used to reach Jefferson Park between the three most popular approaches – The Whitewater Creek Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail from the north, and the South Breitenbush Trail. Since the Whitewater Creek Trail offered the shortest drive and hike I decided to revisit that trail.

It is also the most popular approach but the parking area was nearly empty when I arrived. It was a surprisingly warm morning despite the forecast of snow for the very next day and I was able to leave my hat and gloves in my pack as I set off. I’d dressed for a typically chilly Fall morning and I wound up having to remove my two lower layers before I’d gone a quarter mile, but once I got my clothing situation corrected I was able to set a nice pace as I climbed along the Sentinel Hills.

The trail started off in the trees offering only brief glimpse of the top of Mt. Jefferson. One and a half miles in an unmarked trail joined from the left coming from Triangulation Peak. Another mile from the junction is where the views started unfolding as the trail wound up and around the Sentinel Hills.

The Three Pyramids

Triangulation Peak

Mt. Jefferson

Fall was on display in the wilderness and the forest was full of color.

The trail joined the Pacific Crest Trail at the 4.2 mile mark which I continued North on for another .9 miles to Jefferson Park.

The view of Mt. Jefferson from the park is the main attraction.

There are many other attractions in the park though including five named lakes, the South Fork Breitenbush River, and wildflower meadows (If you time it right). We had visited all the lakes and the river and seen some of the wildflowers, but we had never headed toward the mountain itself. I decided that was what I was going to do on this visit so I took the first well worn trail leading off to the right from the PCT and headed for Mt. Jefferson.

I wasn’t sure where this trail was going to lead as it climbed through a series of meadows.

Eventually I came to the tree line where a series of rock cairns appeared to lead up a ridge of loose rocks.

I kept going following the cairns as best as I could. As I was climbing I noticed a fellow hiker higher up along the ridge. The view behind was getting better by the minute as the elevation gain was allowing for a great look down at Jefferson Park.

Soon I could see Mt. St. Helens with a fresh ring of snow on its upper reaches.

The final push to the crest of the ridge was steep and full of loose footing and the wind was whipping up dust devils.

The wind had been fairly strong but it was nothing compared to the gusts that met me as when I finally gained the ridge crest. It nearly knocked me off balance so I got low and found a nice big rock to sit down on. The other hiker was about 30 yards up the ridge doing the same thing. We were at the foot of the Jefferson Park Glacier staring up at the summit of Mt. Jefferson.

Unfortunately the Sun was also almost directly in front of us making pictures difficult in that direction but the view back toward Jefferson Park did not have that same problem. Mt. Hood and Mt. Rainier had joined Mt. St. Helens on the horizon and the entirety of Jefferson Park was spread out below.

Mt. Rainier & Mt. Hood beyond Park Butte

To the northwest I could see Triangulation Peak and Bocca Cave where we had been about a month earlier. https://wanderingyuncks.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/triangulation-peak-boca-cave-via-cheat-creek/

It appeared that it would have been possible to continue east up the ridge along the glacier but the wind was blowing too hard to attempt going any further so I began my descent back down into the park. Once I had made it back down into the meadows I turned right on the first good trail I came to thinking I had hit the PCT already. It was still early enough I had decided to head across the park and visit Russell Lake and hoped to return past the other four named lakes. I quickly realized that I wasn’t on the PCT and I had taken one of the use trails that crisscross through the park. I decided to continue along it as it was leading me in the correct direction for the lake through a series of meadows. I even found some aster still in bloom along the way.

I ended up at the SE end of Russell Lake which was perfect since we had not been to this side of the lake on our previous trips.

Again the Sun was in a position to wash out some of the picture but the the view from the lake was as amazing as ever.

I walked around the north end of the lake and located the PCT which I turned left on and started to head back. Near the South Fork Breitenbush River I was surprised to see a single paintbrush still blooming in the middle of a meadow.

When I reached the South Breitenbush Trail I left the PCT and headed west. As the trail began descending a small hillside toward the river I turned left at a switchback marked with a rock cairn. This trail led to Park Lake.

Staying to the left of Park Lake I followed the path up to Rock Lake.

And then continued on to Bays Lake.

I took a break at Bays Lake and soaked my feet for a bit before heading to the East and Scout Lake.

Just a short distance to the East of Scout Lake I was back on the PCT right where I had left it that morning. It was time to say goodbye to Jefferson Park for another year.

