After last week's partial loop of Mt Hood on the Timberline Trail, the weather and work load allowed me to do an out-and-back of most of what I massed the previous week, this time starting at Tilly Jane.
On the drive up, just before the road forks between Cloud Cap and Tilly Jane, there was a very unshy coyote on the road. I took this as a good sign for the hike.
Start of the hike near Tilly Jane - not too much forest for a while after this
Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams
Here I am at the Cooper Spur stone shelter, Mt Hood behind
Up, up, into the alpine
Still water running, this is below the small remnant snow field in the previous photo.
Yet more up and up
Mt Hood from the Timberline Trail High Point at about 7350'
The start of Newton Creek
2000 feet down, the bundle of logs across Newton Creek
And 20 yards away is this nice clear creek next to shaded camps
And 100 yards up, that same creek bubbles out of a whole in the ground
At that point I started seeing some great "Fall" colors, even though it was still summer
The next three are in Clark (Heather) Canyon
Then I entered the Meadows ski area
I found a camp in the ski area and took a stroll after dinner
That night a couple of bicycles came by on the trail with headlamps. I was wondering if that was allowed in the ski area? Nope.
Leaving the next day
Back in amazing Clark Canyon
Bicycles were still on the trail, presumably they went out on Gnarl Ridge
Climbing back into the alpine on Gnarl Ridge
I did the short hike on a rough trail to a high point (not the high point) on Lamberson Butte
For a great view of the mountain and the route ahead
This water is between the Gnarl Ridge high point and Timberline high point with a perfect pour-off
Parting shot of the Eliot Glacier
