McNeil Point

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drm
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McNeil Point

Post by drm » July 15th, 2016, 6:53 am

Headed up there on Wednesday from Top Spur for an overnighter. Despite being midweek, there were three other groups, probably like us looking for a clear day this July. There were still clouds hanging around the mountain early in the hike so not much of a view from Bald Butte. It didn't really clear around the summit till late afternoon. There were zillions of little flies low on the hike, just a few bites from them, but bugless at McNeil Point, even in the rare moments when the wind died down. We chose our campsite slightly to the west of the ridge the shelter is on to get a little more shelter from the wind. Everybody else camped on that ridge.

There was two brief pieces of snow to walk over and on the way home in the morning, one was exposed and icy and we decided to hike up and over it. It was less than ten feet wide but at 8am it was hard and icy and you would have gone a very long way if you had slipped.

Flowers were quite nice - glacier lilies and paintbrush especially, and there were only a few logs on the trail.
mp16_1.jpg
Mt Hood on the trail up
mp16_2.jpg
the ridge above
mp16_3.jpg
There is my tent with a view to the north

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akehoe1800
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Re: McNeil Point

Post by akehoe1800 » July 19th, 2016, 3:11 pm

Wow! Sure looks WAY nicer than when I was up there that Monday. Had to fly back to Florida on Tuesday and it was my only chance for decent weather for a real hike while I was visiting home. Started in the rain at 8am and found my way into the clouds. Still got a small peek at the mountain and found some brief patches of sunshine while I was up there. It cleared up later in the day, but I had a date with Trillium lake and a kayak so I rushed (ran) back down the trail :D . The flowers up there were beautiful!
Attachments
trillium.jpg
Trillium lake same day.
water.jpg
A very soggy trail and water coming off the mountain
viewpoint.jpg
Viewpoint
flowers.jpg
Flowers around the lakes
mcneil pt.jpg
View towards the last cutoff to McNeil Point. My last sighting of the mountain while I was up there.
Instagram: Akehoe1800

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fettster
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Re: McNeil Point

Post by fettster » July 21st, 2016, 7:09 pm

Do you know if the two tarns are melted out up by the PCT (below McNeil Point)?

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drm
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Re: McNeil Point

Post by drm » July 21st, 2016, 7:24 pm

fettster wrote:Do you know if the two tarns are melted out up by the PCT (below McNeil Point)?
Yes, and one is mostly dried up. See akehoe's "flowers around the lake" photo above.

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adamschneider
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Re: McNeil Point

Post by adamschneider » July 21st, 2016, 7:26 pm

fettster wrote:Do you know if the two tarns are melted out up by the PCT (below McNeil Point)?
Three weeks ago, there was no snow anywhere on the Timberline Trail in that area, and one small patch of snow near the lower tarn, which was almost dried up.
tarn 7-2-16.jpg

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