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

Getting There

The weather was amazing, the temp were in the upper 50s and blue skies for miles. Recently, it's been pretty rainy so I jumped at the chance to get outdoors.

I took I-84 east and parked in the Multnomah Falls parking lot between the eastbound and westbound lanes. Plus, real or imagined, I'm guessing this parking lot is "safer" due to high turnover and cameras.

The lot was about 1/2 way full, plenty of open spots.

The Hike

Length: 9.84 mi
Elev. gain: 2,582 ft
Moving time: 4:36:41
Avg pace: 28:07
Calories: 2,438
Total time: 4:58:42

It was so good to get out on a hike, my first of 2025. As I mentioned in my previous post, I hadn't really done much hiking since Oct, when I was in Bend, OR. I did a hike up Eagle Creek at the beginning of November, then I got sick at the beginning of December, which lasted the whole month. I did a hike up Hamilton Mtn on New Year's Eve.

I parked at Multnomah Falls and hiked the Return Trail to Wahkeena Falls. It's a good thing, since the parking was full, that I opted for ample parking. At this point, I didn't know if I was going to do the Wahkeena-Multnomah loop or something else. I was sort of keen on reaching Devil's Rest but that depended on how I felt.

Just around the corner from Wahkeena Falls, there was a rock slide over the paved trail but it was easy enough to step through on the edge.

On the switchbacks, I passed a group of three college kids, one wearing Chuck Taylors. While waiting for them to pass by, I noticed an old trail marker for the Perdition Trail. I've never heard of this trail but it was obviously defunct, or at least unmaintained by TKO or parks.

Rock slide at the start of the switchbacks

Sign for defunct trail

First bridge crossing over Wahkeena Creek

There was a sprinkling of hikers doing the clockwise loop. At Fairy Falls, I met a woman that was hesitant to cross through the creek. The crossing needs some repairs. She said she was going to watch how I crossed. I did and stopped on the other side to make sure she made it through safely. When she reached where I was, I gave her a fist bump and celebrated her success. I wished her well on the rest of her hike.

I keep pushing steadily to the apex of the trail. I paused briefly to consider my options. I felt good and had lots of energy in reserve. Fuck it. I'm heading to Devil's Rest. A few feet up the trail, a kid passed me but stopped to ask about the views and trail options. I said Devil's Rest was in the trees but that Angel's Rest overlooks the river. He didn't have any gear, water, maps, phone?, just a beanie. Who am I to say? 

When the Devil's Rest trail leveled out, the sun was out and it was nice & warm. Gorgeous colors.

Sunshine on the Devil's Rest Trail

Loving the colors

More gorgeous colors

I passed a few more people on the trail. One pair said I was almost there (true) and another guy with 3 small dogs told me about the trail options. I said thanks and wished them all well.

At the top, I paused briefly to snap a couple of photos but didn't stay long. I thought I might eat lunch but wanted to start the trip back since I was losing light. The whole Oregon side of the river was in shade due to low winter sun.

Last time I was there, I descended down the front of hillside but ended up on the Devil's Slide, a very steep route. I still wanted to check out the Vista Point viewpoint and taking this route would have put be below it. I made my way around the rocks and found the Primrose Path, which reconnects with the Devil's Rest Trail and is the safer way to descend down the front.

Devil's Rest Summit

Devil's Rest Summit

Mt Adams

Mt St Helens

Finally made it to the Vista Viewpoint. I'd stopped several times to clear some small trees over the trail and cut off jagged remains of the branches that were hazards when climbing over larger logs.

The sun was going down and it was getting dark quickly. I had two flashlights but I could still see well enough without. I knew it'd get darker when I go lower into the canopy.

East: Columbia River, Archer Mtn, Beacon Rock/Hamilton

West: Columbia River, Cape Horn

Thanks to the long exposure on the iPhone 15 Pro, this photo came out really well despite the low light.

Wahkeena Falls

My hike back to the parking lot on the Return Trail was almost too dark to see the ground and tripping hazards but I still didn't want to stop to find my flashlight. I made it without incident. There were quite a few cars still in the parking lot. 

Great hike to start the new year.

Hike: Hamilton Mountain, 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 overcast. Not too cold, I was half-expecting to get some rain.

