It’s always fun to return to a hike done many years ago, especially if it’s no longer a well-maintained trail. Exploration is always a treat.

The current trail to 5,100-foot Fish Creek Mountain begins at the end of a dirt road southeast of Estacada, Oregon.

Close to twenty years ago the access road to the old trailhead was closed. Now one gets an adventure finding a new rough access trail built by volunteers. The trail is steep and not very well marked.

The old fire lookout site on top of the mountain is now fully overgrown with noble firs well over my head. Still there were views to Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood.

An extra treat was a 500-foot descent below the summit on another rough trail to a very pretty cirque lake (High Lake) formed by a receding glacier long ago.

What could be better on a mid-August hike?