On the way back down to the trailhead I was finally able to get a few pictures of the mountain without interference from the Sun.

The ridge that I had been on earlier.

The only real bummer of the day was not having Heather there to hike with. This was my first solo hike and I have to say I really missed sharing the experience with her. I found it hard to just stop and enjoy the surroundings as much as we normally would. It was an interesting experience but hopefully not one that happens often. Happy Trails!

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Tags bays lake, bocca cave, hiking, Jefferson Park, jefferson park glacier, Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail, Park lake, PCT, rock lake, Russell Lake, scout lake, Triangulation Peak, whitewater creek, whitewater trail

High Cascades Hiking Mt. Jefferson Area Oregon Trip report

Marion Lake and Marion Falls

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date October 7, 2014
2 Comments on Marion Lake and Marion Falls

When it was time to say goodbye to Central Oregon we packed up and headed for one final hike. We chose Marion Lake as the destination hoping for some good fall colors along the way. We passed over the crest of the Cascade Mountains returning to the west side and the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. The Marion Lake Trail set off through a green forest before entering the wilderness area.

We soon found the fall colors we were looking for as we reached Lake Ann.

A half mile from Lake Ann we took the Marion Outlet Trail in search of the unmarked side trail to Marion and Gatch Falls.

The side trail was about 200yds from the junction and we followed toward Marion Creek and the falls. Someone had put a sign up indicating a yellow jacket nest along the trail so we bypassed that section rejoining the path a bit beyond an overlook of the falls. The path continued steeply down to the base of Marion Falls.

From Marion Falls it was just a short distance down to a view that included Gatch Falls (which some have argued is really a lower tier of Marion Falls).

After visiting the falls we continued toward Marion Lake. At a junction with the Blue Lake Trail we crossed Marion Creek hoping to get a view of Mt. Jefferson from across Marion Lake.

At the edge of a rock field that was ablaze in Fall colors we followed a path down to the lake shore where there was a nice view of Mt. Jefferson to the North.

There was an Osprey circling the lake apparently looking for breakfast.

We then recrossed the lake’s outlet and headed toward Marion Lake’s day use peninsula. As we made our way around the lake Three Fingered Jack came into view.

From the peninsula both Mt. Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack were visible but never at the same time.

After leaving the peninsula the trail crossed over another rock field with even more colorful leaves and many small birds.

Looking back we could see the peninsula and Three Fingered Jack.

After leaving the lake shore we came to another trail junction which was unsigned. We turned left to complete the small loop back to the earlier junction just prior to the Marion Falls side trail. There was more rocky hillsides and orange leaves along this portion.

We returned to Lake Ann where we found a good number of ducks floating on the far side of the lake.

From there we finished off the final 1.8 miles of our vacation hiking. It was time to go back and get ready for my Grandmother’s 90th birthday party the next day. Happy Trails (and happy birthday Grandma!)

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Tags Ducks, fall colors, gatch falls, hiking, lake ann, marion falls, marion lake, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon, Osprey, Three Fingered Jack, yellow jackets

Crater Lake Area High Cascades Hiking Mt. Theilsen/Mt. Bailey Area Oregon Trip report

Mt. Scott (Crater Lake National Park) & Tipsoo Peak (Mt. Thielsen Wilderness)

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date October 5, 2014
16 Comments on Mt. Scott (Crater Lake National Park) & Tipsoo Peak (Mt. Thielsen Wilderness)

After a semi-rest day (Sparks Lake) we headed to Crater Lake National Park for our third visit hoping this time to actually be able to see the lake. In 2012 smoke had made it nearly invisible and earlier this year clouds had completely blocked the view. This time we were not disappointed.

August 2012

June 2014

October 2014

Our plan was to hike to the former lookout tower on Mt. Scott, the highest point in the park at 8938′ and then head north on Hwy 138 to the Tipsoo Peak Trail and also summit that 8034′ peak. The two hikes combined would be just over 11 miles with a combined 3000′ of elevation gain making them very doable in a single day.

The Mt. Scott Trail sets off along a broad plain at the base of the mountain giving a clear view of the entire peak as well as the lookout tower on it’s northern end.

The trail climbs around to the south side of the mountain and then up to the long ridge along Mt. Scotts summit. Not only were the skies clear above Crater Lake but we were able to see mountain peaks from Mt. Shasta in the south to Mt. Jefferson up north along the way. The views started early along the trail and just improved was we climbed.

