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Indian Racetrack
It was a cool and drizzly morning on the edge of the Indian Heaven Wilderness. 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. The open area 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. If there hadn’t been a heavy cloud cover, the views would have extended to Mt. Hood in the south to Mt. Rainier in the north.
Open returning to the Indian Racetrack, I took a short connector trail to the Pacific Crest Trail and followed it for awhile to the south.
Indian Heaven remains one of the prettiest late summer and autumn areas near Portland.
Shallow Lake on the edge of the Indian Racetrack
Many mushrooms along the trail
The Indian Racetrack
Volcanic rock near summit
Huckleberry leaves picking up their autumn colors
Trail from PCT to the Indian Racetrack
Beargrass lining the upper trail
Early morning sunshine filtering through the trees
An old wilderness sign
Rough trail to Red Mountain
Mt. Adams from Red Mountain (on a much prettier day on a previous hike)
I love the drizzly and overcast days, even for hiking. These pictures seem very ethereal with the lower lying clouds and mists that threaten to hazily obscure the tree tops and the pathway to where? No matter, I want to go! Beautiful shots, John – these have made my day!
Thanks Ellen. Overcast, drizzly days are tough on a photographer. About the best one can do is to capture the mood.
Well, you did that magnificently! 🙂