Getting There
From Portland, it's about 57 miles (92km) east on I-84, about 5 miles (8 km) from Hood River. You have to take exit 58 from the eastbound lanes: there is no exit from the westbound lanes.
The trailhead/tunnel parking lot is just up the hill. Parking is limited. When I went there on a weekend (or holiday), cars were parked illegally on the shoulder - please don't do that. Come back during the week or when early or late in the day.
I waited until mid-afternoon to decide to go somewhere. I knew I didn't have time for any of my usual hikes. The weather was great in town and I hoped it would be like that all the way to Hood River. When I was getting close (I was parallel with Wind Mountain across the river), the cloud cover was pretty thick. The sunset was going to be nice but it was a bit chilly.
Fortunately, the parking lot was only about 1/2 full (5-6 cars). I didn't have any gear, just a jacket, fanny pack, hiking poles. No water, or snacks. Raw dogging.
The Hike
Ascent: 892 ft
Total Time: 1h 27m
This was my first hike of 2026 but not my first outdoor excursion. I've done a bunch of work parties with WTA and TKO but was finding motivation was still a bit elusive, a feeling that has lingered for several months.
Last time I stopped here, I didn't even have proper hiking boots and found my footwear was not appropriate for the steep terrain. This time I had a singular goal in mind: make it to the top!
Given the lack of cars in the parking lot, I figured I'd have the place to myself. I had just an hour or 1.5 hrs left before sunset.
The trail climbs about 900 feet (275m) in just under a mile (1.4km). I grinded up the switchback, crossed a couple of scree fields which lead me to the saddle. The trail climbs up to the service road for the power lines, before turning sharply back towards the river (north). The climb up the spine is kinda steep but not bad.
As I was ascending the last stretch I saw two people near the top. They disappeared out of view. I guessed they were enjoying the views. I continued upwards but wanted to give those folks some space. I peeked around the corner and saw them sitting. I backed up a bit and took some pictures.
After a few minutes I saw them coming back down. I pretended I was a bit surprised. I said hello and made a cringy (dad joke) comment: "What goes up must come down".. (ewwww, why?). LOL
I climbed up to where they were sitting and took a look. Not much further to go on the point before getting too sketchy. I was ready to start my descent but wanted those people to get a little further along so I wasn't crowding them.
I saw them stop to put on jackets so I hurried so I could pass. Unfortunately, they saw me coming down the hill and quickly started hiking again.. argh!
I stalled and walked really slowly but they kept stopping so I eventually caught up again.
As I crossed the last scree field, a bunch of softball to bowling ball sized rocks started to slide down right above were I was. Only my legs & ankles stopped them but they kind of piled up against me. Yikes. More rocks might have made me lose my footing and swept me down the scree field, or if they'd had started sliding higher up and picked up speed, it could have been more dangerous. Oof.
I made a noise in surprise then relief when nothing more happened. I looked up and noticed the couple had stopped. In fact, they'd stopped to make sure I was okay. I brushed off the danger and said "well, that was a bit spicy!" but thanked them.
Again, I adopted a slow pace so I wasn't right behind them on the trail. Back at the parking lot, one of them headed to the loo and the other putting their gear away. I should have thanked them again for waiting after the rock slide.