Mt. Shasta, Mt. McLoughlin, and Union Peak to the south.

Crater Lake

Mt. Bailey

Mt. Thielsen and Diamond Peak

The Three Sisters

Mt. Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack

While we were traversing the ridge over to the lookout tower we spotted a hawk soaring high above the park.

After checking out the tower we headed back down to the car to start the drive to the Tipsoo Peak Trail. We had to make a couple of stops just to take in the beauty of Crater Lake.

We left the park and drove up to the Tipsoo Trail where we were surprised to find a much nicer forest than we had expected. Our previous trips in the Mt. Thielsen Wilderness had been through lodgepole pine forests which are not exactly eye candy.

We were also surprised by the number of mushrooms we spotted.

The climb was very gradual making it fairly easy going as we approached the summit. Near the top the trail passed by the edge of pumice filled Howlock Meadows where Howlock Mountain, Mt. Thielsen, and Mt. Bailey were visible.

Red cinder covered the top of Tipsoo Peak and the 360 degree view revealed several mountains and lakes.

Red Cone

Howlock Mountain and Mt. Thielsen

Diamond Peak

The Three Sisters, Broken Top, and Mt. Bachelor

Mt. Bailey and Diamond Lake

Lemolo Lake

Miller Lake

Madieu Lake

Lucille Lake

These were a couple of really nice hikes if you are looking for big views without a long or steep hike. Both hikes were on the shorter end (4.6 & 6.5 miles) and both trails climbed very gradually making them very nice options. The access road for the Tipsoo Peak trail was a bit rough and would probably require a high clearance vehicle though. Happy Trails!

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High Cascades Hiking Oregon Three Sisters Area Trip report

Sparks Lake

During our stay in Bend Dominique had his birthday and we planned on spending as much time with him as possible that day so we needed a nice short hike for the morning. We picked the 2.5 mile Ray Atkeson Memorial Loop at Sparks Lake which was only about 30 minutes from where we were staying.

The weather had cleared up nicely from earlier in the week but that came with a cold front which left the temperature in the upper 20’s as we set off on the trail. The first views of the lake and the South Sister were amazing.

There weren’t any people to be seen but there were plenty of ducks, geese and herons present.

The trail left the lake shore and passed through a lava flow and the Davis Canyon. A narrow lava slot which was an interesting feature.

A short climb on the back side of the loop produced views of Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top and the South Sister.

After completing the loop we headed down to the boat dock and peninsula to get a closer look at the lake. The sky was blue and the Sun shining but there was still a bit of ice water as the mountains reflected in the still water.

A beautifully cold Central Oregon morning. It’s hard to start a day much better than that and ending with a family dinner celebrating Dominique’s 19th birthday was perfect ending. Happy Trails!

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Tags Broken Top, Central Oregon, Davis Canyon, Ducks, Heron, hiking, lava flow, Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, Ray Atkeson, South Sister, Sparks Lake

High Cascades Hiking Oregon Three Sisters Area Trip report

Six Lake Trail – Three Sisters Wilderness

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date October 5, 2014
2 Comments on Six Lake Trail – Three Sisters Wilderness

Following our attempt at catching the sunrise from Tumalo Peak we took a day off then headed back out to the trails. The weather was still a bit cloudy but it was okay this time because our goal was a series of lakes and not mountain views. We arrived at the trail just as it was becoming light.

Shortly after setting off we entered the Three Sisters Wilderness.

The trail climbed gradually to the first lake which was Blow Lake which we arrived at just as the clouds began turning colors with the rising Sun.

We left Blow Lake and followed the trail another mile and a half to Doris Lake. Along the way we met a couple of the locals and spotted an interesting group of mushrooms.

Frog on a log.

Chipmunk (On a different log.)

Mushrooms

Doris Lake

From Doris Lake we followed the Six Lakes Trail for close to another mile to a trail junction where we then took a short .6 mile side trip to see Senoj Lake.

We returned to the Six Lake Trail and continued two more miles to the Pacific Crest Trail. We then took the PCT south for 1.6 miles past several small bodies of water to an unmarked side trail on the left at a small rock pile. We took the side trail which led us to the Cliff Lake Shelter and Cliff Lake, our turnaround point.

Ponds along the trail

Cliff Lake Shelter

We left our gear at the shelter and spent some time exploring a rocky bank and enjoying the lake. When we got back to the shelter we noticed that a squirrel, chipmunk, and a golden-mantled squirrel had all taken an interest in our packs. They scurried off when we approached but soon several grey jays came in to check us out.