The Hike

Length: 6.36 mi
Elev. gain: 2,116 ft
Moving time: 3:08:02
Avg pace: 29:35
Calories: 1,657
Total time: 3:18:46 

I am so glad to have closed out the year with a hike. And, a hike at my favorite spot in the Gorge. My last hike was before Thanksgiving up Eagle Creek. The one before that was at the beginning of October to No Name Lake on my last day in Bend, OR. Not exactly the way I was hoping to finish out the year.

I did a few work parties with WTA but I don't count these as hikes. 

At the beginning of Dec, I woke up with a migraine and cold symptoms. At one point, I think I had a fever and eventually had a congestion in my chest. Yack!! While I didn't get tested within the the first week, I'm pretty sure it was the coronoavirus/COVID-19. Fuck! (Some guy sitting the row behind me at the movie theater was coughing but I could have caught it somewhere else.)

Another person in my household was positively tested for Covid the day before Xmas.

Well, I woke up on New Year's Eve and figured I should get some "fresh air" and do a ceremonial hike. I chose Hamilton Mountain. It was more crowded than I expected in the parking lot. 

Actually, I was planning to hike to Rodney Falls and decide if I could go further. I was worried the sickness had compromise my lungs and that my hiking muscles had atrophied. When I reached that waypoint, I was feeling good, not wheezing and legs felt fine. Onward!

My next goal was the bottom of the switchbacks to Little Hamilton. I reached that point with relative ease and got some hydration in my body, a few swigs of coconut water.

Okay, I thought. I'll just hike up to Little Hamilton and see. I see my timer for 30 mins. I'd gotten a really late start and I knew it'd be dark by 4:30p.

When I got there, there were a couple of hikers going up the steep trail directly to the outcrop. I took the usual trail. I thought I'd hike up the side path to the outcrop but decided to keep going up. Maybe I could make the summit today, on my first hike in a long time. Fuck it!

Alright, I hike to the bottom of the last set of switchbacks, take some photos and head back down.

Nope, when I got there, I was confident I could make it. I could hear those two hiker coming up. The notion of being able to reach the top of my favorite trail after such a long absence filled my with joy. I had not gotten as poorly out of shape as I'd feared.

I met a hiker on his way back down and asked about any snow on the top. He said there wasn't any. I was prepared with micro-spikes but wasn't going to need them. While I wanted to, I knew there was no way I was going to be able to do the whole Saddle loop. Damn. I should have gotten an earlier start. And, to think, I almost punted on Hamilton and opted for a flat hike at Steigerwald.

At the top, I saw a dog and realized there were hikers nearby. I almost relieved myself in the bushes. 

A couple switchbacks into the descent, those hikers called out and asked if I'd lost a glove. I was wearing my soft ones by Oregon Research. When they reached where I was stopped, I asked what brand. I remember throw my other gloves in the bag and wondered if they'd gotten bunched up with my jacket. I hiked up to take a look. Indeed, it was one Seirus glove. I didn't have any tape on the fingers like mine did but then I couldn't remember if I'd had to repair both hands. I stuffed in my pack and started down. The whole time I was looking on the ground and branches for its mate.

It was certainly getting dark, esp. where the canopy is thick. I got out my flashlight and continued back to the car.

Below the power lines, it got really dark. I wondered how the other hikers I'd seen were faring.

When I reached my car, there were more than two cars still in the lot. I was certainly past "dusk" and was glad the rangers had not locked the gate.

I rummaged through my pack and found a pair of Seirus at the bottom. That glove was not mine. I wandered over to the parking kiosk and left it there.

Fuck yea. I crushed this trail and am certain I can resume my trail adventures right away in 2025.

Baby Hamilton view

Hardy Creek

Rodney Falls

Hike: Eagle Creek, Cascade Locks, OR

Getting There

Take I-84 from Portland towards Cascade Locks. After the exit for Bonneville Dam, take the next exit (41): Eagle Creek Loop. There is a parking lot near the fish pools. There were a bunch of cars and a few people walking toward the trailhead. I figured I'd at least check out the end of the road for an empty spot. I cautiously drove toward the trailhead. A few people walked in the middle of the road but I waited patiently until they realized I was there and moved to the side. 

As luck would have it, there was an open spot right near to the trailhead. A car beside me left shortly after I got there and truck left across the way. I watched two cars arrive and pull into them, then a third that had to go back toward I-84, sorry, not sorry.

