Nesmith Point - March 28, 2015

One of my favorite hikes in the Columbia Gorge is Nesmith Point - a perfect combination of elevation gain, river/volcano views, wildlife and geology. The trail, beginning just off the old highway, is a ten mile loop with over 3,700 feet of vertical awesomeness. After skipping over it the past few hiking seasons, I headed to Nesmith on March 28th.

After rendezvousing for a surprisingly solid breakfast at the Troutdale Shari's, we motored east and parked at the trailhead within a half hour. The sky was overcast with billowing clouds enshrouding the tops of the surrounding ridges, but blue started to intrude as we hit the trail.  About a hundred feet into the hike we encountered a video crew setting up for the Gorge Waterfalls 100K, an ultra-marathon that started at 4am. Feeling significantly less bad-ass than the ultra runners, we continued onward.

The trail as the elevation gain starts to kick in

The first half mile of the route is a pleasant stroll through the woods before a steep, almost unceasing series of switchbacks and elevation gain starts up. In good spirits, we kept up a brisk pace and pushed ourselves as the trail arced back and forth up a ravine. We crossed through a boulder field known for pika, and heard the familiar peep of the Ochotona princeps.

You can hear a "meep" if you wait until the end of the video

Finally, we reached the top of a ridge after gaining almost 3,000 feet in less than three miles. The trail leveled out for another mile as we headed for a junction that would take us up to the Nesmith Point summit. Around this time the temperature dropped and we climbed into a cloud bank. By the time we reached the high point, the wind was blowing and conditions were less than stellar. Undeterred, we enjoyed a fine brew from Base Camp Brewing and celebrated the moment.

Victory!

The descent went fast. After dropping down several hundred feet, the temperature warmed up considerably and the sky started to clear. Back at the top of the ravine, the sun started to shine down on Hamilton and Table Mountains across the river to the north. We made a decision to trail run the bulk of the way back to the car, and did our best to balance speed and safety while tearing down through the switchbacks. Other than a pause at the pika field, we didn't stop much until the level area before the parking lot. Within sight of the car, we were once again humbled as ultra-marathoners passed by the video crew we had seen earlier in the day. Whatever we had accomplished paled in comparison to running 100 kilometers.

The sun comes out...

Overall, it was a great hike. Sore quads were a small price to pay for a memorable outing in the Gorge.

Silver Star - March 22, 2015

There's a mystique to Silver Star Mountain. Maybe it's the isolation - although it's the highest peak (4,393 feet) close to Portland on the Washington side of the Columbia and clearly visible from most of the city, there isn't an easy way to get to the trailhead. All routes involve circuitous paths on forest service roads requiring a high clearance vehicle. If you take a wrong turn, you'll end up at the Larch Correctional Facility. And there are the Indian Pits, a Native American archaeological site near the summit (click here for more info).

Pyramid Rock from near the summit of Silver Star

Whenever I've planned to do this hike, it's consistently aligned with inclement weather. The Sunday in March we decided to go was no exception. Our hardy group left Portland after breakfast at Gravy on Mississippi and headed up I-5 into Washington, and then east to Battle Ground. After navigating the back roads along the Lewis River and missing a few turns, we arrived at the trailhead off Forest Road #1200. From there the hike involved an 8.3 mile loop and 2,015 in elevation. Another route on the north side is also popular, although doesn't involve as much distance.

Looking up to the summit of Silver Star

It was still mostly dry as we started hiking the first few miles of flat terrain. After crossing Rock Creek, the path became much steeper, especially after joining an old haul road once used to ferry supplies to a now defunct fire lookout on the summit. We slogged rapidly upward as the rain began to fall with increased intensity. We passed an unmarked spur to Sturgeon Rock (the high point of Clark County) and continued another mile or so to the Silver Star summit. The top was completely socked in, offering a few fleeting glimpses of Pyramid Rock to the south and absolutely no view of the Cascade giants to the north, east and south (Rainier, St. Helens, Adams, and Hood). As the rain and wind continued, we made a quick exit from the summit's exposed alpine environment and descended back into the woods, finding shelter by what looked to be a camp site.

After a brief snack and whiskey break, we descended down the rocky trail to the car, passing through areas torched by the historic Yacolt Burn of 1902. Within moments of reaching the trailhead, the rain dialed up a notch. Despite the absence of a view, it was still an interesting hike and a fun day with a great team.  

Here's a link to more pics from the hike.

Indian Point - March 7, 2015

Located a few miles east of Cascade Locks, Indian Point is a promontory sticking out into the Gorge above I-84. The hike begins at the Herman Creek Trailhead and gains 2,700 vertical feet over a seven mile loop. Although the path rises almost a half mile from trailhead to summit, the incline is evenly spaced out throughout the hike.

We picked a beautiful Saturday in March to hit the trail. The sun was out with virtually no clouds in any direction. After navigating a few early forks in the path, we found the route through the woods that would ultimately lead to the point. As we gained elevation, the views of the river and surrounding mountains continued to improve. First Mt. St. Helens, and then Mt. Adams, became visible across the Columbia.

Indian Point

After two hours we reached a spur leading to a climbers trail. The steep path rapidly descended a few hundred feet down to a narrow ridge leading out to Indian Point. A dozen others were already there by the time we reached the edge and put down our packs for lunch. We soaked in the view, hiked out to the base of the point, and then climbed back up to the main path. From there we continued upward on a different trail that eventually flattened out and then descended in a loop back to a junction from earlier in the day.  As the trail began to descend, we decided to trail run the last several miles down to the car. It made for a quick journey to the trailhead, but our quads paid for it into the work week.

Looking east in the Gorge with Mt. Adams in the background

Overall, it was a great day on an excellent hike. The combination of weather, friends and scenery created an experience worthy of repeating. We capped it off by hitting the Cascade Locks Ale House for food and a pint before returning to Portland.

Click here for more photos from the day.