There were also lots of dragon flies and a butterfly flitting about.

We left the shelter and headed back the way we’d come (minus the side trip to Senoj Lake). There had been a slight chance of showers forecast but the weather had been great and the skies increasingly blue. When we arrived back at Doris Lake we went back down to the shore and followed a trail along it for awhile.

Near the end of the hike we even got a mountain view.

Mt. Bachelor

It turned out to be a very pleasant hike. Each lake was unique and trails were were well maintained and never very steep. Our Garmin showed a total distance of 16.7 miles which was a bit more than we’d expected but the ease of the trail made it seem like less. Happy Trails!

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Tags Blow Lake, Cliff Lake, Cliff Lake Shelter, Doris Lake, hiking, Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail, PCT, Senoj Lake, Three Sisters Wilderness

High Cascades Hiking Oregon Three Sisters Area Trip report

Tumalo Mountain – Attempted Sunrise Hike

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date October 5, 2014
3 Comments on Tumalo Mountain – Attempted Sunrise Hike

I am bit behind in our trip reports. We were recently on vacation to take Dominique to college in Bend, OR and while we were there we worked in several hikes. Our first hike was an attempt to watch the sunrise from the top of 7775′ Tumalo Mountain. From the summit we hoped to have a view of Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top, and South Sister while the Sun rose over Central Oregon to the East. The forecast called for some clouds but we hopped that they would stay higher in the air and provide additional colors for the sunrise. The trail sets off from Dutchman Flat sno-park and climbs to the former lookout site on Tumalo Mountain in 2 miles.

We began our hike shortly before 5:30am and we could see the stars above our heads which gave us hope. The trail was fairly steep in places which combined with the elevation made it quite a workout. As we made our way up and around the south side of the mountain we could see a little light begin to show on the horizon to the East. We could also see some patchy clouds moving across our line of sight but looking up toward the summit we could see it was still cloud free.

That quickly changed though and soon we were surrounded by clouds.

It was cold and windy at the summit but we hung around from about 20 minutes hopping for a break in the clouds but one never materialized. We started back down at 7am and got back down below the clouds. Our best view of the day came at this point looking to the SE.

We didn’t get the sunrise views we were shooting for so we will have to try this hike again some other time. We still had 5 more hikes planned so we would have plenty of opportunities for views later. Happy Trails!

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Tags bend or, Dutchman Flat Sno-Park, hiking, Oregon, Tumalo Mountain

Bull of the Woods/Opal Creek Hiking Old Cascades Oregon Trip report

Twin Lakes & Battle Ax Mountain – Bull of the Woods Wilderness

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date September 25, 2014
9 Comments on Twin Lakes & Battle Ax Mountain – Bull of the Woods Wilderness

**Note a portion of this hike burned in the 2021 Bull Complex.**

As we transition into Fall our hiking destinations begin to shift away from alpine views and wildflowers in favor of lower elevation viewpoints and lakes. It is a great time for these hikes since the mosquitoes that plague many of the lakes have thinned out and the vine maple and huckleberry leaves have begun to change color. Our most recent hike combined both of these features.

We made our first trip to the Bull of the Woods Wilderness for a 15.4 mile hike visiting Twin Lakes and the summit of Battle Ax Mountain. Before we could set off on the hike though we had to make the drive to Elk Lake which meant enduring five and a half miles of awful gravel roads. We parked at the Elk Lake Campground and once I managed to pry my hands from the steering wheel we made a quick trip down to the lake to have a look.

From the campground we had to walk back up the entrance road .4 miles and then continue another .4 miles on road 4697 to the start of the Bagby Trail #544.

The Bagby Trail wound beneath Battle Ax Mountain passing several ponds and crossing a number of rock fields in the first two miles.

At the two mile mark the Battle Ax Mountain Trail joined from the left (our return route). Views of Mt. Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, and the Three Sisters began to materialize as we continued along the Bagby Trail.

We traveled on a ridge for another 1.5 miles to a junction with the Twin Lakes Trail 573. The Bagby Trail was closed here due to a small fire smoldering in the wilderness between Bagby Hot Springs and this junction. We were headed toward Twin Lakes though so we turned down trail 573 and began the 1.9 mile section to Upper Twin Lake.

The colors and reflections of Upper Twin Lake were impressive.

