Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

General discussions on hiking in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
SeanB
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Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

Post by SeanB » February 14th, 2018, 5:05 am

Hey Hikers,

I will be visiting Portland this summer with my wife and young daughter. I am a avid 4-season hiker in the White Mountains of New Hampshire (including a winter ascents of Mt. Washington). My wife is more casual and we will have my 10 month old daughter. I'll be hiking in the Whites with her in an Osprey Poco starting this Spring.

I am looking for relatively low-key hikes that are close enough to Portland for a day trip - probably no more than 6-8 miles round trip and 2000 ft of elevation gain without scrambling and with decent footing. If I were solo, I would be looking to bag some of the high peaks, but alas, this will be a family outing.

Lookout Mountain seem like it could be an options? Yes? No?

Sorry if this is frequently asked. If you ever decide to come east to hike, I can return the advice.

--Sean

Webfoot
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Re: Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

Post by Webfoot » February 14th, 2018, 6:19 am

You may be aware that there was a fairly devastating fire on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge so quite a few near-to-Portland hikes are off the menu.

A few you might consider, in no particular order:

Lewis River Waterfall Hike

Umbrella Falls Loop Hike

Harrys Ridge Hike (go as far as you like; make sure to bypass Devil's Elbow which can be sketchy.)

Dog Mountain (elevation gain greater than desired)

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retired jerry
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Re: Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

Post by retired jerry » February 14th, 2018, 7:16 am

A trip to Timberline Lodge is always good. You can hike up from there, or hike over towards Paradise Park. The lodge is pretty unique.

A lot of good hikes in the area.

Depending on date and elevation, there can still be snow

justpeachy
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Re: Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

Post by justpeachy » February 14th, 2018, 2:18 pm

Lookout Mountain is a good choice. Mirror Lake and Tom, Dick, and Harry would also be doable (but be aware that the trail is very crowded, especially on weekends).

What part of the summer will you be here? The reason I ask is because we've had a very mild winter with a very low snowpack. If this keeps up, we're in for a drought and a summer of bad wildfires, which may start as early as mid-July. That means trail closures and road closures and view-obscuring smoke, so it's good to build some flexibility into your plans.

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Peder
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Re: Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

Post by Peder » February 14th, 2018, 11:45 pm

A Cheryl says, it depends on exactly when you come and the local conditions. Snow can be a real problem at 5-6,000' in July, depending on the year. Some hikes that come to my mind as outstanding are:

Coast: Salishan Spit (seals!) or Cascade Head [note that the coast is always cool - I have hiked there in a sweatshirt when it was a 100F heatwave in Portland!]
Willamette Valley: Warrior Rock on Sauvie Island (with beaches for the little one!) and the Silver Falls State Park (great for a rainy day if you should be unlucky).
Volcanoes: Harry's Ridge north of Mount St Helens (pretty unbeatable) or any hike on Mt Hood
Further east: Smith Rocks (borderline day trip)

I think this site's Field Guide should cover most or all of the above hikes.
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…

olderthanIusedtobe
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Re: Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

Post by olderthanIusedtobe » February 15th, 2018, 1:14 pm

Falls Creek Falls on the Washington side of the Gorge is easy and beautiful. I grew up near there but had never done the hike until Thanksgiving last year. I usually hike on the Oregon side when in the area but had to look for other options. This hike can be done as a short out and back, or extended into a loop.

olderthanIusedtobe
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Re: Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

Post by olderthanIusedtobe » February 15th, 2018, 1:22 pm

Ramona Falls on the west side of Mt. Hood is a nice destination, but I don't know the current status of crossing the Sandy River near the beginning of the hike. Seems like the bridge has been out for several years, correct?

Someone noted some coastal options above. Cape Lookout and Cape Falcon are other nice destinations on the coast. Those trails can be muddy, but in mid summer might be fine. There are a few options in Ecola State Park on the edge of Cannon Beach.

I've still never been there, but Silver Falls State Park near Salem looks intriguing.

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retired jerry
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Re: Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

Post by retired jerry » February 15th, 2018, 1:53 pm

yeah, Ramona Falls bridge across Sandy is out, but it's fairly easy to cross in the summer. Check trip reports here a little before your trip to check conditions.

SeanB
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Re: Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

Post by SeanB » February 15th, 2018, 6:46 pm

Thanks, folks. Those are great tips. We are thinking early August.

There's also a chance I can squeeze in one big hike with a local friend. For that, I'm game for pretty much anything up to 5000 ft of climb and 12 miles. The only limitation would be driving time. Mount St Helens, maybe?

SeanB
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Re: Visiting this summer, looking for suggestions

Post by SeanB » February 15th, 2018, 6:48 pm

Webfoot wrote:You may be aware that there was a fairly devastating fire on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge so quite a few near-to-Portland hikes are off the menu.

A few you might consider, in no particular order:

Lewis River Waterfall Hike

Umbrella Falls Loop Hike

Harrys Ridge Hike (go as far as you like; make sure to bypass Devil's Elbow which can be sketchy.)

Dog Mountain (elevation gain greater than desired)
Harry's Ridge looks very promising!!!

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