Hamilton Mt, east ridge

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Chip Down
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Joined: November 8th, 2014, 8:41 pm

Hamilton Mt, east ridge

Post by Chip Down » February 28th, 2017, 7:27 pm

I love the steep exposed trail up Hamilton Mountain, and wondered if there might be another good route. The obvious candidate was the prominent east ridge.

I started on the west side, with the intent of traversing east under the steep (unclimbable?) south face, partly for the scenery and partly looking for a way up. After I left my car, I found travel to be fairly easy. The forest was open, with little brush. Crossing Hardy Creek was my first challenge. It was down in a steepish canyon, and it was running high. Hmm. Okay, dropped in there and starting following the creek upstream looking for a way across. Tried this and that, but nothing worked out. Finally found a big-ass log across the creek, almost level, with pretty easy access at both ends of the log. This was a no brainer. Short of the trail bridge upstream, it wasn't going to get any easier than this. It was frosty, so I put on my crampons. Probably the first time I've used them for a log crossing. At the other side I scrambled up a lovely path of steep mossy boulders, and continued northeast through open forest, exploring points of interest along the way. Finally saw cliffs up above through the trees, and headed that way. Just before the cliffs I looked up at what looked suspiciously like a trail running east/west, and then another roughly parallel, as if I was nearing a switchback. How could this be? Was it possible I ended up that far west? I investigated, and sure enough, found a switchback. Crazy. If I had been just a few yards to the east, I wouldn't have noticed it. A little further to the west and I wouldn't have known where I was when I hit the trail. A goldilocks moment. Incidentally, I think maps show the trail alignment a little wrong here. See pic below.

I had expended a great deal of time and energy to get to a spot that I could have accessed by trail, so I wasn't pleased, but it had been a pleasant enough way to waste a couple hours. I started traversing to the east under the cliffs through moderately easy terrain with no major challenges, until I arrived at a beautiful mossy rock garden. I realize now I should have expected that. Close examination of GE shows a lot of green mixed in with the grey in the bare slopes below the summit. From here I could see that accessing the east ridge would be just as difficult as I had feared. There was one possibility, a gap between the south face and the cliffs of the east ridge. I was starting to worry about the time. I was still at just 1200' after hours of effort. The gap worked, but it was a muddy complicated mess, tricky and slightly risky in spots, but never really scary, a hassle more than a danger.

At the crest of the east ridge (finally!), I followed it up to the west until it faded into broad viewless slopes. Still pretty open, not too much brush. Snow was thin and spotty, but icy, so I finally gave in and put the crampons on. As soon as I did, it was so much better. I could just plow right up the hill as fast as my fitness allowed. Hit some open spots with views to Table Mountain. A nice little steep fin poked through the snow, and then the forest faded, yielding to low brush, but not too thick, easy to get through. I saw what looked like it could be the north ridge, and maybe the summit above to the south a bit. As I neared, I knew it was the top, because I heard voices. Ran into the trail, snowy but compacted. Maybe 10 people on top, including a guy in jeans and running shoes. People were intrigued by my approach from the unusual direction. I completely forgot to ask the question I've always wanted to ask in these circumstances: "Is this the way to Beacon Rock?".

I decided I didn't want to join the crowd on the trail down the west side, so headed back down the way I came, but a bit more south looking for views off the cliffs. When I hit the east ridge, I didn't drop into the gap I ascended, but instead continued on the snowy brushy ridge in search of the serrated bare section that forms a serrated spur at the end of the cliffs (see pics below). Almost missed it, because it's further off the ridgecrest than I realized, and it was hard to spot it through the trees.

After that side trip, I had to tackle the descent off the east ridge. It was no longer a well-defined crest. Got a little sloppy. I was slightly worried about cliffing out or encountering thick brush, but managed to get off without too much trouble. Curved around to the west, up and over to the mossy rock gardens, then directly to the south looking for the powerline road that would take me back to my car.

Ahh, there, time to relax. But a little after sunset, the road disappeared at a creek canyon. Damn. Fought my way through dense brambles, followed the creek down to another utility road that was easy to follow, but there was no bridge or culvert at the creek, so I was forced to wade. Almost dark, so I couldn't be dainty about it. Picked up the road on the other side, and was surprised when it started to rain. Oh well, it didn't matter at this point. Noticed a gas pipeline branching off from the powerline road, and assumed it was the gas pipeline road I parked near, so followed it uphill. When it finally got dark enough that I knew I'd need my headlamp in a couple minutes, I rummaged through my pack by the light of my phone, put on my headlamp, repacked, and continued up the road, where I spotted my car twenty seconds later. Seriously, about twenty seconds! Oh well, no harm done I guess. That last half hour was brutal. Things went from happy and relaxed to a miserable ordeal at the moment when my road disappeared. It was never really terrifying though. I bet if had to, I could have bushwhacked to the highway by headlamp, and then followed the roads back up to my car.

