Last Saturday (10/2/10) my friend Chris and I took a trip to the Mt. St. Helens (MSH) blast zone. This is the N-NE side of the mountain that blew apart and devastated many square miles of forest on May 18, 1980. Our goal was to hike to LoowitFalls and get a close up view of the crater dome.
The weather was gray in the morning, but the forecast called for the clouds to burn off… and they did. The sky was crystal clear, which meant unobstructed views of MSH and the surrounding area.
We started off at the Windy Ridge trailhead and headed for the restricted zone. The restricted zone is open to day hikers only. No dogs, pack animals or camping.
As we got closer, we could see steam coming out of the mountain and were excited about being able to see it come right out of the dome from close up. We were disappointed when we realized that, from the direction we came, the cliffs and ridges prevented us from seeing the dome itself. In order to have a close up view of the dome, we would have had to come from a different direction on a much longer trail.
However, we were not disappointed by the other views. Because we were so high up and because there were no trees, we could see for miles. Incredibly, we could see all the way from the Olympic Mountains to Mt.Hood. It was also amazing to see the devastation, as well as the recovery that has occurred during the last 30 years. LoowitFalls was pretty too.
The total mileage was only 10.4 miles, while the total elevation gain was only 1,600’. Compared to what Chris and I have done this summer, this was an easy hike.
For a totally cool video of MSH, check out this link to a 360 degree video. Be sure to left click and drag on the video itself to change the view, and to view the two other videos.
As the days grow shorter, colder, grayer and wetter in the Northwest, it is best to take advantage of the remaining sunny days we have left. That is especially so when hiking up to the higher elevations, as soon they will be either snowed in or the views will be obscured by clouds.
That's why, last Saturday, Chris, myself and the dogs, Buddy and Timmy, took the opportunity to do the McNeil Point hike on the west side of Mt.Hood. McNeil Point is a hike to avoid during the summer if solitude is what is desired. That's because it is a relatively close and easy drive from Portland and has fantastic views. Mostly because of this, neither of us had done this hike before. I figured this late in the year the crowds would have decreased.
When got to the 4000' elevation Top Spur Trailhead at , there were only two other vehicles in the parking lot. The sky was clear, there was no wind and it was 38 degrees. We put on our day packs (one for the dogs too) and set out for a great day of hiking.
On Mt.Hood in general, and in this area specifically, there are a myriad of interconnecting trails. As usual, I had done my trail research and map making and Chris had his GPS, so we knew exactly where to go.
About a mile into the hike, we ran into a guy who was coming down from backpacking the previous night near McNeil Point. He said the temperature had gotten down to 26 degrees. Now that's hard core camping.
Soon we reached a point where we could opt for a scramble shortcut trail to McNeil Point. The description for this route was, "A faint, very steep trail that was potentially dangerous going right up the face of McNeil Point that is not recommended." Another description was, "Only attempt this dangerous route if you are prepared to crawl along using your hands." We decided to take the safer, longer route. We later ran into a couple who had come up that way and they similarly described it and decided to go down the safer route.
Around the 3.25 mile mark, we came across what is referred to as "The Ponds". This area contains several ponds, open fields, some campsites and views up to McNeil Point. The Ponds still had a layer of ice from the previous night. That didn't deter Buddy from wanting to jump in. He hates baths but has no problem diving into frigid water. Needless to say I did not let him jump in.
At about the 5 mile mark, we made it to the McNeil Shelter at 6100'. The shelter has stone walls and a tin roof supported by beams of wood. It contains a fireplace and is open on one side. Apparently, this shelter was built in the 1930s by the CCC and named to honor Portland newspaperman Fred McNeil. Therefore, that's how McNeil Point got its name.
The views from McNeil Point are great, and that would have been a great hike. But there was a trail going up the alpine meadow to what the map indicated was McNeilPeak. Of course we had to follow it. What I thought was only another 300' of elevation turned out to be almost 900' and another half mile. It was one of those times when you can't see beyond the initial peak in front of you and don't realize that the trail just keeps going up and up once you get up to the next peak.
The effort was well worth it. The views included: a full frontal of Mt.Hood, as well as views to Mt.Adams, Mt.Rainier, Mt.St. Helens, Barrett Spur, Sandy Glacier and LostLake. That's what we came for.
On the way down it was surprising the number of other hikers we saw - probably around 50. Just think how crowded this hike would be on a sunny summer Saturday. Amazingly, some hikers were just starting out as we neared the trailhead. I hope they were prepared just in case.
Total mileage: 11 miles
Total elevation gain: 3000'
Instead of sharing pictures via an email attachment or through a YouTube slideshow, I thought I would give Flickr a try. Click on the link below to view the pictures. Keep in mind that you can view the pictures several ways - one at a time, as a slide show, etc. Experiment with the different views. Also, let me know how you like the Flickr link. Enjoy!