Hike: Oneonta Gorge via Horsetail & Ponytail Falls, Corbett, OR

Getting There

The hardest thing about hiking, especially in the winter months, is getting out of the house. I know I have about 3 weeks to try to squeeze in a few more hikes and up my stats. Like my previous hike reports, I got a later start so I had to pick somewhere close to home since it gets dark around 4:30p on the Oregon side of the Gorge.

I knew Ponytail Falls was short hike and while I like Oneonta Gorge, it doesn't offer views like some other Oregon Gorge hikes or most of them on the Washington side. I thought I would fit in TWO short hikes. I've been wanting to get back to Mitchell Point and the view point way above.

It was overcast but I saw it would only be partly cloudy in the late afternoon, slivers of blue sky and sunset colors. I only found a couple cars in the parking lot, and they weren't hiking per se. 

The Hike

Length: 6.88 mi
Elev. gain: 1,929 ft
Moving time: 3:16:17
Avg pace: 28:31
Calories: 1,729
Total time: 3:30:50 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I geared up and set out on my hike. Not far up the trail, I saw some folks I'd seen leaving the parking lot making their way up the switchbacks. The trail looked familiar from my last visit with TKO to build the rock wall.

Not far after that I met a girl seemingly on her way down dressed in leisureware. She flagged me down and asked me to take a photo for her. As usual, I'll take a couple of shots: landscape, portrait, slight adjustments to composition, zoom level (0.5x, 1.0x). I pulled up the last shot on her phone and offered to take more if she wanted. She took me up on the offer and changed her pose. I noticed the lens on the back of the phone had a smudge. I fumbled for something to clean it with. She offered the sleeve of her sweater. It was vaguely intimate as I gently held her wrist while I clean the camera lens. She was appreciative and asked where I was going and how far the upper waterfall was. I assured her it wasn't very far up the trail, <0.5 mile. She seemed reinvigorated to turn around and make the ascent. I wished her well and took off at a quicker pace.

I zoomed up the trail and passed the group I'd seen earlier. I crossed behind Ponytail Falls and continued on the trail towards Oneonta. I saw that group across the way but not the girl. I hope she made it.

I followed the trail west towards Oneonta Gorge. There was a viewpoint but already two people enjoying the scenery. I skipped it and kept going. I'd seen the route and switchbacks way down below from the other side so I knew what to expect. Somewhere along the way I decided to only hike here and not try to hit Mitchell Viewpoint. I would hike up to where we had lunch with TKO.

And, that's what I did. I kept plodding forward. Noting trees that were down over the trail but not taking GPS coordinates or photos. I'm sure TKO will be back in Spring to deal with them like we did last late winter.

I only saw two other hikers at Triple Falls and beyond. I felt comfortable but knew I'd never reach any end of the road or view, I would just timebox my hike: Reach that upper bridge by 3pm or turn back.

I stopped at Triple Falls to take my requisite photos and inspect the work we did last winter with TKO. I remember when we finally kicked the huge root ball over the side or the tree dropped on the edge of the trail as a border/reinforcement for erosion.

The descent requires a lot of attention to foot placement as there are tons of rock, slippery surfaces, and sketchy steep cliffs. It is mentally taxing. I breathed a sigh of relief when I started down to the bridge back to the east side of the gorge and on my way back to Ponytail Falls and my car.

I stopped at the viewpoint I'd skipped on my ascent. The skies were colorful as it was almost sunset.

By the time I reached Ponytail Falls, it was getting pretty dark. I wasn't worried because I was just a 0.25 mile from the trailhead and I could finish the hike without digging out my flashlight. I took a few photos of the waterfall. The long exposure made for some cool, ethereal shots.

The hike was almost done. I'd seen a photographer perched on the cliff side before I got to Ponytail, waiting for the perfect lighting. On a longer section of the lower switchbacks, I saw a couple with a dog on a leash. I thought I saw some recognition as we got closer to each other. One of them sat down on rock or stump. When I got about 6 ft away, I said "Good evening". The person sitting down gasped and I'd clearly scared them. I apologized and said I'd thought they'd stop to rest and let me pass. But they hadn't actually seen me. Oops. I repeated my apology and bounced down the trail.

Sure enough, I saw their car and photographer's car in the lot. I changed my shoes and into dry clothes. Not super long hike compared to recent outing to Angel's & Devil's Rest and Dog Mountain. I was glad to get one more hike under my belt.

Next hike will be on my birthday. I hope I don't get too tired from two work parties at Beacon Rock. 

Hike: Dog Mountain via Auspurger Trail, Cook, WA

Getting There

I adhered to my usual M.O: I got a late(r) start and didn't really know where I was headed when I left the house. I'd told my mom and she told my aunt that I was going to Dog Mountain, but I really wasn't sold yet. 

I knew it wasn't Kings Mountain because to eastbound. I instinctively found my way onto I-84 east. That meant that I wasn't heading to Silver Star. I was going somewhere in the Gorge. Wahkeena/Multnomah Falls was out since that was my hike a week before. I considered Eagle Creek but figured it would be crowded. I tried to visualize Ponytail to Oneonta Gorge, tempting but no.

