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

Getting There

This day was going to be my only opportunity to hike for a couple of weeks. I've got a few trail work days and some training. Plus, the weather forecast was mild temps and dry.

I was headed for Hamilton Mountain even though we are going there on Thursday to work on the stretch between the summit and the Saddle. When I arrived at Beacon Rock, I saw the gate to the Hamilton Mtn trailhead was closed. I parked and got geared up. To my surprise, the note taped to the gate said the trail is closed between the trailhead and Hardy Falls due to multiple landslides. I knew there has been a detour through Hadley Grove to bypass the slide near the trailhead. I was mildly bummed that the only way up was via the Equestrian Trail.

I opted to forge ahead and head over to Multnomah Falls. For a Monday, the parking lot was nearly full but I found an empty near the tunnel.

I geared up and made my way over to the Return Trail to Wahkeena Falls. 

The Hike

Length: 11.35 mi
Elev. gain: 3,074 ft
Moving time: 4:24:03
Avg pace: 23:15
Calories: 2,327
Total time: 4:54:51 

 

 

 

 

It's been difficult to get motivated to hike. I've been feeling out of shape on work parties but it hasn't been enough to get me off my arse. I signed up for a work party in late April at the summit of Dog Mountain (w/ Mazamas). I need to ramp it up and get some training hikes in between now and then.

I wasn't fast but I made continuous progress up to Fairy Falls and beyond. I paused briefly at the junction for Angel's Rest but decided to keep going. I wasn't sure I'd be able to reach Angel's Rest AND Devil's Rest. The hike out to Angel's and back would have been good. At one point, I even thought I'd just hike over to the Larch Mountain Trail and back down via Multnomah Falls.

Nope. I reached the cutoff for Devil's Rest and took it. My new plan was to hike up to DR and then double back or drop down the Angel's Rest Trail. Instead I planned to hike all the way to AR. Immediately after leaving DR, the Foxglove trail drops in elevation quickly. 

I started to doubt if I was fit and conditioned enough to do this whole loop. Anxiety came as I was making my way down when I reached the point of no return, or rather, the point that I really, really, really didn't want to hike back up. I was really committed now. Fuck it.

Like Rey in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, I called upon my trail work friends who've logged hundred of hikes. "Why am I scared rn?" I got this. I thought about "digging deep" like one might at the gym. Given where I was, I had no choice to hike out. If I was cycling around the city, I would be able to call a cab. Out here, it's just me and my two legs & feet.

When I reached the junction to start heading back to Wahkeena, I considered the time and how much daylight was left. I'd only brought 9 of the 10 essentials.. no flashlight. Argh!! I was too close to AR to skip it. I gave myself from 4:10 to 4:30 before I needed to start my return hike.

I did the loop around AR and immediately started back up the trail. 

I made sure to stay hydrated with electrolytes and forced myself to eat some of my KIND bar. I was tired but I reminded myself I'd done Mt St Helens several times. The fatigue could mostly be remedied by getting the right nutrients.

Getting "under" DR took longer than I remembered. In my mind, DR and AR aren't that far away from each other. From DR to AR, it's actually about 2 miles and 900 feet of elevation loss. To get from AR to the spot on the trail adjacent to DR, it's about 1.5 miles but the net elevation gain and loss cancel each other out. I let out a sigh of relief when I reached the spot where the Primrose Path joins the trail. Time to coast.

From here back to the trailhead was routine. I was glad to have ample daylight left and plenty of energy in reserve. I had another moment of relief when I stepped off the rock trail onto pavement at Lemmons Point. I knew I had more rocky trail on the Return Trail but I enjoyed the smooth(er) surface while I could.

I was floating when I got to Multnomah Falls Lodge. I had a tiny burst of energy to get me the rest of the way.

What a great hike and reminder that I'm in pretty good shape after all. I still need to keep training for the Dog Mtn work party and hikes beyond. Hopefully, I can increase my hike and it'll be easier to get motivated and actually leave the house more often. 

