Anyway, I neglected to post a followup to this thread after thoroughly scouting the trails on a couple trips in September. I'll add this to the Field Guide when I get a chance, but basically, there is a very pleasant loop that can begin at either the lower Boulder Lake trailhead (for low-clearance vehicles and those who want to end the hike going downhills) or at Bonney Meadows (rough road in, but allows for more time to explore the meadows).
First, it turns out that the 472 trail is shown incorrectly on most maps -- as others have suggested in this thread. The trail goes right along the summit ridge of Echo Point (which is densely forested on the Bonney Meadows side, but open to the east with fine views into the Boulder Creek valley and across to Badger Butte). At the actual summit, the trail veers around the west side of Echo Point, but a boot path traverses across the open meadow face of the viewpoint.
Here's a recon map of the loop showing mileage increments and the corrected locations of trails:
Note that to make you loop, you'll walk on approximately 0.8 miles of Forest Road 123 from Little Boulder Lake to the Trail 472 junction. It's a dead-end road and entirely within the new Mount Hood National Recreation Area, so the chances are good that this will someday be decommissioned and formally become a trail.
Trail 472 crosses through no less than five clear cuts, but has been carefully reconstructed through each, and they are in "recovering" state, so they're pleasant enough. Plus, the trail is near the east edge of the cuts, so you're never far away from intact forests. As Koda points out, there's a neat little side path to a rugged cliff-top overlook above Little Boulder Lake. This is an outstanding spot to watch raptors swing across the basin, below, snatching prey from the scree slope that descends from the cliffs down to the lake. I could have spent a few hours here!
Further along, Trail 472 climbs steadily into increasingly beautiful noble fir and eventually mountain hemlock forests, passing a series of viewpoints across the Boulder Creek valley. At the crest of Echo Point, you'll have this panoramic scene before you:
(Click here for a larger, scrollable view)
If you start the hike at Boulder Lake Trailhead, it's an easy drive to the VERY wide spot in the road where the trail follows the outlet ravine from the lake for only about 1/3 mile to the lake. The stream was dry when I visited, but close examination of the lake shore near the outlet revealed a high water mark at least six feet higher than the summertime water level, so I suspect the outlet flows into mid-summer. Beyond that, you'll need to boil water from the lake, or fill water bottles at Bonney Meadows on the loop hike.
Boulder Lake has some very nice campsites, though is likely a bit busy in peak periods due to the short access trail. It's a particularly rugged and beautiful lake:
Little Boulder Lake is another camping option, and even though it is very close to a road, didn't seem to show much effect from that kind of proximity -- it feels more remote and private than Boulder Lake.
Wow... just think, there are already a couple feet of snow up there, now..! Sigh... it's going to be a long wait until next summer!
Tom
