A Rainy Day Hike in the Coastal Mountains


In mid-February on a cool and very rainy weekend day, I hiked the 14-mile trail (1,450 feet of cumulative elevation gain) around Henry Hagg Lake on the eastern slopes of the Coastal Mountains.

Or, I would have hiked 14 miles if I hadn’t returned to the upper road after sliding around in the mud for nine miles. So, instead of 14 miles it became a little over 12 miles.

Five creeks flow into the 2 1/2 mile long reservoir, providing great habitat for song birds, waterfowl, wildflowers, deer and elk.

But, on the day I visited, there were few highlights to be spotted due to the dense cloud cover and persistent rain. Needless to say, it was not a target-rich environment for a photographer.

A lesson one learns from living in the Portland area is, if you’re afraid to hike in the rain, you don’t do much hiking.

As I have mentioned before, one of the keys to comfortably hike in the rain is to remember to stay warm. It’s fairly difficult, if not impossible, to keep from getting wet.

Indian Plum blossom

Indian Plum blossom

A steep, muddy stretch of the trail

A steep, muddy stretch of the trail

The earth-filled dam

The earth-filled dam

Skunk-cabbage

Skunk-cabbage

A fairly pleasant stretch of the trail

A fairly pleasant stretch of the trail

A lumber mill below Henry Hagg Lake

A lumber mill below Henry Hagg Lake

Upper end of Henry Hagg Lake

Upper end of Henry Hagg Lake

A typical stretch of the trail

A typical stretch of the trail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Oregon Coastal Mountain HikingTags: , ,

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