Opal Creek

My friend Caitlin and I really wanted to hike, but knowing it was supposed to be rainy, I had to choose one that didn't have a view since we would be covered by clouds anyway. Caitlin hadn't been to Opal Creek yet, so that is the one I chose.

However, as we got there, it wasn't a normal Oregon light drizzle. It was more like a torrential downpour.  There was a girl and two guys at the trailhead who asked me if I thought it would be that wet the whole hike... which I was very confused by. Unless the weather changes in general, the hike will be just like the weather we were experiencing at that moment. Caitlin and I definitely exchanged glances and internally laughed at this girl.

Being tough girls we hiked on.  Though I did figure we should not do the entire 12 mile loop. We decided to get to Sawmill falls (about 2.5 miles into the hike) and then decide if we wanted to go on to Jawbone Flats.  We did decide to go on for another mile to Jawbone Flats, but only for a few minutes since we were drenched from the rain.  We were both soaked and as beautiful as it was, I wouldn't recommend this, or really any, hike in the rain we endured! Ack!

• Date of hike: March 7th, 2015
• Distance: 5 Miles out and back

• Elevation gain: 1500 Feet

• Difficulty: Difficult 
• Mile Mark: 259

Triangulation Peak & Boca Cave {Mt. Jefferson}

Let me preface this blog entry with the fact that this hike was crazy. Probably a little more treacherous than I would have hoped for, but absolutely stunning.  

I have had Triangulation Peak and Boca Cave on my list for a while now, but was encouraged to do it now from a friend a few days prior to the weekend. I posted it on my hiking group on Facebook and my friend Ryan was down to hike again! We headed out a ways past Detroit Lake to the trailhead. We felt a little lost on these rough back roads, and had to go though a bit of snow, but made it! I was kind of surprised to see snow since we have been having a early spring with near summer-like weather! I knew this was going to be a stunning hike because as we drove up, we got peeks of the view of Mt. Jefferson and those alone were amazing. The day was beautiful, clear skies and the sun was shining.  

Starting out at the trailhead we went through several patches of snow.  Some spots were alright, but Ryan and I were definitely thankful for the patches of dry land. Most of the trail was thin on a steep hillside making it difficult to navigate in the snow and both of us slipped several times. This was a little scary since there was a strong chance of slipping and falling right down the side of the mountain.  This was definitely a less traveled path as there were several trees down that we had to either climb under or over.  
Finally getting to the top was the most stunning view of Mt. Jefferson. The mountain was just right in front of us. We hung out at the top for a little bit just taking in the view. Not only did it have an amazing view of Mt. Jefferson, but it had a panoramic view of Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Three Sisters, and I think I could see Mary's Peak.  We came across a couple of guys who were headed back from camping up there the night before. They said that it was such a clear night that they could see Mt. Hood lit up on the ski slopes and they could see skiers and snowboarders shredding the mountain the night before.

At the top, we wanted to find Boca Cave.  We had some loose directions of where it was and another couple of people were up there looking for it as well. Though, the cave was not on his map, we all went in different directions.  Ryan and I found what we thought was a trail perhaps leading to the cave.  What we really found was a steep cliff that we managed to scale the side of, then realizing we made a huge mistake and we could be in some serious danger, we climbed back out of and made it safely back to the top.  The other group found the real trail that led to the cave and we headed out that way.  Due to the normal roughness of the trail on top of the snow coverage, it was pretty difficult to get to the cave. I had to attach my backpack to a tree in order to climb over the final ledge to get to the cave. It was really slick and tough to get to.  The cave did not disappoint though! It had a perfect triangle view of the mountain that Mt. Jefferson was framed perfectly in.  

Ryan and I definitely wished we had brought a lunch because we were starving by the time we started heading back down the mountain.  So I definitely recommend bringing food and plenty of water.  I also wished I had worn my hiking shoes that are waterproof, but I had on my normal tennis shoes. But with the rough terrain, you'd be better off in hiking gear and even some hiking poles would have been nice. I really need to get some of those! 

It was a huge bummer I packed my nikon camera, but getting to the top I realized I forgot the battery! So sad! Luckily I still had my GoPro and my iPhone takes pretty great pictures.

Anyway, maybe this hike is better for summer, but it was by far an amazing hike and as difficult as it was, totally worth it.

