 |
| Forest Road 8123 - Sandy River Trail |
 |
| French's Dome Trail |
Getting There
Take Hwy 26 to Zig Zag, then take E Lolo Pass Road northbound.
At about 6 miles, take Muddy Fork Road. At this time of the year, Forest Road 1825 at the Sandy River. There is room to parallel park on the river side of the road.
The Hike - Sandy River Trail
The sky was mostly sunny with some billowy clouds. I was planning to hike to Ramona Falls but knew from trail reports that since the Parks dept had removed a bridge near the trailhead and hikers had to cross. They suggested calling ahead; I didn't.
I didn't realize how far the trailhead was from where I had to park. There weren't any folks out there that I could see besides the two that mentioned the "big cat scat". I followed the road cautiously down the center. I knew I really didn't have the time to do the whole hike anyway because of how far up the valley the falls are. I knew this was a scouting trip and that the idea of wading across the Sandy River at this time of year was not enticing.
It was kind of a bummer to see debris around all the campsite entrances off the road. I gave up even trying to reach the trailhead and turned back. I started picking up garbage along the way. At one site, someone had either tossed they to-go wrappers or animals dragged it out of the fire pit. The paper bag was soaked but I was able to squeeze it and stuff more bits of trash into it. Gross.
About 1/2 way back to the car, I saw a couple cross the road and I noticed the Sandy River Trail. I was less cautious about seeing a "big cat". I stopped a couple of times to take some photos so I'd set down the bag of trash. At one spot, I got a few hundred yards away and had to circle back around.
I saw these two guys ahead of me that were going to pass by the trash I'd set down. Part of me was trying to catch up so I could explain that I'd just set it down temporarily. However, to my dismay, I saw them both look at the garbage and walk right on by. JFC! Really!!?? It's way we can't have nice things because individuals can't be bother to chip in a little. I'm not sure they are on the same level as the shitty people that "camp" there and leave garbage behind but still kind of pissed me off.
Of course there are ZERO receptacles anywhere since it's off season, so I carried this garbage all the way back to Portland and put it in my with my trash.
French’s Dome
While I didn't have the time to hike, I still had time to cruise up Lolo Pass Road for a bit; the afternoon sunlight was amazing. I really took a close look at where Ramona Falls is located on the side of Mt Hood and could see better how close Vista Ridge, Lolo Pass, and McNeil Point.
I was getting some great views of Mt Hood but always with power lines in the frame. I pulled into a small parking lot that I'd passed many times before. I was hoping to find a viewpoint to get a "clean" shot. I started to descend this little switchback and was immediately greeted by a huge monolith. French's Dome is hidden in the trees.
Immediately, I noticed climbing anchors in the rock face. I read the sign and looked around. I'd never seen climbing platforms all around the rock. Probably for both erosion prevention and also to provide level ground for cushions.
The sign:
French’s Dome - A Climber’s Challenge
“French’s
Dome is an eroded remnant of a “volcanic neck”. The neck was a conduit
that fed lava to a surface that was once located more than 700 feet
higher than the present climbing rock.
Erosion from glaciers and
rivers has stripped away the surrounding 700 feet of material to expose
the knob. The 150 foot dome of rock is olivine basalt and is estimated
to be several million years old, older than Mt Hood.
French’s
Dome is a popular destination for climbers. ___ combined Northwest
Forest Pass (NWFP) funds and a grant from The Access Fund, to construct
climbing platforms. These replaced the eroding structures pictured here.
NWFP funds will be used for future site maintenance.”