The Hike

Length: 8.90 mi
Elev. gain: 1,693 ft
Moving time: 3:27:22
Total time: 3:35:44
Avg pace: 23:19
Calories: 1,827

Happy to finally get back on the trail. It's been 6 weeks since my last hike to No Name Lake. The last time I hiked Eagle Creek was January. I needed a get out in nature, even if the weather was cold and gray.

Today I went as far as Tenas Falls. (Someday I'll go up to Tunnel Falls and Wahtum Lake.) While I got a later start (1pm), I still encountered several pairs of hikers heading up the ravine with not much daylight remaining.

The first couple were about 4 miles up the trail, not dressed appropriately for the pending rain: cotton sweat pants and sweatshirt. They asked about a big waterfall. I said I wasn't aware of any beyond where we were (I didn't mention Wy'east Falls). I shrugged and pointed at Loowit Falls.

A bit further down I crossed paths with a couple and a dog. I didn't hear them until they came around a corner talking loudly. It caught me by surprise. I stepped out of they way since we were on a narrow part of the trail with a long, steep drop-off. They barely acknowledged me and didn't pause their conversation. Rude!

The next pair of hikers were probably college-aged, also traveling light and didn't seem to have any rain gear. I thought about the first pair I'd seen earlier and thought, they'll be fine since those others were heading up too and they could huddle together (or probably not), but not my problem.

When I reached the side trail for Punch Bowl Falls, a guy was on a knee doing something on the ground. A girl was standing over him looking down. I only caught a glimpse and my first thought was he was getting ready to propose. Good thing it was just a thought that I didn't verbalize. Awkward!

Down by the water, there wasn't much of a shoreline like there is in the summer when water levels are low. I enjoyed the scene for a second, then realized there were a couple of guys sitting on a log, one was smoking a joint. I turned around and started heading back up.

Back at the trail, the "proposal" couple was gone. I continued down toward the trailhead. The trail continues under the canopy of trees but I noticed then rain had increased when I reached the really narrow part of the trail with the cable and steep drop off. I was glad to have a rain coat but was missing my pack cover. I'm sure the tiny waterfalls were getting everything wet. (Turns about my pack cover was INSIDE my pack. D'oh.) 

By the time I reached the parking lot, the rain was steady and it was getting pretty dark (around 4:45-5p). I did my best to store my wet pack, jacket, and boots as quickly as possible.

Definitely a little out of shape, need to get back to stretching and yoga.
My hips and knees are angy. 💯😂

As far as my hiking stats are concerned, I'm behind. After today's outing, I still have about 53.6 miles and 10,275 feet to go. There are just 44 days left in 2024. 

From this time in 2023 to the end of the year, I completed just 6 more hikes for 34.31 miles and 10,382 feet. The elevation gain goal seems attainable but the distance might be too much to make up before New Year's Eve.

Tenas Falls

Punch Bowl Falls

Hike: No Name Lake & Bend Glacier, Blue River, OR

Getting There

Since I'd already hiked Smith Rock, I needed to find a final hike before heading back to Portland. I researched some trails out of Sisters, OR. I thought about checking out North Sister and the Dee Wright Observatory again.

But, my determination to get to No Name Lake kept gnawing at me. LOL. I'd started up the rough road on Tuesday before bailing and heading to the Lava Cast Forest, Newberry Crater, and the Lava Lands.

From Bend, take SW Century Drive toward Mt Bachelor, about 22.5 miles. Continue on Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway to the turn off for FS-4600. It's a rough, rutted road for about 0.5 miles to the Todd Lake trailhead. Keep going on NS-370.

The road gets really rough from here to end, about 5 miles. Definitely, slow going and thankful for a high(er) clearance vehicle. In hindsight, I'd rather drive on this kind of road than the washboard crap, kind of like the road to Coldwater Campground for Mt Adams South Summit trailhead.

I found a nearly full parking lot. Wow. And, many were not lifted trucks. I don't recall seeing a Prius but some flavor of Subaru (Crosstrek?). I found a spot.

I happened to strike up a conversation with a guy that was starting his hike about the same time as I was. I still wasn't sure about the route and asked if he knew if there was signage for No Name Lake. He said he wasn't sure. He mentioned he was meeting his buddy who was riding a bike from the Broken Top Brewery in Bend. He was a trail runner so disappeared ahead pretty quickly.