• Date of hike: March 7th, 2015
• Distance: 5 Miles out and back

• Elevation gain: 1500 Feet

• Difficulty: Difficult 
• Mile Mark: 251

Ryan and I at the top!

 The start of the trail covered in snow!

Some pretty rough snow patches

 Incredible view of Mt. Jefferson

 Panorama

 View from inside Boca Cave

The sun was definitely shining! Such an amazing day!

And even Freud joined us for the adventure! If you don't know, Freud is passed around to each therapist at my internship site every month! And this month he was passed to me because apparently he wanted a little adventure! He sure got it!

Latourell Falls {Columbia River Gorge}

I was up in Portland at my parents house for the weekend, mainly to do a little shopping :), so I decided to hit the Columbia River Gorge while my mama was at her exercise class.  Latourell Falls is the closest hike to the Portland area and was a relatively shorter hike.  

Beginning from the Latourell Falls Trailhead, follow the paved viewpoint trail up to the viewpoint. From there, a dirt path leads away to the left, steeply around the basin. Look for side views of the falls, particularly at this time since the trees didn't have any leaves. The trail climbs for about 1/3 of a mile to a bench at the top of the falls. There's a side trail here that drops down to an unimproved log that functions as a bridge of sorts. This side trail shortcuts the loop, shaving about a mile from the trip. But I did not take the bridge, kept going southward.

The main trail continues southward beside the creek. The trail here is rocky in places and the undergrowth next to the trail is very thick, blocking most views in the summer. The trail crosses four small wooden bridges and then comes to Upper Latourell Falls. This waterfall is a two tiered drop, first a block fall that's almost hidden and then a plunge into a pool. The trail crosses Latourell Creek at the base of the falls and heads back down the west side of the creek.

Past the log "bridge", the trail comes to a bench overlooking a rock point. It's obvious that many people venture past a cable and out on to this point, but it's equally obvious that one false step or gust of wind will plummet those people 249 feet down to the splash pool. The main trail climbs to another bench at a viewpoint that's overgrown with new fir trees. Then the trail slabs down the ridge to the Highway.

Hikers can return to the trailhead by hiking across the bridge, but there's more trail fun to be had. Across the road, there's an old set of stairs that start a trail dropping down into Guy Talbot Park. Guy Talbot is the man that owned Latourell Falls. The trail drops down to a parking area with picnic tables. From there another paved trail head back under the highway bridge to the base of Latourell Falls. At the falls, the lichen covered columnar basalt formations around the falls steal the show. From here, it's a short, paved, uphill hike to the lot.

It was a wonderful easier hike to do on days where you don't have much time, but still want to get out there and get a little bit of a workout! Afterward I drove by Crown Point and had to see that amazing view from there as well! Such a stunning day!

Later that evening I went out to McMinnamins Edgefield, which isn't too far from this hike. I highly recommend doing a day trip of hiking in the morning and then headed out to the original McMinnamins here! It was my first time and I loved it! It feels like Vegas or its own little world! :)

• Date of hike: February 21st, 2015

• Distance: 3 Mile Loop

• Elevation gain: 520 Feet

• Difficulty: Easy

• Mile Mark: 246

At Upper Latourell Falls

 Beginning of the trailhead

 Upper Latourell Falls

Lower Latourell Falls

 Upper Latourell Falls

 It most surely was!

The bridge, dating from 1914 is interesting in its own right, with special lightweight construction due to the instable soils in the area. 

View from Crown Point :)

 Later that night I went wine tasting at McMennamins Edgefield! My first time there! It was so lovely!

