Timberline Trail - Mt. Hood

Today Lidia and I went hiking near Mt. Hood on the Timberline Trail - one of my favorites! There hasn’t been a lot of snow yet so this trail was still available to us and the many other hikers out enjoying the beautiful day. We knew we wouldn’t make it all the way up to McNeil Point but we wanted to go as far as we safely could. We weren’t carrying snow traction for our boots – and I darn sure won’t be leaving those behind again! What an awesome day!!

I love getting out on a trail early because of the solitude. The silence is very peaceful and the early morning sun coming through the trees… stunning. There was a huge layer of fog over the forest that kept the temperatures down near freezing. It was COLD but the view was worth every shiver, cold finger and slippery step.

Once above the fog line, the sun was bright, beautiful and warm. We sat to eat our lunch and watch the fog moving over the surrounding hills. After admiring the breathtaking scenery and feeling the warmth of the sunshine, we hiked back into the forest and over to Bald Mountain. We were able to stand in an area where the fog was swiftly moving right over the top of us... like we were behind a waterfall. Very cool.

It was another great day to be alive in the mountains! Beauty, peace and a great friendship…. I’m truly blessed.

Pictures galore...

Dog Mountain - Always a Favorite!

My favorite go-to hike – Dog Mountain. I haven’t been on this trail since the beginning of August. Once they implemented the permit requirement on the weekends, it involved planning ahead to get one which isn't always easy. The permits for Dog Mountain are only required in the late spring and through the summer so now that it’s Fall, we can go climb it on a whim again. Yay!

Dog Mountain is an excellent training mountain and I love the workout it provides. It starts going up immediately and it’s steep. For some reason the beginning of the trail seemed a lot steeper today than what I remembered. 😉 Ouch. I think Dog Mountain was growling at me. Regardless, I felt good and strong... and I growled right back! 

Lidia and I decided we were going to take our time, take pictures and enjoy the fall colors. Mushrooms seemed to be my focus and I got down on the ground more than a few times trying to get a good shot of them. The first part of the hike was spent taking countless pictures of the endless beauty. Mushroom overload!  

By the time we reached the first major view point, the wind had really picked up and the clouds were zooming by at great speed! The view was there one second and gone the next. 

After fighting the wind to get to the top, there was one last view of the Gorge until we were nearly all the way back down to the trailhead. The clouds quickly moved in and took over. We couldn't see anything at times... including each other. We actually got separated from each other for awhile. 

I took the trail on the right and went on to the top. Lidia took the trail to the left which bypassed the top and headed back into the trees. I couldn't see her and stood there at the top waiting until I thought something must be wrong. I checked my phone and luckily had cell service. Lidia had sent me a text letting me know she kept going, thinking I had done the same. There really wasn't any reason to take the side trail up to the top because there was no view. However... I thought that's where we would meet. (I should have waited at the intersection.) I told Lidia to slow down and I would catch up with her.

No time to sit down in this crazy weather but I had to get a quick (view-less) boot shot! 😊

I took off running down the trail to find Lidia. It is well known among my family and friends that I'm afraid of bears and cats on these trails and I really didn't want to hike alone with my fears today. 

I quickly realized Lidia was a lot further ahead than I had imagined because I couldn't find her (the texts must have been delayed). At one point I had to tell myself that this was good for me - facing my fears might help get me past them! Right?? I then forced myself to stop running because I remembered... "Don't run from the cats!"  What if a cat saw me running by?!  When I finally caught up to her I gave her a great big hug hello! Whew... my fears can be dealt with at a later date. 😉 

Once we got far enough down the mountain we found an area sheltered from the wind where we sat and ate our lunch. The sun came out for a little while too. The colors were awesome!

It was another great day on Dog Mountain (I missed it so much!) and another great day spent with my adventure sister, Lidia. I'm a happy hiker once again!