Memaloose Hills - March 31 2012

[BigBear]

A pair of wet boots sums up the trail at this time. We did not have much rain, in fact, only a drizzle during the final 1/2 mile of the 6-mile loop. However, all of those vernal streams and brooks were flowing nicely during the wekeend. One member of the group asked how many stream crossings we would be encountering, and if you added up the answers of the rest of us, the count still would have fallen short. Only one of the streams presented the slightest challenge in finding a crossing point, and that was due to the steep banks not the width of the actual flow.

Grass widow and yellow bell were the primary flowers of the day. Columbia lomation and biscuit root represented the parsley favorably, and a few salt-and-peppers were on hand.

The buttercup are just getting started, outnumbered by the glacier lilies east of the rest area and in the oak forest at the 1/2-way point. The balsamroot had a few heads just starting to form, and we even found a paintbrush bush getting started.

Other flowers we saw included small-flowering blue-eyed Mary and large-flowering blue-eyed Mary, prairie star, and oak's toothwort.

No wild turkeys seen, but a paleated woodpecker and a flicker came out to see us. And yes, a small herd of seven deer were on hand as well. Other hikers encountered: zero.

[Charley]

Where is the Memaloose Hills?

[payslee]

Hi Big Bear,

This is the one out by Rowena, yes? I have heard promising descriptions but have not been able to find anything resembling a map. Can you recommend one? Did you park in the highway rest area as Friends of the Gorge recommends?

I appreciate your posting and tips! I've already been up to Catherine Creek twice this year and love it, but want to expand my east-side wildflower haunts now that spring seems to be begrudgingly arriving.

Thanks,
payslee

[BigBear]

Memaloose Hills are located east of Mosier (and west of Tom McCall Point). The trailheads are the Memaloose Rest Area (I-84) and the Memaloose Ovelrook (old hwy). No, there are no trail maps for there really are no trails. The area is a combination of private and public property, much like Lyle Cherry Orchard. This situation makes it difficult if you want to walk more than a mile out-and-back for the casual hiker has no way of knowing which fenceline stands between you and a propery owner with a rifle, and which fenceline borders USFS holdings, and which has Land for Public Trust or another benign property owner.

Therefore, the best way to explore it is to join FOCG or Mazamas when one of the groups has a scheduled hike.

[payslee]

Therefore, the best way to explore it is to join FOCG or Mazamas when one of the groups has a scheduled hike.

I'd want a map even if I were travelling in a group someone else was leading! And I always encourage hikers in the groups I lead to bring (and understand) them. But if there are none specifically for recreation, then good old USGS it is.

The frequent PH poster Curious Gorge has some suggested GPS tracks for Memaloose Hills up on his blog:
http://curiousgorgeblog.wordpress.com/8 ... lls-route/

But I always try to consult as many information sources as possible when exploring new terrain... one of my favorite pastimes. I promise not to get lost or shot, although I can't make any promises regarding poison oak

-payslee

[Excursionista]

Curious Gorge's directions are spot on. Memaloose is wonderful if you like huge meadows full of flowers, deer, birds, great views of the Gorge and Hood, and solitude when Catherine Creek and Rowena are packed on a weekend. Otherwise, don't go there.

Thanks for the TR, BigBear. Talk about timely - a friend and I were just talking about Memaloose this evening.

[Charley]

Memaloose is wonderful if you like huge meadows full of flowers, deer, birds, great views of the Gorge and Hood, and solitude when Catherine Creek and Rowena are packed on a weekend. Otherwise, don't go there.

Ohhh. . . Sounds kinda lame.

JUST KIDDING!

[Peabody]

To look up property boundaries look here.

http://www.ormap.net

Zoom into an area until the property boundaries appear.

Ever wonder who own what part of Wind Mountain?

http://skamaniawa.mapsifter.com/default.aspx

Zoom in until you see the property boundaries and click inside to see ownership.

[payslee]

To look up property boundaries look here.

http://www.ormap.net

Zoom into an area until the property boundaries appear.

Holy Moly, when did they finally update that site? What an improevment. I have to do a lot of property research for work and have been resigned to finding the lot lines on their static PDF maps. Looking up areas by Section Township and Range (their previous "search" option) was a nuisance in this day and age. And it's perfect for trying to stay out of trouble in checkerboard ownership areas like this!

Thanks,
payslee

[CuriousGorgeGuide]

Hey Peabody, thanks for those interesting links!! A brand new way for me to "waste" time....hahahaha, I'm always looking for more new ways!! I'm at work on a sort of "Hiking Gorge History" guidebook, so it was/is very interesting to look at the ownership info in the Wind Mtn area. I've been pokin around trying to suss-out the remnants of the long-forgotten Collins Hot Spring resort, and the old land-ownership plots help make sense of my current confusions.....and then the area at the base of Wind Mtn, underneath the landslide scar is interesting also for me because of an extant remnant of the original 1921 Evergreen Hwy that runs across the landslide.
Does Klickitat County have one of these mapsifters also?? and, does the ORmap site have ownership info built into it (that I couldn't seem to find?) Seems like I always have more questions than answers...hahhahaha......scott