Timberline Trail - Mt. Hood, Oregon

The recurring theme of the last three weeks: Plain trails still are closed, so where to go? Paul had already made two trips up north, so it was time for me to head south.

The Timberline Trail is a National Historic Trail circumnavigating Mt. Hood, measuring just over 40 miles with 9,600' of gain. It includes a few miles of the PCT and many canyon and creek/river crossings gorged out by glacial melt, which can run high and swift during warm temperatures.

There is abundant clean (not glacial) water, varied trails and great views. Plus it's always fun to circle an entire mountain in one day... For reference, we went clockwise. 

Starting from Timberline Lodge

The first of many canyon and creek crossings

A few anvils around us, but no storms passed through

Zigzag Canyon

Paul's photo

Great morning light as the sun rose on the east side

Sandy River crossing; I imagine this would be quite a bit tougher in the afternoon

Ramona Falls

Awesome Western Toad

Creek feeding into the Sandy River

Muddy Fork

Skyline Trail section of Timberline

Paul's photo

Looking down into Muddy Fork, Yocum Ridge on the right

Meadows before Cairn Basin

Looking at the descent into the Eliot Creek washout; the trail after the crossing is visible in the middle

Final drop down to the creek; we went down the jumble directly below Paul

Rock move, fall down go boom: a blooming goose egg within seconds; Paul's borrowed compression sleeve did wonders to keep the inflammation down over the final 13 miles

Eliot Glacier feeding the creek

Not much coverage on the east side above Cloud Cap...getting warm

View from Gnarl Ridge, Newton Clark Glacier

Newton Creek crossing

Newton Creek crossing

Dropping down to Clark Creek

East Fork Mitchell Creek falls

White River valley; sandy slogging

Meadows on the PCT, about a mile from Timberline (ski lift on the skyline)

Salty Sweater and Squinty Eye