Hike To McNeil Point

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 9 AM, 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 McNeil Peak. 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 Lost Lake. 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'

Here is a link to the pictures on my Flick site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54959080@N05/sets/72157625200674900/detail/