Wildcat Mountain

On a sunny morning, I parked at the 3,500-foot Douglas Trailhead on the west side of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. I was the only car at the trailhead. And interesting enough, for the second time in a month I hiked a trail without seeing any one else. 

As I began ascending to the the top of a ridge, the views across the Eagle Creek drainage were magnificent. And, to my delight, almost every step of the way rhododendrons and bear-grass crowded the trail. Sad to say, I was several weeks too late for them to be in bloom.

Mt. Hood

After another three-quarters mile, a short path led to the top of 4,500-foot Wildcat Mountain, an old fire lookout site. I felt a little disappointed due how overgrown the area has become. When I first started hiking to the summit, there were still great views to the east of Mt. Hood.

I turned around and hiked to the north to a bear-grass meadow with a bench. It’s a well-known spot with one of the best up-front views of Mt. Hood from the southwest. The poor bench had fallen apart due to the weight of heavy snowfall over the years.

Soon I returned to the trailhead. A very pleasant seven mile, 1,400-foot gain hike.