First weekend of November, one of the prettiest lakes in the Mt. Hood area and a mountain to climb – – – this hike had it all. Well, it would have had it all if it hadn’t been for the stormy weather with lots of rainfall. But, I’m always up for a challenge.

Taking photos in the rain really tests one’s resourcefulness. But, if the goal is to capture the essence of the outing, then it’s worth the effort.

After walking through a stile I followed the pleasant trail through the rain along Burnt Creek for several miles before crossing the Creek. I began to spot old burnt-out cedars serving as reminders of a severe forest fire in the 1800s. One of the cedars was almost 12 feet across at the base.

In the next one-half mile I came to Lost Creek Falls, a series of four waterfalls in a small canyon. After climbing the headwall on the well-graded trail, I reached Burnt Lake. A mostly cloud-covered Mt. Hood dominated the scenery behind the Lake.

The next mile of the trail passed another small lake before reaching the Zigzag Mountain Trail. Soon I was at the 4,971-foot summit of East Zigzag Mountain. The views would have been extraordinary on a clear day. Still, I savored the culmination of the climb while being buffeted by heavy gusts of wind and rainfall.

Alpenglow on Mt. Hood near the trailhead

                                                               The stile at the beginning of the hike

A rainy day at Burnt Lake

Mt. Hood over Burnt Lake

Well-anchored trail sign near East Zigzag Mountain

A ringer from a prior year’s hike (Mt. Hood from East Zigzag Mountain)