We passed around the lake and headed toward the former trail 573A that used to go to Lower Twin Lake. The trail was overrun by the Mother Lode Fire in 2011 and was subsequently left unmaintained by the Forest Service. We located the old trail and began following it the best we could. As we approached the lake the fireweed was profuse and although most of it was finished blooming it still made for an interesting sight.

Although the side of the lake we were on had burned in the fire the far side had been spared.

We noticed some flagging tape when we were ready to leave and hoped it would lead us to a better path back to trail 573. Instead we found an old toilet.

We then came to a dry creek bed which the map showed leading back to almost the same point we left trail 573 so we decided to try following it back up to the trail.

As we made our way up the creek bed we began to encounter some water and some of the local residents.

The water increased just as the creek was squeezing between two hillsides which forced us to abandon that route and head cross country up the hill on our left. We managed to relocate the abandoned trail and follow it back to 573. We then headed back the way we’d come until we reached the Battle Ax Mountain Trail. At that point we forked up hill to the right and began the fairly steep climb to the former lookout site.

One of the reasons we saved Battle Ax for the return trip was to allow the Sun to move overhead which would hopefully give us better views of the mountains to our east. That plan paid off and as we climbed we added more and more mountains to the view.
Mt. Jefferson:

Mt. Hood behind the lookout tower on Bull of the Woods:

Mt. Rainier behind Silver King Mountain:

Mt. Adams behind Pansy Mountain and South Dicky Peak:

Eventually we had an unobstructed view of Mt. Hood with the Washington Cascades in the background.

To the SE was Mt. Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack.

The ridge began to flatten out as we neared the summit with views all around. From below it hadn’t looked as long and flat on top.

Working our way south along the ridge Elk Lake became visible far below.

Finally Mt. Washington, Broken Top and the Three Sisters joined Three Fingered Jack in the view to the South.

We could also see smoke from the 36 Pit fire near Estacada, OR but the wind was blowing it to the East and there hadn’t been much of a plume until a little after 1:00 when it suddenly picked up.

Smoke from the 36 Pit fire prior to 1pm:

Plume around 1:30:

We learned later that the fire had jumped across the South Fork Clackamas River due to the strong winds.

After a nice rest at the old lookout site we began our descent down the South side of the mountain.

The trail switchbacked down through open, rocky terrain, with plenty of views of Mt.Jefferson.

After a mile and a half descent we arrived at Beachie Saddle.

From the saddle trails lead to Jawbone Flats in the Opal Creek Wilderness, Mt. Beachie and French Creek Ridge in that same wilderness, and back to Elk Lake on an abandoned road which is the path we took.

Back at the campground it was hard to imagine the long summit ridge looking back up at Battle Ax Mountain.

It was a good early start to our Fall hiking season and it put us over 500 miles for the year. Now we just had to make it back out over the horrible gravel roads. Happy Trails!

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High Cascades Hiking Mt. Jefferson Area Oregon Trip report

Triangulation Peak & Boca Cave via Cheat Creek

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date September 14, 2014
9 Comments on Triangulation Peak & Boca Cave via Cheat Creek

**Note the 2020 Lionshead Fire burned the area covered by this hike.**

We decided to do something a little different this week and visited Boca Cave in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. We started at the Cheat Creek Trailhead along Whitewater Rd http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/willamette/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=4266&actid=50 as opposed to beginning at the closer Triangulation Trail Trailhead http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/willamette/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=4274&actid=50. The later would leave us with a mere 4 mile hike which would mean our driving time would likely be more than our hiking time which is something we try and avoid.

The Cheat Creek Trail is approximately 2.9 miles long gaining 1700′ in elevation and ending at the Triangulation Trail. We arrived at the trailhead a little early but with just enough light to set off.

It is not a heavily used trail and that was evident as there were some downed trees and several areas where the trail was somewhat overgrown.

Around the 2.5 mile mark we arrived at Wild Cheat Meadows. I was hoping we might find deer or elk in the meadows but no luck. There was some nice Fall colors beginning to show along the edge of the meadows though.

After leaving the meadow we climbed to the junction with the Triangulation Peak Trail and hung a left.

From the junction it is just over 2.5 miles to the .6 mile Triangulation Peak Trail. This section of the Triangulation Trail was fairly level but it was also narrow and overgrown in spots. We were now basically heading back the direction we’d come up but were now hiking along the ridge high above the Cheat Creek valley. As we continued on the views started to open up to the South and East.
Mt. Jefferson:

Three Fingered Jack, Middle & South Sister, and Mt. Washington:

There was also one spot along the trail where we could see Boca Cave.

