Getting there
Just after Doetsch Ranch you'll see the Ranger Station on the north side of the road just before the Beacon Rock parking lot, then another road across from the bathrooms. The road winds up the hill for a bit.
I haven't been here since May 12. I haven't been hiking much this year, though I've done a bunch of trail work parties, some I've recorded, some I have not. I've been participating in WTA's annual Hike-a-Thon fundraiser and it was getting to the end of the month and I needed to squeeze one more hike in.
Plus, I got a climbing permit for MSH next month and I needed to see what kind of shape I'm in. I've realized over the years that a successful summit is one part fitness, one part nutrition, one part mental toughness, and probably a sprinkle of luck (conditions).
The weather was much improved, AQI levels down to almost nothing. It was overcast and my brain said cool but it was a bit humid. I geared up and stripped off a layer before setting out.
The Hike
Length: 12.0mi
Elev. gain: 2,772ft
Moving time: 4h 38m
Total time: 5h 36m
Avg. pace: 23:11
Calories: 2,453
It felt really good to be back on my favorite trail to close out the month. I still seem to get more winded and I've tried adjusting my pace. When I did the GOH hikes recently, I had to hike slower to stay with the group and felt great so I guess it's about finding the right balance of speed and breathing.
Somewhere between the power lines and Rodney Falls, I ran into a fellow member of the PortlandHikers FB group. I've admired this guy from afar: he posts hikes with long mileage and lots of EG. I recognized him instantly and said hello. In my haste I didn't properly introduce myself to him and his hiking partner, oops.
I continued at a good pace and made it to the switchbacks in good time and was feeling pretty good, definitely warmed up.
When I reached Baby Ham, Piglet?, there were a bunch of people relaxing on the outcrop. I continued up the trail. I ended up taking the unofficial trail to Little Ham. I kind of knew that some of those people probably saw me head up. It was easy, it took less than 10 mins to disappear out of sight.
After a short break on Little Ham, I made my way down the trail. I was feeling confident if not a little complacent. I slipped once and told myself to be more careful. When the trail was in sight I slipped again but this time hyper-extended my L index finger. Fuck! Not broken but really painful. It would throb for the rest of the hike but the pain diminished eventually.
I passed a few people on my ascent. After turn 14, I shot a couple of videos. While recording as I hiked to the summit, I heard voices. When I got to end, I ended the video so I didn't include the other hikers. I'm not an influencer! LOL.
I took a spin to review our work from the spring. I also verified the decommed section was still.... decommed. It was.
Next was the descent to the Saddle. The trail was in good shape and seemed like the park rangers have brushed unless I missed another work party!
At the Saddle, I did a little recon to see how doable climbing up to the rocky outcrop was. I followed user trail as far as I could, to the point where the "trail" ends and it's a scramble. It looked feasible but not with my hand in its condition and probably not alone. I'm guessing going up wouldn't be too bad, it was the "coming down" that gave me pause. Maybe another time.
At the north end of the Saddle, I stopped to take some pictures and noticed a couple coming my way. I scooted off down the trail.
I dipped off at Don's Cutoff. When I reached the main switchback, the forest was so quiet, not a sound at all: no wind, no bugs, no birds, no water. I closed my eyes for min or so. Amazing. Then, I heard that couple - dang! I scooted off again.
I wasn't planning to extend my hike beyond the usual loop but I wanted to get away from the other hikers. When I got to the Upper Hardy Creek trail, I headed up towards the Bridge Trail.
I vaguely considered a two-peak-day, adding Phlox Point to my day but then the weather changed. It started raining, like quite a bit. I was mostly protected under the dense canopy but it was loud hitting the leaves. I revised my goal to just walk up to the end of the road. Nope.
I turned around and started hiking down to the Equestrian Trail. When I got to Hardy Creek, the rain had stopped and the sun was out. Dang! I might have had some killer views from Phlox Point. I stopped at the picnic table and ate my sandwich.
The descent back to the Hamilton Mtn Trail was uneventful. I made sure to pause a few times to appreciate how lucky I am to be there/here.
I caught up with a couple of hikers I'd seen earlier in the day. I tried to give them some room but I knew I had a faster pace. Fortunately, they stopped and I was able to scoot by, making a remark about the weather.
To complete my "usual loop", I hiked through Hadley Grove to Little Beacon. I passed a family of 5-6.
At the top of the viewpoint, I had the place to myself. The sun was still high in the sky so I probably wouldn't wait until sunset.
I sat and had a snack. I feel confident to do the MSH climb in a couple of weeks. Despite not hiking much, I'm still in decent shape. As I told Ted and Ethan, I didn't have to summit to have a good day on the mountain.
