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 took the exit for Bridal Falls (Angel's Rest, Wahkeena). I knew the Historic Highway 30 was closed between Wahkeena and Multnomah Falls, and has been for a several months so far. I took a gamble that there was an open spot given the limited number of spaces.
All the spots were full (except for the handicap spots). I knew getting to the parking lot for Multnomah Falls was going to be a hassle since there are no eastboard on-ramps at Bridal Veil. I had to wait. I noticed a couple walking back to their car and queued up to take it. Woohoo!
The Hike
Elev. gain: 2,900 ft
Moving time: 4:32:21
Avg pace: 26:39
Calories: 2,400
Total time: 4:58:00
This was my longest hike since Smith Rock in Oct 2024 and the most elevation gain since climbing Mt St Helens in Sep 2024, a great accomplishment considering my lingering foot issues and lack of consistent hiking. It felt great to be out there on a favorite trail.
My usual route has been Wahkeena to Devil's Rest and back, or making it a loop by returning to the car via Multnomah Falls. This time, I took the Angel's Rest Trail after passing Fairy Falls. I'd been down this way after leaving Devil's Rest but I'd never hiked all the way to Angel's Rest from this direction.
There were several downed trees that I had to climb over, several I could have cut if I'd brought my saw but a few of huge, like 16-20"+ in diameter.
The approach to Angel's Rest is great: you see the outcrop and a few people enjoying the sunshine and views. I hiked to the loop and went clockwise. I stopped at a spot where I could take off my pack and have a few bites of my sandwich. I had plenty of daylight but I didn't want to push it since the next section of the hike was unknown to me.
I started toward Devil's Rest via some well-marked user trails: Foxglove Way trail to Red Shorts Cut to She Devil. It was a welcome sight to see the familiar destination.
As I continued back to the trailhead, I had a great view of Mt St Helens peaking out.
This photo was edited but when I finally got down to the Wahkeena switchbacks, the sun was going down and colors getting more orange and saturated.
It was a great way to spend the afternoon. I will definitely do this loop again. I loved the distance and EG, and you can hardly beat the views.