Overall, a good day. Weather was almost perfect for a strenuous adventure hike, almost never needed a hat, gloves were mostly for protection from mud/abrasions/thorns.

So much more to explore on Hamilton! You know how it is: check off that box on your to-do-list, add three more discoveries that need to be explored. I might not live long enough to do every offtrail hike in the gorge!
Attachments
0.jpg
Hardy creek posed more of a challenge than expected. That's not even all of it; there's more off-frame to left and right.
1.jpg
The amazing mossy rock garden, with the serrated spur of the east ridge above.
2.jpg
Wish I had stopped for lunch here. Perhaps an hour later, I sat on a wet log in a muddy gully when I realized it would be stupid to delay nutrition any longer.
3.jpg
Table Mt viewed from Hamilton's east slopes.
4.jpg
Notice the waterfall highlighted by the light streaming through a break in the clouds. I know some of you are really into waterfalls...who can ID this?
5.jpg
Overlooking the serrated spur ridge to the left/east, and the mossy rock gardens to the right/west.
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This is typical of Hamilton, lots of parallel spines separated by steep deep clefts.
7.jpg
Looking west from the serrated spur. So many exciting routes to explore. Question is, can the navigable terrain be linked into a satisfying route, or would it be a day of dead ends?
8.jpg
The serrated spur ridge, one of the most notable landmarks on Hamilton. If I wasn't pressed for time, and if it weren't for the fact that this was the only windy spot of the day, I would have gone further out. Actually, I did go a little further, but that narrow spot gave me the willies.
9.jpg
The serrated spur ridge viewed from the east.

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Chip Down
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Joined: November 8th, 2014, 8:41 pm

Re: Hamilton Mt, east ridge

Post by Chip Down » February 28th, 2017, 7:31 pm

It's become my style to post the pics of manmade stuff in a separate post.
Attachments
Hamilton-map.jpg
The blue box represents what I consider to be the true location of the switchback.
m20170225_130048.jpg
This is new to me. Don't think I've seen a bearing tree before. This was in a very remote place, and difficult to access. Amazing I spotted it.
m20170225_165421.jpg
I'm giving up on Founders. They consistently disappoint.

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Bosterson
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Location: Portland

Re: Hamilton Mt, east ridge

Post by Bosterson » February 28th, 2017, 11:31 pm

chip down wrote: Notice the waterfall highlighted by the light streaming through a break in the clouds. I know some of you are really into waterfalls...who can ID this?

Image
I assume the bump on the center/right is Aldrich Butte, making the hill to the left Cedar Mountain, and thus the falls Cedar Falls.

http://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Cedar_Falls
#pnw #bestlife #bitingflies #favoriteyellowcap #neverdispleased

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Chip Down
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Re: Hamilton Mt, east ridge

Post by Chip Down » March 1st, 2017, 5:29 am

Oh, of course. Now that you mention it, Cedar Creek is the obvious answer. Glad you posted; I've been eyeing Aldrich Butte, but didn't know its name. Now I see there's all kinds of info available on possible Aldrich Butte routes.

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kepPNW
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Re: Hamilton Mt, east ridge

Post by kepPNW » March 1st, 2017, 6:30 am

Very cool. I've looked down on that mossy boulder field many times, last Saturday most recently, and thought it'd be cool to wander through there. Bosterson beat me on the falls, definitely Cedar, and also a fun place to explore. (If you've never gone up Hamilton Creek...!)
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

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Bosterson
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Re: Hamilton Mt, east ridge

Post by Bosterson » January 14th, 2018, 11:40 pm

Chip, you say you didn't go all the way out to the end of the serrated fin (this isn't really possible - there's an unjumpable gap midway out), but are you sure you didn't leave this out there 11 months ago?
glass.jpg
Also,
Chip Down wrote:I completely forgot to ask the question I've always wanted to ask in these circumstances: "Is this the way to Beacon Rock?".
Don't worry, gotcha covered. After we popped out of the brush directly at the summit area, I asked the people milling about if we were near Munra Point. They laughed, but I couldn't tell if it was because they thought the joke was funny, or because they had witnessed two insane, presumably lost people pop out of a brush thicket. (Someone quipped about how we'd come up "the hard way," and a bro with a flat brim hat and a beard stared at us until we we left a minute later.)

</necromance>
#pnw #bestlife #bitingflies #favoriteyellowcap #neverdispleased

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Chip Down
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Re: Hamilton Mt, east ridge

Post by Chip Down » January 16th, 2018, 5:49 am

Hey, you calling me some kind of pot-smoking degenerate? :|

A couple of my favorite opportunities to startle the flip-flop crowd:
Wauna viewpoint bushwhack up the north side.
Angel's Rest bushwhack /scramble up the north side.

"Are you okay down there?"
"Hey, where did you come from?"

Oh, and strolling to the top of Dog Mountain filthy and wet on a fine summer afternoon...nothing said, just funny looks.

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