2012-12-27 Warrior Rock, Sauvie Island

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Peder
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Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
Location: Lake Oswego

2012-12-27 Warrior Rock, Sauvie Island

Post by Peder » December 28th, 2012, 8:51 am

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Cover picture
I have mostly avoided Sauvie Island since the parking fee doubled to $7. My Mother and I went yesterday and had a lovely hike. The trail is not overly muddy and could be done in sneakers if desired. We were greeted by the sun and for once we were not even threatened by rain.
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River beacon and the Warrior Point lighthouse in the center of the picture.
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Looking up the Columbia River
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We spotted these two bald eagles
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After a while one took off...
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Much later the second one flew; it's the tiny spot in the top of the picture.
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The lighthouse
Sullivan's 100 Hikes in NW Oregon says that you can go north along the beach from the lighthouse and follow "an overgrown trail 200 yards across the tip of Sauvie Island." It had always annoyed me that there is no trail what-so-ever, just shoulder deep brambles when you try to follow these instructions. Along the beach there is an old gun platform:
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"See any Japanese ships?" (the lighthouse is in the background)
You can follow the access road to the gun platform from there to an intersection; if you turn right at the intersection and follow the faint wheel track you will arrive at the tip of Sauvie Island and have a view to St Helens:
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St Helens
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Structures and pilings at the tip of Sauvie Island
I have no clue what was here, one source says that it may be an old steamboat repair dock. This source also interestingly enough says that "the old lighthouse keeper’s bungalow burned down in the 1990s and all that is left now is a nice rock and brick chimney in the woods only about 75 feet from the lighthouse."
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If you like brambles, there are also smaller user trails around.
From the trail I spotted these concrete blocks, I have no idea what structure they belonged to.
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What was here?
All in all, a very pleasant 8.2 miles.
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Our track around the tip of the island.
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…

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kepPNW
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Joined: June 21st, 2012, 9:55 am
Location: Salmon Creek

Re: 2012-12-27 Warrior Rock, Sauvie Island

Post by kepPNW » December 28th, 2012, 9:51 am

Wow, what a beautiful morning! That river is impossibly still. :)

Haven't been there in ages. I had no idea it cost money to park out there, now. Are there drop boxes, like at (some) Forest Pass sites?
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

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PandaHikes
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Joined: December 19th, 2012, 6:54 pm

Re: 2012-12-27 Warrior Rock, Sauvie Island

Post by PandaHikes » December 28th, 2012, 11:18 am

What a wonderful TR...makes me want to drop everything I am doing right now, pack Panda and Buddy into tour cruck, run into Portland and kidnap TrailBuffalo, and head out...to all the wonderful places everyone shares here.

Beautiful pictures of the eagles (we saw a couple on our last Angel's/Devil's Rest Loop, but they were literally dots in the pictures)!!

To celebrate an extremely precious 2012, we will hit Franklin Ridge this weekend...hopefully, I will get Panda to pose for me again. Looking forward to creating and being inspired by many more TRs.

Happy hiking!

PS: Please say "hi" to your mom. She is a real trooper! :D
"It's not what happens to you...it's what you do about it." - Mitchell

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Sean Thomas
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Joined: February 25th, 2012, 11:33 pm

Re: 2012-12-27 Warrior Rock, Sauvie Island

Post by Sean Thomas » December 28th, 2012, 11:44 am

Great pictures, Peder. I hiked out there with my brother a long time ago and had a good time. Seeing your tr makes me want to go back and revisit :)

Can the parking fee be avoided if someone bikes to the TH?

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hlee
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Joined: April 16th, 2012, 12:41 pm
Location: St. Helens, Oregon

Re: 2012-12-27 Warrior Rock, Sauvie Island

Post by hlee » December 28th, 2012, 6:36 pm

Thanks for the report Peder! I find that trail is totally different each time I head down it. Last few times it's been incredibly flooded, so I am surprised but happy to hear that it doesn't appear to be at the moment.

Great river photos for sure. My house is juuuust to the left out of frame of your shot of St. Helens.

Hannah

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.
-- T.S. Eliot

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