I also expect a tough summer with wild fires and smoke. The end of summer could be a bust.

 

 

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

Getting There

I saw the weather this coming week was rainy. I haven't hiked since Hamilton almost a month ago. No excuses! I knew this was my window of opportunity. I wasn't the only one with that idea.

As I drove out on I-84 in the Gorge, I contemplated my hiking options. I wasn't going back to Hamilton. I clearly wasn't going to King's Mountain, and Dog Mountain was too far given my late start. I thought about Devil's Rest but also Ponytail and Horsetail Falls. Maybe even that perch above Mitchell Tunnel. I'd missed my opportunity to go to Silver Star when I'd jumped on I-84 vs I-205.

Almost at the last minute, I took the Bridal Veil exit and headed towards Wahkeena. I was still under the impression that the road was closed there and I saw a sign that the highway was closed in 3 miles. (I didn't do the math.) I optimistically and quite naively, figured there would be a vacant parking spot. My heart sank a little when I saw cars parked on the shoulder well before the trailhead. Not a good sign. I went ahead to have a look.

To my surprise, the road was NOT closed here anymore: cars could go all the way to Multnomah Falls. And, there were no empties. I did a u-turn. I knew there wasn't an eastbound on-ramp where I'd exited so I would have to backtrack and lose some precious time.

Instead of driving all the back to Corbett on Hwy 30, I got back on the freeway and got back on the eastbound lanes at Rooster Rock. I told myself, "if the Multnomah Falls parking lot was open I would take a look." Sure enough, there were several spots open." 

The Hike

Length: 11.66 mi
Elev. gain: 3,130 ft
Moving time: 4:49:27
Avg pace: 24:49
Calories: 2,550
Total time: 5:25:46 

 

 

 

 

It had been a month since my last hike. It's been difficult to find the motivation. Plus, the time change has made it so if I didn't start early, I'd run out of daylight. I'm way behind on my hiking goals this year.

Even when I was on-trail, I still didn't have a clear plan, just lots of options. The first choice was whether or not to repeat the track I did last time: Wahkeena > Angel's Rest > Devil's Rest. I thought maybe I shouldn't go for the big hike and just get up to Devil's Rest and could loop back or continue to Angel's Rest if I felt good.

When I got to the Wahkeena Springs turn toward Angel's Rest, I settled that choice. But... I could just hike out to Angel's Rest and back to Wahkeena, skipping Devil's Rest.

As one can see in the final trail route, I went all the way to Angel's Rest and up to Devil's Rest. I'm really glad I pushed myself.

There were a dozen people chilling at Angel's Rest. I more-or-less skipping Devil's Rest cuz there were two people sitting and I didn't want to disturb them.

When I got back to the Wahkeena Trail, I considered going to Multnomah Falls, or venture out to the view point. I figured the distance was about the same for the two. The view point has been a regular stop on my hikes out here, like always stopping at Little Beacon. 

I timed things just about right. As I was descending the switchbacks below Lemmon's Point, it was getting pretty dark. By the time I was on the Return Trail, it was really dark. I had difficulty seeing the rocks on the trail. I thought about the handful of people that I knew were still up on the trails above. Hope they had flashlights!

Successful hike. Awesome weather to boot. 

Hike: Angel's Rest and 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 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

Length: 10.22 mi
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.

Hike: Angel's Rest, Corbett, OR

Getting There

What an adventure! I set out from Portland without knowing where I was going to hike. I just knew I wanted to get outside for this rare, unseasonably warm weather. I've been wanting to get back to Wahkeena Falls #420 trail since the snow and ice storm in January.

When I reached the parking lot, it was windy and the Oregon side of the river was in shadow. Even though I'd just done Hamilton, the sunny side of the river (WA) looks so much more appealing. I blasted by the Multnomah Falls parking lot and continued onto Cascade Locks. I crossed the bridge and headed to Stevenson to get some snacks. 

