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Indian Racetrack

It was a cold morning on the edge of the Indian Heaven Wilderness. It was the first weekend of fall with a chilly breeze out of the south.

Crimson huckleberry leaves and red vine maple foliage brightened the views in every direction. 

The 32 square-mile Wilderness has many large, open meadows to explore. In a couple of miles I was standing by a small lake at the north end of a huge, flat meadow. It was used by the tribes for centuries as a place to race horses until the 1920s. A beautiful spot indeed!

From the meadows it was a steep one-mile climb to the summit of Red Mountain, the remains of a cinder cone volcano. There was a rare, standing lookout site at the top. Ducking out of the heavy, cold wind gusts, I marveled at the views. They extended to Mt. Hood in the south to Mt. Rainier in the north.

I laid back, ate a snack and savored the vistas of the Indian Heaven Wilderness seemingly at my feet.

Indian Heaven remains one of the prettiest autumn areas near Portland.