The Hike

Length: 6.17 mi
Elev. gain: 1,444 ft
Moving time: 2:44:44
Avg pace: 26:41
Calories: 1,451
Total time: 3:13:43

 

The guy I chatted with was a trail runner so disappeared ahead pretty quickly. Fortunately, a group of four were on their way back to the parking lot (I'd been on trail for just 5 mins) so I asked them about the trail to the lake. They assured me it was hard to miss.

I caught up to the guy again who was putting an arrow for his buddy pointing to Broken Top and where the No Name Lake trail split off.

I took a lot of photos on the way up by these are sort of in reverse order starting with my arrival the lake.

About half way up, the trail crested and I was sure I'd reached the lake. I tried to recall the photos I'd seen to match what I was seeing. I laughed when I realized it was not it. I still had a ways to go. I'm kind of glad it took a bit more effort to get there.

This is a rather mild trail, elevation gain speaking. The trail hooks around the berm on the left of next photo. There is a narrow ascent up a trail. I paused to let a couple come down. The guy stepped on a loose rock and slipped. I made a dumb remark "those little ones make roller skates". (huh huh). It was my turn to go up.

I reached the rim and was amazed to be at the level of the lake.

 

I found a trail that skirted the lake. I expected it to just go around but found a section climbed up to the rim on the west end. Fuck ya! There was a couple in paddle boats and a dog. The woman was using a snowboard as a paddle. I filed that information away and continued on my way.

 I found epic views of Three Sisters.

 

 

After I made it back to the start point of the lake loop. I'd looked for the trail near the glacier but realized it was snow only. I'd left my microspikes in the car. I noticed that couple was on a patch of the glacier, snowboarding down a bit. Epic.

I started back down the trail. I still had a long drive home to Portland. And a trail and rough road ahead of me. I couldn't help but take more photos of this amazing environment, particularly Broken Top, the remaining part of a massive ancient volcano.

 

Hike: Smith Rock State Park, Terrebonne, OR

Getting There

The air quality south of Bend was terrible again, with hazardous conditions in La Pine. I had to go north to be far away from it. I'd planned to visit Smith Rock on my way home of Thursday but I decided to switch things up.  

From Bend, take Hwy 97 northbound to Terrebonne, about 21 miles. Take a right on Smith Rock Way (east) and follow to the parking lot, about 2.5 miles.

I parked at the first lot available after the bivouac area. To my dismay, a person was sitting in their car, windows rolled up, talking on the phone... with the engine idling. It wasn't strong but I could smell the exhaust. I was so annoyed and started to talk loudly to myself. I had to get out of there before I had a confrontation. I needed to start hiking and change my focus on something awesome and positive.

The Hike

Length: 10.20 mi
Elev. gain: 2,172 ft
Moving time: 4:36:09
Avg pace: 27:04
Calories: 2,433
Total time: 5:47:24

 

 

 

 

 

I had no idea where I was going when I left the car. I did zero research on the trails and what not. I had lunch, plenty of water, the 10 essentials. 

I saw a bunch of people coming up some kind of road just beyond a building, bathrooms, concessions, picnic tables.

I saw some grass down near the river and made that my first objective. The road drops gradually on a long gooseneck but there was a steeper shortcut that I took to the river.

From across the canyon, I saw a trail heading up the rock just before the vertical part. Go big or go home. Turns out this is the Misery Ridge Trail. I wanted elevation gain and views and this had it in spades.

After I dropped down to the west side of Smith Rock, I decided to head north, instead of south like the old guy suggested. After passing Monkey Face, I took the Mesa Verde Trail to the Summit Trail.

I still had good stamina and excitement to be out there, my lack of research of this trail cause me some mild concern. I saw a high point far ahead and above me the looked like a mtn bike descent. I began to imagine that my route was heading up there. The sun was still high above in the sky but I was further away from the park than I expected to go. I still took the detours to the viewpoints but felt a bit rushed.

Eventually, I reached the fulcrum of the trail: the Burma Road. I noticed a guy hiking down well below me, apparently doing the same loop I was on. Whew! I knew I was still on track and now I could see the route back to the car, sort of.

I still had to check the map to find my way around to the start of the Misery Ridge Trail. There was still good light for photos. I started down the river trail and saw more groups of climbers supporting one person in their group on the rock, belay partner, hollering tips.

The map showed a crossing but when I got there, it was only a horse fording route. I wasn't about to get my boot soaked and see how deep the water was. I doubled-back toward the parking lot. 

What a place!