I continued to Hood River, where I had several options. When I got to that point in the journey, across from the Dog Mountain Trailhead, I saw a block of color: cars. It was a somewhat rare nice day so maybe it wasn't doable. (I thought about summer days when cars were parked (illegally) along Hwy 14, or when parking permits were required.

I stopped in Hood River to top off my tank and grab some water since I'd left my insulated water bottles at home. Oops. I crossed the bridge to WA, noting the automated fare system. On the WA side, I hesitated at the signal: should I go eastbound to Lyle/Cherry Orchard + Coyote Wall, or westbound to Dog Mountain, my stated destination. Fuck it.

I found the parking lot only partially filled with plenty of spots. It wasn't nearly as crowded as it had looked from across the river. I wanted to try something new, Augspurger. 

The Hike

Length: 7.31 mi
Elev. gain: 2,812 ft
Moving time: 3:22:28
Avg pace: 27:43
Calories: 1,784
Total time: 3:42:10 

 

 

 

 

 

The last time I was here, I worked on the lower section of the Dog Mountain Trail so not a hike. I did count the trail work party we did on the Auspurger Trail back in April 2024 and I hadn't actually hiked Dog Mountain since March 2024, and the top was deeply covered with snow. 

The trail was vaguely familiar from 1 1/2 ago, ... vaguely. I enjoyed the views of Wind Mountain and the river. I wasn't really expecting to encounter anyone on this side but was surprised to see several folks on their way down, completing the Dog Mountain/Augspurger Loop.

I even met a fellow volunteer from MSHI that recognized the patch on my pack. I mentioned getting a later start and hoped I had enough daylight. She assured me that the loop should only take 3 to 3-1/2 hours. I was relieved a little. (I thought about my hike around Smith Rock and the section to the upper side of the Burma Road Trail: I wasn't sure how far it was.) I wish AllTrails could show you distances to the next junction or waypoint.

The trail climbs steadily the entire way. My legs were burning but I felt good. I thought I passed a section of the trail I remember working on. I knew our turnaround point was a switchback. I delayed a map check until then. When I got there, I still had a ways to go but mot of the elevation gain was behind me.

I finally reached the junction, a sharp right turn. This is where I started to see white stuff on the ground. There were small sections of hard snowpack/ice. The late afternoon sun and views made for a spectacular traverse toward Dog Mountain.

Eventually, I emerged out of the trees and had a pretty clear line of site of the trail. I could even see people on the Dog Mountain ascent. I breathed a sigh of relief: the uncertainty in the back of my mind could finally take a rest. I knew once I made it to the top, it was all down hill (ba dum clank).

 

I passed an older guy on his way down and said "Afternoon" but got no response or even acknowledgement. Weird.

At the top, there was a guy talking on a cell phone. I didn't mind and gave him some space. Every other time I'd been up here, there was feet of snow. It was awesome to actually see the views to the west. I took a couple of photos and wandered back down the trail a bit and sat down for a min.

The descent was amazing. The sun was on its way down below the horizon, casting gorgeous hues, washing the Gorge with amber light.

I concentrated on proper form going down to preserve my knees and made sure to enjoy the surroundings. 

At the lower viewpoint, the sun was kissing the horizon on the Oregon side. I waited for it slide behind the mountains (but didn't; close enough).

I crossed paths with a hiker pretty low down, wearing shorts. t was 4pm and there was likely less than 30 min of light. I  thought about the guy on his phone at the top. I hoped they had flashlights.

When I reached the parking there were only two other cars: one parked next to me with Florida plates (belonging to the gut at the top cuz' I remember seeing it when I left), and another car of some kind (belonging to the late hiker.) 

Prologue: I changed into my regular shoes and a dry shirt and sped off westbound on Hwy 14. By the time I reached Stevenson, it was getting pretty dark. The sunset was ah-mazing. Great day on the trail. I won't hit my goals by a long shot but that's okay.

Hike: Angel's Rest and Devil's Rest via Wahkeena Creek, Corbett, OR

Getting There

I saw the weather this coming week was rainy. I haven't hiked since Hamilton almost a month ago. No excuses! I knew this was my window of opportunity. I wasn't the only one with that idea.

As I drove out on I-84 in the Gorge, I contemplated my hiking options. I wasn't going back to Hamilton. I clearly wasn't going to King's Mountain, and Dog Mountain was too far given my late start. I thought about Devil's Rest but also Ponytail and Horsetail Falls. Maybe even that perch above Mitchell Tunnel. I'd missed my opportunity to go to Silver Star when I'd jumped on I-84 vs I-205.

Almost at the last minute, I took the Bridal Veil exit and headed towards Wahkeena. I was still under the impression that the road was closed there and I saw a sign that the highway was closed in 3 miles. (I didn't do the math.) I optimistically and quite naively, figured there would be a vacant parking spot. My heart sank a little when I saw cars parked on the shoulder well before the trailhead. Not a good sign. I went ahead to have a look.

