After two days of over 100 degree temperatures in Portland it was time to head to the mountains and get a respite from the heat. I parked at the very rough 4,500-foot trailhead for the Vista Ridge Trail on the north side of Mt. Hood. It was already in the mid-70 degrees and getting hotter.
It was a grand day, providing spectacular views as far as the eye could see. In the older days this trail used to provide one of the prettier approaches to the alpine areas on the mountain. Since a 2011 forest fire, the approach is mainly through a burnt-out forest with fireweed in bloom as far as the eye can see.
After roughly 2 1/2 miles and 1,500 feet of elevation gain, I met the Timberline Trail which circles Mt. Hood. A few more steps and I was at the open meadows of Wy’east Basin. The Ladd Glacier and the summit of Mt Hood were seemingly close enough to touch.
I began hiking east to gain a wonderful overlook of Elk Cove and the Coe Glacier. After enjoying the views, I left the main Trail and began following an old climbers’ trail to the south. Soon I reached Dollar Lake at 6,000 feet and took off the pack, broke out a sandwich and enjoyed the magnificent views of some of the prettiest alpine scenery in the Pacific Northwest.
The vistas to the north were amazing. The entire expanse of the peaks of the Columbia Gorge could be seen, from Larch Mountain in the west to Mt. Defiance in the east. Beyond the Gorge mountains stood the three crowned jewels of the Cascades – – – Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams.
Life is good.
Dollar Lake (think silver dollar)
Rough-legged Hawk floating in the thermals
Mt. Hood peaking through the burnt trees and pretty Fireweed blooms
Immature Bluebird
Old Men of the Mountain
A very scenic trail
The Pinnacle (the namesake of another old access trail to Mt. Hood’s alpine areas)
Coe Glacier
Paintbrush
Fireweed framing the burnt trees along the trail
Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams from Wy’east Basin
Ladd Glacier
Lewis Monkeyflower
Life is good. Wonderful photos.
Thanks for the kind words. Mt. Hood is an enjoyable place to hike in the summer.
Love the images! Always a treat!
Thanks. As Tom Cruise might say – – – It was a target-rich environment for a photographer.
Looks like a fantastic hike. How many miles this cover?
It’s a great hike and about 8 1/2 miles all together the way I describe in the post.
In truth it makes a better backpacking trip. That way there would be plenty of time to climb Barrett Spur, visit Cairn Basin and do the Eden Park loop.
Hi, thanks for the post. I came across this post through some searches. I don’t believe that flower is called “Old Man of the Mountain.”
Thanks for the comment on my post. The seed pods of pasqueflowers have many fun names. I refer to them as old men of the mountain. Others call them old man whiskers or mouse-on-a-stick.