Pechuck Lookout {via Rooster Rock Road Trailhead}

My good friend Ryan and I have been friends since meeting at camp in 2011. He just got back from an amazing trip though Europe with his girlfriend and I was dying to hear all about their trip! So why not catch up while climbing a mountain? We headed out to Pechuck Lookout, which is a hike I have been dying to do for a while, but needed someone who could handle the steep inclination. Enter Ryan! I had seen this hike on another blog I follow, trail-dad.com, which is this guy who hikes with his son all over Oregon and Washington. I love their blog, go check it out! Definitely worth the look!
So Ryan and I headed out to the Rooster Rock Trailhead which is maybe 30 miles or so east of Molalla and a part of the Table Rock Wilderness.  When facing the trailhead signboard the Rooster Rock Trail starts up the hill behind you. (The trail is NOT the old decomissioned road to the left of the signboard.) Immediately the trail was pretty steep and it did not let up much until the very top.  Can you say, hello calves!? Mine were definitely screaming. The trail ascends into Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and vine maple woods. Switchback up through brush of rhododendrons which blooms in late June/early July. From there you'll reach an old jeep road bed and then leave it, still heading up. Yep, keep going up the steep hill. There are about ten switchbacks, some of them short Z-switchbacks. Make a traverse, switchback, and recross the old jeep trail. Wind up and switchback again. I think there were definitely more switchbacks than my switchback nightmare over at Smith Rock! Finally, reach the High Ridge-Rooster Rock Trail Junction on the ridge crest. If you were to turn left, Rooster Rock is one mile down the trail. Turn right for the Pechuck Lookout. Ryan and I did not realize if you kept going left it would go over to Rooster Rock, which was a huge bummer we missed on such a beautiful day! 
At the top is the lookout itself! This two-story cupola-style lookout, maintained by the Bureau of Land Management and volunteers from the Friends of Pechuck, is on the National Historic Lookout Register. The site was first established as a lookout in 1918, with the current structure being erected in 1932. It is open for overnight stays; reservations are not required. A little awkward when we went up there because there were actually a couple of people staying there! I felt almost as if I was taking pictures of someone's house.  We wanted to go inside, but it felt a little weird so we just stayed enough to take a few pictures and then hike back down. 

• Date of hike: January 31st, 2015
• Distance: 5 Miles out and back

• Elevation gain: 1580Feet

• Difficulty: Difficult
• Mile Mark: 243

Trail of Ten Falls {Silver Falls State Park}

Often when my weekend is busy but I still want to hike, I'll just head out to Silver Falls State Park to do the Trail of Ten Falls loop, or a modified one shorter depending on my time constraint.  In January, this was the case! Not much to post about this one that I haven't already said, but I will reiterate how much I love Silver Falls State Park, regardless of a good amount of tourists on these hikes! It provides good length and great elevation change for a solid workout, not to mention all the stunning waterfalls!

• Date of hike: January 25th, 2015

• Distance: 9 Mile Loop

• Elevation gain: 1300 Feet

• Difficulty: Easy (at least for me at this point)

• Mile Mark: 224

 South falls

Beautiful fog rolling in on the way back into Salem

"There's something about rushing water that I can watch for hours and feel as if I need to do nothing more. It's alive in a way that's greater than any description of it..." - Mark Helprin

Angel's Rest {Columbia River Gorge}

I stayed the weekend at my parents house and usually when I drive up to Portland for the weekend, I find it a nice excuse to hike in the Columbia River Gorge. The gorge is just stunning wherever you go, whether you just drive though, but especially when you hike into the steeping cliffs filled with incredible waterfalls and spectacular views. 


My friend Heather met me early saturday morning and we drove out to the Bridal Veil exit off of I-84 where the Angel's Rest Trailhead is just off of the freeway.  We trekked up the steep bluff and passed two waterfalls along the way, an overhead view of Coopey Falls and a quick detour to smaller Upper Coopey Falls. The forest  surrounding the summit burned in a fire in the 90s, and a lot of charred evidence remains. It is a unique landscape with much to see. 

After not being too sure if we had gone too far and missed it, we made it to the top.  The summit is characterized by a long, rocky spine surrounded on three sides by cliffs, showcasing a striking 270 degree view!You are set at an amazing vantage point for views of Beacon Rock, Silver Star Mountain and many other landmarks.  The real draw is the perspective of the river below - like you're on a balcony over a great auditorium. It's a near 2000 foot prominence, and its proximity to the Columbia River gives you the false sensation that you could dive from the summit to the water below.  From one point we could literally see the area we parked the car and see from an aerial view where we had hiked. It was incredible. 

In all, this was a spectacular hike with amazing views and gorgeous waterfalls! Next time I would love to hike up further to Devils Rest and do the full loop.

• Date of hike: January 10th, 2015

• Distance: 5 Miles Out and back

• Elevation gain: 1450 Feet

• Difficulty: Moderate

• Mile Mark: 229

View west up the Columbia River

Coopey Falls

Heather and I at the top of Angel's Rest