To my surprise, the road was NOT closed here anymore: cars could go all the way to Multnomah Falls. And, there were no empties. I did a u-turn. I knew there wasn't an eastbound on-ramp where I'd exited so I would have to backtrack and lose some precious time.

Instead of driving all the back to Corbett on Hwy 30, I got back on the freeway and got back on the eastbound lanes at Rooster Rock. I told myself, "if the Multnomah Falls parking lot was open I would take a look." Sure enough, there were several spots open." 

The Hike

Length: 11.66 mi
Elev. gain: 3,130 ft
Moving time: 4:49:27
Avg pace: 24:49
Calories: 2,550
Total time: 5:25:46 

 

 

 

 

It had been a month since my last hike. It's been difficult to find the motivation. Plus, the time change has made it so if I didn't start early, I'd run out of daylight. I'm way behind on my hiking goals this year.

Even when I was on-trail, I still didn't have a clear plan, just lots of options. The first choice was whether or not to repeat the track I did last time: Wahkeena > Angel's Rest > Devil's Rest. I thought maybe I shouldn't go for the big hike and just get up to Devil's Rest and could loop back or continue to Angel's Rest if I felt good.

When I got to the Wahkeena Springs turn toward Angel's Rest, I settled that choice. But... I could just hike out to Angel's Rest and back to Wahkeena, skipping Devil's Rest.

As one can see in the final trail route, I went all the way to Angel's Rest and up to Devil's Rest. I'm really glad I pushed myself.

There were a dozen people chilling at Angel's Rest. I more-or-less skipping Devil's Rest cuz there were two people sitting and I didn't want to disturb them.

When I got back to the Wahkeena Trail, I considered going to Multnomah Falls, or venture out to the view point. I figured the distance was about the same for the two. The view point has been a regular stop on my hikes out here, like always stopping at Little Beacon. 

I timed things just about right. As I was descending the switchbacks below Lemmon's Point, it was getting pretty dark. By the time I was on the Return Trail, it was really dark. I had difficulty seeing the rocks on the trail. I thought about the handful of people that I knew were still up on the trails above. Hope they had flashlights!

Successful hike. Awesome weather to boot. 

Hike: Hamilton Mountain + Hardy Creek, N Bonneville, WA

Getting There

Just after Doetsch Ranch you'll see the Ranger Station on the north side of the road just before the Beacon Rock parking lot, then another road across from the bathrooms. The road winds up the hill for a bit.

It was early afternoon and the weather was slightly overcast but it was supposed to clear in the late afternoon. The clouds covered the sun a few times so I thought the forecast was wrong but it was gorgeous at sunset.

The Hike

Length: 8.72 mi
Elev. gain: 2,333 ft
Moving time: 3:49:12
Total time: 4:55:21
Avg pace: 26:17
Calories: 2,019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It'd been about 3 months since my last hike here. I'd picked a good day for it, weather-wise. It was pretty quiet for a midweek hike. 

It was good to be back on this familiar trail, like an old friend. I'd packed my microspikes, not knowing what the top would look like. The temperatures hadn't spend much time in the freezing zone but given snow in the mountain, it was better to be prepared.

When I reached "Baby Hamilton", I took a long look at the spine trail. I'd only been down it a couple of times but today I was going to change things up. The recent rain had made this normally slippery path easy to walk up.

In hindsight, there was moderate exposure near the tree but I didn't feel nervous when I was actually doing it. The imaginary headline popped into my mind. Yikes.

It was awesome to vary my usual route. I sorta hoped that some hikers had been on Little Hamilton when I popped up on the ridge. Not today though.

I rejoined the main trail and continued up. Most of my hikes here start with apprehension and a sliver of doubt. Maybe today was the day I wasn't able to make it to the top. But, after I reached Rodney Falls, I felt strong, hydration and snacks were crucial!

I confidently made my way up the 14 turns section. At the last turn, I saw a little trail that I'd never bother to look at before. I saw a little platform above a considerable drop. I left my poles behind and crawled on hands & knees past a narrow section with high exposure. I imagined my backpack getting caught, causing me to slip a little, potentially falling. Another yikes! I got the photo but found another back to the trail and to retrieve my hiking poles.

The rest of my hike was pretty uneventful. I stopped at the far end of the Saddle. I chatted with a crow for a bit. I changed my base layer and was glad for dry clothes. The sky was clear but it was cool in the trees/shade.

I skipped Don's Cutoff this time. Call it a feeling.

I tried my best to appreciate my surroundings and stop to "smell the flowers". The fall colors looked good on-camera.

The afternoon sun was perfect. When I reached the powerlines and campground cutoff, I opted to hit Little Beacon. I still have the "what if this is my last time" thought in my mind.

I was alone on the perch. I snapped some great pics, ate the other half of my sandwich, and soaked in the rays and views.

I wasn't the last car in the parking lot. I remember passing a couple and one solo hiker above the falls.

A good day. Lifted my spirits.