Getting There
I took Hwy 84 to Cascade Locks, then crossed the river. I suppose it's a little quicker than going all the way to Hood River and taking Hwy 14 back to Cook.
This was a WTA trail work party in conjunction with the Mazamas. James and several others were already there when I arrived to the parking lot.
I mentioned to James that I was having "performance anxiety", referring to be unsure how fit I was to hike to the top and then doing trail work. He was surprised and said he was feeling the same thing. It was a relief that I wasn't the only one. We joked about letting the Mazamas cruise to the top with a CL or ACLs.
The Hike
Elev. gain: 2,840 ft
Highest Elevation: 2,948 ft
Before we set out up the trail, we stopped to take a group photo with the park rangers.
Surprisingly, I was one of the first to reach Puppy Dog Viewpoint with a couple of the Mazamas. I guess I didn't need to be anxious about my fitness.
We planned to work from the top back down to the viewpoint on eastern side of the loop trail which winds through the trees, instead of the wildflower route to the west. Since it took about 2 hours to complete the hike, we decided to have lunch before starting work. We dropped out tools and headed for the summit.
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After lunch, we hiked back to the top of the work site.
The trail was in pretty good condition but there were several areas that needed re-benching and widening.
There was one small diameter tree (maple vine?) that was a bit close to the trail, at about eye level. Before this volunteer actually made the cut, I suggested that we cut a big chunk off the top to lighten the branch. I also showed them how to undercut so there wasn't a slab when the weight finally brought the branch down.
A little re-benching project.
We made it back to Puppy Dog Viewpoint. The weather was great and the work wasn't too difficult.
While this wasn't a leisure hike, it was some descent distance and elevation gain. Some work parties are only 1-2 miles and minimal EG so I don't count those.
