Oregon Hikers

Next week does not look ideal for tackling the Timberline Trail, unfortunately. But it may not be a washout. The best thing is that with these atmospheric rivers, the snow level generally stays higher than the route. And the NWS says the rain totals are still too far out to pin down, so it could jus...

what did you do for grizzly beats, carry bear spray? Yeah, we each carried bear spray on our large packs, then dayhiking we just took one of the two canisters. Then food in bear cans... still absolutely amazed I could fit nine days of food into a bear can. Grizzlies have expanded their habitat sout...

After the Timberline next year, I am hoping to cobble together a loop/lollipop of some sort in Wind River. I have maps already so just need to plan. Agree on the mid to late August. That is usually the latest I will go to try and avoid the rain, or the worst of it. There are so many loop opportunit...

I've wanted to hike in Wyoming since first visiting in 1971 on a road trip to Yellowstone and then in 1981 on a ski trip to Jackson Hole. Flying over it for the next forty years looking down on those mountains from on high is nothing to what your pictures have shown. I recommend a visit to this are...

MSH really is no cake walk, especially for people with minimal mountaineering experience. I summited multiple times in high school, growing up nearby in Woodland. And I got to the top quite a few times… but I had one time where I bonked hard around 6500’ and had to stop, another time where I got stu...

Hiking in wet feet is a recipe for blisters. Believe it or not, my favorite part of the TR was the CalTopo map. What can I say, I’m a map and route geek. Surprisingly, I just ended up with one minor blister on the whole trip… covering my known problem spots with a little Leukotape and doing the dou...

Lastly, a link to Caltopo comparing the planned vs. actual routes for reference: https://caltopo.com/m/BJ1S7

(7) FRIDAY, SEPT 8: BALD MOUNTAIN BASIN TO ISLAND LAKE (TITCOMB BASIN) – 15.5 miles / +2250 / -2350 It was time to venture into the most popular section of the Bridger Wilderness. Since we crossed Pole Creek on Day 2, we had only seen two other pairs of hikers from a long distance. Here we were, fiv...

I’ve been searching for a new extended backpacking location for a long time, and I finally stumbled across the Wind River Range in western Wyoming. And the more I researched, the more of a priority it became to visit. It’s a (long) one-day drive from Portland and the range offers an abundance of wat...

Salmon River is a good choice if you want to keep the mileage under 2.5 each way. After that the trail climbs away from the river and campsites for awhile. It’s my go-to when I take friends for their first backpacking trip.