After reading the recent trip reports for Dalles Mountain and all the Balsamroot and Lupine blooming, we decided to give it a try ourselves.
A cloudy drizzly morning drive through the gorge had us worried, but the skies cleared up early on our hike and made for a great 7 mile hike. We encountered no ticks or rattlesnakes, but did see one marmot at the barn, unfortunately I was too slow to get a picture of it.
Karl, thanks for the photo in Splintercat's post on the location of the old car, it really helped.
Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
- rainrunner
- Posts: 627
- Joined: June 29th, 2011, 6:55 am
Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
The mountains are calling and I must go.
John Muir
John Muir
- Splintercat
- Posts: 8333
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:03 pm
- Location: Portland
- Contact:
Re: Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
Hey, I was right behind you yesterday! I started at the new trailhead (above the road, east of the Crawford Ranch) and hiked the upper loop, going down Eightmile Creek, then over to the Vista Loop via the Military Road, my first time on that trail. I didn't arrive until nearly 1 PM, and the lower trailhead is usually full by then, so opted for the upper approach.
I think I only encountered 5-6 groups yesterday on the trail -- two on bikes, and maybe 3-4 on foot.
Didn't see the petroglyph, so that must be along the lower trail? Didn't have time to walk over to the old car, either -- had to head back to civilization by 5 PM… but still a nice afternoon to decompress among the flowers!
Great photos! Thanks for posting!
Tom
I think I only encountered 5-6 groups yesterday on the trail -- two on bikes, and maybe 3-4 on foot.
Didn't see the petroglyph, so that must be along the lower trail? Didn't have time to walk over to the old car, either -- had to head back to civilization by 5 PM… but still a nice afternoon to decompress among the flowers!
Great photos! Thanks for posting!
Tom
- chiefWright
- Posts: 101
- Joined: April 20th, 2011, 5:30 am
- Location: Marquam
- Contact:
Re: Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
Zing! They got ya, Splintercat--
That's the Speedis Owl petroglyph down at Horsethief...
That's the Speedis Owl petroglyph down at Horsethief...
- rainrunner
- Posts: 627
- Joined: June 29th, 2011, 6:55 am
Re: Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
Tom, the pictographs are located down at the bottom of the Horsethief Lake entrance. They saved some to display for the public before the area flooded when the Dalles Dam was built. There was a Discovery Day Pass kiosk at the pictograph lot. (It appears you can purchase the Discovery Pass online and use a self printed pass)
We headed to the lower trail to start our hike up Eightmile Creek, went cross country to the car then followed the fence to the barn to see the marmots. I am glad you didn't see us crawling under the fence to get to Dalles Mountain Road. We didn't see the "area closed" sign until we got on the other side of the fence.
We headed to the lower trail to start our hike up Eightmile Creek, went cross country to the car then followed the fence to the barn to see the marmots. I am glad you didn't see us crawling under the fence to get to Dalles Mountain Road. We didn't see the "area closed" sign until we got on the other side of the fence.
The mountains are calling and I must go.
John Muir
John Muir
Re: Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
Yep, I was rambling about there too yesterday. I also started down at Crawford Oaks. I've been going there for over 15 years, so this time I had basically two goals: (1) hike the new trails for the purpose of putting them in the Field Guide (2) locate and interview a park ranger to see if I could continue to ramble at will even though the trail signs say "Stay on Designated Trails." Happily, I achieved both goals.
I met the ranger on the road near the new Dalles Mountain Ranch trailhead (at the Crawford Ranch); he was ticketing cars that had parked alongside the road (People still think that if they don't park in the designated trailhead - about 50 yards away - they can park for free). He said the signs were mainly for bikes and horses. "Dispersed hiking" was O.K. If an area gets damaged, they'll close it off and put up signs.
After that, I felt free to hike in a dispersed way. As I passed the old barn, though, I spotted the ranger interviewing someone behind the 'Area Closed' sign - maybe one of many who had transgressed that day!
I did my dispersed loop, where I met no creatures except magpies, meadowlarks, and ground squirrels (If you don't mind, I'm posting a few pictures below rather than do a whole separate post). When I passed back through the Crawford Ranch, two different people accosted me and wanted to know where the "rusty old car" was (I guess I look like someone who knows about rusty old things). It was the only thing they were interested in! I pointed them in the general direction, told them about getting through the fences, and decided to avoid the rusty old car myself.
I met the ranger on the road near the new Dalles Mountain Ranch trailhead (at the Crawford Ranch); he was ticketing cars that had parked alongside the road (People still think that if they don't park in the designated trailhead - about 50 yards away - they can park for free). He said the signs were mainly for bikes and horses. "Dispersed hiking" was O.K. If an area gets damaged, they'll close it off and put up signs.
After that, I felt free to hike in a dispersed way. As I passed the old barn, though, I spotted the ranger interviewing someone behind the 'Area Closed' sign - maybe one of many who had transgressed that day!
I did my dispersed loop, where I met no creatures except magpies, meadowlarks, and ground squirrels (If you don't mind, I'm posting a few pictures below rather than do a whole separate post). When I passed back through the Crawford Ranch, two different people accosted me and wanted to know where the "rusty old car" was (I guess I look like someone who knows about rusty old things). It was the only thing they were interested in! I pointed them in the general direction, told them about getting through the fences, and decided to avoid the rusty old car myself.
- rainrunner
- Posts: 627
- Joined: June 29th, 2011, 6:55 am
Re: Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
Bobcat - We also had several people approach us looking for the old car to take pictures.
Maybe the park needs to haul in some more rusted junkers for photo ops.
Maybe the park needs to haul in some more rusted junkers for photo ops.
The mountains are calling and I must go.
John Muir
John Muir
- woodswalker
- Posts: 835
- Joined: November 25th, 2012, 4:51 pm
Re: Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
Great photos as usual rainrunner! Good to know about dispersed hiking Splintercat. Thanks!
Woodswalker
Woodswalker
Re: Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
Bobcat - you are an angel in a bobcat's body! Thank you for finding out!"Dispersed hiking" was O.K.
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…
- rainrunner
- Posts: 627
- Joined: June 29th, 2011, 6:55 am
Re: Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
A pano picture of Horsethief Butte from this last weekend.
Last edited by rainrunner on April 15th, 2015, 12:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The mountains are calling and I must go.
John Muir
John Muir
- woodswalker
- Posts: 835
- Joined: November 25th, 2012, 4:51 pm
Re: Columbia Hills State Park - April 12, 2015
Beautiful!
Woodswalker
Woodswalker