On the way back, I decided against Hamilton and crossed the river again, another $3 and decided to go for the Wahkeena hike after all. I parked and suited up and was ready for the climb. The parking lot was nearly full so I didn't want to bother with the Multnomah Falls hike. I crossed under the freeway and headed to the traverse trail #442. Unfortunately, there was no way to reach the trail due to deep snow & ice. There was no way to walk along the road, too sketch.

Reluctantly, I walked back to the car and wondered if I was going to hike at all.

I decided on Angel's Rest. There's no exit from the westbound side of the I-84 so I had to go all the way to Rooster Rock and turn around. I backtracked to the Bridal Falls exit and found the main parking lot and overflow lot both full. Sad face! Frustrated, I headed south on Hwy 30 hoping for a last option, Latourell. Dammit. It was closed for repairs and maintenance.

I was dressed for a hike and had no where to go. It was getting late in the day for a long hike, ~2pm. I decided to give Angel's Rest another shot. There still wasn't any room in the main lot but I found one spot next to the road. I was weary of getting my car broken into.

The grabbed my pack and poles and started the hike.

The Hike

Length: 5.19 mi
Elev. gain: 1,490 ft
Moving time: 2:22:32
Avg pace: 27:29
Calories: 1,439
Total time: 2:44:23

It worked out in the end. The trail was in great shape. A little bit of mud and ice but otherwise, well groomed. 

I passed a bunch of hikers on the way down but it never felt crowded despite the number of cars in the lot. I was overdressed for the warm weather. I eventually stopped and stowed my outer shell jacket. The sunlight was gorgeous and golden. No snow except a couple of random patches deep in the bushes. If I'd been there sooner, I might have tried to get to Devil's Rest as well but will have to save that for another day.

On the way down, I noticed a hiker with a red MSHI patch. I said hello and introduced myself as a fellow volunteer. She recognized my name and said she'd sat next to me at the Volcano Naturalist class in Castle Rock. (Small world!)

In the end, it wasn't a particularly strenuous hike but I was glad to have gotten out there.

Hike: Angel's Rest, Corbett, OR

AllTrails map

Getting There

I knew the temperatures this weekend in the Pacific Northwest were going to be crazy hot... like record setting. I was not to be deterred. I considered doing my Newton/BPA route again or wander around Sauvie Island.

I still needed to get some 32W shorts. I took a chance that REI in Hillsboro would have what I needed. I'd checked out Dick's looking for the poles that came with all the feet. None of them had any; spikes and/or or baskets. They must be totally sold out.

I still did not find poles but I really don't need them, just the feet. They had the 'boots'! They cost as much as I paid for the poles but oh well. They had some shorts as well.

Back in Portland, opted at the last minute to skip Newton Rd and started out Hwy 30. I passed up Sauvie as well. I did a u-turn and started out toward Troutdale.

I got the the Bridal Veil Falls exit and got a view of the parking lot, I was kind of shocked that it was nearly empty. Whoa. On a Saturday? It wasn't that hot. I think 103.

I geared up and set out. I had plenty of water!

The Hike

Length: 4.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,476 feet
Type: Up and Back

This is my 2nd recent hike (Spring '21) but I'm sure I'd hiked it years ago.

I passed by two couples early on the trail. They didn't look like they were in for the long haul. 16oz of water for both of them.

A couple of people came down the trail early on as well.

It certainly was hot but it wasn't as bad as I anticipated. The shade really helped a lot. I really noticed the temperature difference when I had to hike in direct sunlight.

The last 3rd of the hike is pretty much out in the open. There were some large trees or bushes to get a little shade.

I found a little bit of shade between two big rocks. I had my foam pad so it was cushy on the tushy.

They was so restorative. I cooled down enough to explore the rest of the outlook.

It was bizarre to be completely alone. Last weekend, there were so many cars, even the overflow lot.

View from my little spot out of the sun

It was pretty hot out.

A look at Archer Mountain, Phlox Point, & Hamilton Mountain

Looking west up the Columbia River

Thoughts:

I'd like to come back and hike up to Devil's Rest.

Or, park on Larch Mtn Road and hike down to here.