The trail eventually crosses over to the North side of the ridge as it wraps around Triangulation Peak. Once on that side we could see Mt. Hood and Olallie Butte.

A nice newer looking sign announced the Triangulation Peak Trail.

It wasn’t until we were on this final .6 mile climb that we ran into our first other people, a pair of hikers that were on their way down after spending the night. Near the top we passed a rock cairn marking a trail to the left, the unofficial path to Boca Cave. Before checking out the cave we headed up to the summit to take in the views and have a short break. There was a little smoke in the air due to a series of fires near Oakridge, OR but we still had a pretty decent view.

We headed back down to the cairn and started our descent down to the cave. The scramble trail was steep, narrow and required caution. Boca Cave was impressive though. The cave is about 60′ back and 80′ wide with a high ceiling. There is a constant drip of water in the back of the cave and the opening frames Mt. Jefferson.

After thoroughly inspecting the cave we returned to the trail and began our return trip. We passed several more hikers on the way down the Triangulation Peak Trail but once we turned right on the Triangulation Trail we were alone again. We were headed straight toward Mt. Jefferson for awhile on the way back. The Sun had passed overhead and the smoke had lifted some giving us some of the clearest views of the day.

It was sunny in the meadows on the way back but still no deer or elk.

It certainly would have been easier to have started at the Triangulation Trailhead, but there is something to be said for logging miles alone in the forest. Either way Boca Cave is worth the trip and the views from Triangulation Peak are just the cherry on top. Happy Trails!

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Tags Boca Cave, Cheat Creek, Cheat Creek Trail, hiking, Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Olallie Butte, Oregon, Three Fingered Jack, Triangulation Peak, Triangulation Trail, Wild Cheat Meadows

Hiking Mt. St. Helens Trip report Washington Washington Cascades

Mt. St. Helens Rim

We kicked off our September hiking with the steep rocky climb to the rim of Mt. St. Helens. After missing out on climbing permits last year (The passes are limited to 100 per day from April 1st through October.) we had scooped up this years permits as soon as they went on sale in February. We were fortunate to have wound up picking a day with a forecast for clear skies and mild temperatures.

After picking up our permits and signing the climbers register at the Lone Fir Resort in Cougar, WA we drove up to the Climbers Bivouac and got ready to climb. The first 2 miles of trail climbed gradually through a forest. There were just a few flowers and a couple of berries left here and there. We had blue skies above us but the sky was hazy to the East and South hiding Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams from view.

At the 2 mile mark we crossed over the Loowit Trail and continued up the mountain.

The trail quickly emerged from the trees and headed for the lava flow on Monitor Ridge.

Posts indicated the general path to follow up the lava, but it was nearly impossible to tell where the optimal route was. It seemed like no matter where we were a better looking route was just to the left or right.

We picked our way up and over the rocks as best as we could passing the first monitor (yes there are actually monitors on monitor ridge) and gaining ever better views of Goat Mountain just to the SE of Mt. St. Helens.

Just under 2 miles from the Loowit Trail we found the second monitor. Used for monitoring any swelling of the mountain we used it as proof that we were actually getting somewhere.

From the second monitor there was one final pile of lava rocks before a final stretch of loose rock and ash.

The sky above the rim was a clear blue and we had hopes that maybe the view North would be clearer than the rest of the horizon, but from the rim the view in that direction looked like the others.

There was one big difference, the view down into the crater was unobstructed and Spirit Lake lay beyond with its flotilla of logs.

We sat on the rim for awhile catching our breath and resting our legs. The steam rising from the lava dome coupled with the nearly constant sound of rocks falling down into the crater gave us plenty of entertainment.

Once we had sufficiently recovered we began our descent.

Going down was just as difficult as climbing up. We slowly made our way back down though and wound up back in the trees. The final 2 miles seemed to fly by compared to how long it took to come down the lava flow and we were soon leaving the volcanic monument.

Back at the car we had one final look at the rim we had been on just a few hours earlier. It had been an interesting hike, arguably the most difficult we’ve done, but worth the effort.

Happy Trail!

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Tags goat mountain, hiking, lava dome, Lone Fir Resort, Loowit Trail, Monitor Ridge, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. St. Helens rim, Spirit Lake, Washington