Upper Munra Ridge

[chameleon]

Here's a photo of the top of the Munra Point hike.

[chameleon]

Here is the 'fin' - possibly the most hazardous bit of ridge. A fall here would be serious.

[retired jerry]

I don't have a good way to post multiple photos, but I'll try singles as attachments. Here goes...

Add the file like you did.

Then click on "place inline" where you want the picture to be in your text.

Then add more text, add another file, and place inline where you want it.

etc.

[chameleon]

Thanks for the info Jerry. Here are some photos per your posting suggestions:

Here's a black and white of the ridge looking back about a 1/3 way on the ridge. Munra is the small nob in the back behind the finlike peak in front.

Here is a photo looking back. The trail runs along one of the horizontal bands on the prominent peak there. And I did it again this past weekend and realized it wasn't quite as dangerous as it seemed on my first time. I almost actually traversed below and climbed directly back up to the trail below the fin, and it did not seem that bad. The shadows at different times of day can really play tricks though and make it seem worse!

Here's a photo of Indian Pipe I found on the ridge above the treeless section.

A photo from right below Munra looking up the ridge.

And finally for tonight, just a nice view looking down from the summit itself - notice the trail down below! While I was up there this past weekend, a helicopter also flew up the Moffett drainage. I was so jealous!! - They hovered over the largest waterfall, and I took some photos of them. I'll post later. It looked like some sort of army helicopter with a guy posted off to the side looking out. Not many places in the gorge where you actually look down at a helicopter! I promise to post a photo. They buzzed off pretty quickly after checking the waterfall out though, so I'm pretty sure it was an army excercise or a sight-seeing tour.

[anna in boots]

Thanks for the memories, Cham. I did that one back in spring of '06 as one of my first hikes when I was still fresh out of Colorado. The steepness surprised this former 14ner-bagger; Isn't Munra Point a 1500' gain in 0.5 miles? Here's what I wrote to all my friends back in the Rockies:

It wasn't high, it wasn't long, but my legs were shaking by the time I got back to the parking lot. The volcanic formations of the Columbia River Gorge give a whole new meaning to the phrase "drop off." Steep is the name of the game. Half the height of my former ascents in the Rockies, these puppies rise twice as fast.

But the rewards were great. Bright yellow dog-toothed lilies blooming thick as grass in spots. Deep purple larkspur and magenta orchid-looking things no higher than your ankle. (I need to update my wildflower book collection.) Everywhere the smell of sweet, sun-warmed rock and soil and evergreens.

A high warm wind on the summit dried my T-shirt while the early evening sun pulsed hot against my face. The Columbia River flowed below like a sheet of molten silver. I always want to stay to see the stars. But I'm always glad to see my truck again, too, right where I left it.

Thanks again for the lovely scenery; you've inspired me to do it again soon, maybe in colorful autumn.

anna in boots

[chameleon]

Anna, that was a beautiful letter to your friends! I hope you get to climb Munra point again soon! Perhaps we could hike it together - always great to hike with other people who enjoy the area as much as I do. If you do get to make the trip, definately post some pics!
-Zach

[anna in boots]

Sensational! Get this: the only two pics I took on that trip were the last two shots left on one of those disposal Kodak panoramic cameras that I bought back in 1996 and had laying around in my gear all this time. The pics came out! I scanned them and adjusted for the graininess and they weren't half bad. Of course, they couldn't hold a feather to the delectable image buffet YOU posted on here but hey, I can live vicariously through you until I return there. I've since transitioned to a tiny Olympus Stylus digital and I even inherited a tasty but heavy SLR digital from a friend. No more grainies for this girl! ;-)

anna in boots

[chameleon]

On Monday I went back and hiked the entire ridge up to the power lines. To Pablo - your description of it in your thread is very accurate! - especially about the final tough bit. Just prior to the top of the ridge is a series of mossy bluffs rising probably 350 feet. You can climb directly up the ridge itself here, but I did not. This is without a doubt the most hazardous segment on the entire ridge (including the traverse after Munra). The reason is that at least on the direct ridge and the immediate Tanner Creek side, on any route up you will face potential long falls. I think you could bypass this segment on the Moffett creek side, or follow the Tanner Creek side along further and find an easier way, but the most straight-forward ways are 4th class. To Pablo - my hat is off to you - you're a good scrambler. I went slightly up the left of the direct ridge, and faced some falls over 100 feet, climbing loose dirt paths and mossy boulders. There is a fairly good view through trees at the top though.
Once on the top of the ridge it is easy to get disoriented if you follow the tanner creek side - especially in the mist, as on Monday. That is the best side for most of the ridge, but once on top you find dense, dense, brush! No deer trails, nothing! Just thick foliage. I followed it for what seemed like a long way when I finally reached the power line, and was very surprised when I saw it drop straight down to Tanner Creek. I guess I had not noticed the nuances on the map - and had just expeced a straight forward ridge, not recalling that it veered off one way, and Tanner Creek turns a bit westward.
I followed the Moffett Creek side of the ridge back, and it was a cake walk - very easy through a burn area mostly. Route-finding can be difficult up there though, as you have no views - just super tall trees.
On the way down, I followed a deer-path down the Tanner Creek side of the difficult section (facing 100 ft falls), and at the bottom almost continued accidentally down a broad ridge leading down to Tanner creek! The trail was great actually though, which makes me really want to follow it all the way down some time. I realized my mistake fairly quickly though and went back up the main ridge.
Great trip down after that. I photographed some small critters and a couple turkey vultures on the ridge, and spent probably 45 minutes standing in the sun on Munra point's summit. The sky opened up and it was phenomonal up there. I'll post some more pics later, but here are a few to start...

Here is a photo of a newt I found on the way down.

A photo of an alligator lizard I spotted right below the summit.

A photo of one of the turkey vultures overhead.

Munra ridge with Table behind.

[chameleon]

Forgot a nice photo of Bonneville.

[chameleon]

Here is one more photo that I really like looking back up the ridge - similar to another photo I posted, but the clouds really made the difference here.