Timberline Trail Backpacking Itinerary and Questions

[djsatterfield]

If I have posted in the wrong area, please move or tell me where to move it.

I would like some thoughts/comments on my itinerary. Aug. 17 - Aug. 23, 2024. Plan is for a 5 day/4 nt. hike. Not into speed hiking so want to take my time and enjoy the sights/sounds.
Day 1 (Sunday)
Plan is to fly into PDX on Saturday, get car and any additional supplies and head to Timberline Lodge. Hang out, get things situated, eat, sleep.
Day 2
Hit the trail by 7-7:30 heading CW. Turn onto Paradise Park Trail #757 then meet back up to PCT on the way to Ramona Falls. Camp somewhere between Sandy River and Falls.
Day 3
Hike from Ramona Falls area to McGee Creek area (supposed to be good campsites just north of McGee Creek) or possibly Eden Park (Ladd Creek) area, via the bypass around the Muddy Fork area (assuming that is still the recommended path due to blowdown).
Day 4
Hike from McGee Creek to Compass Creek.
Day 5
Hike from Compass Creek to Newton Creek (camp after crossing Newton Creek).
Day 6
Hike from Newton Creek to Timberline Lodge. Drive back to Portland.
Day 7
Fly home.

I will be backpacking solo. Bringing water shoes for the crossings, don't want to hike in wet shoes if I can help it. Will park in designated area at the Lodge. Will fill out permit information. Trying to camp nearby water sources so I don't have to carry a ton of water back to camp. I have read numerous articles on here and the internet concerning the water crossings. Any thoughts, etc. are welcome. Thank you for any insight.

[johnspeth]

It sounds like a well researched and reasonable itinerary. The only wildcard is the water, either too much or not enough. By late August, most snow will be melted on average but that's not easily predictable now. You will probably want to re-research possible water sources right before your trip. You'll also need to check for possible trail closures before you start.

[Charley]

Good plan!

Two things to think about:

• You may not have heard that glacier creek crossings are easier in the morning: the water flows are lower in the morning, before daytime heat really starts melting water. So if there is a crossing that looks particularly deep and fast, it can be helpful to camp on the near side, and try the crossing in the morning. It can actually be a really big difference.

• Forest fires are basically unpredictable in advance, but you're arriving in a season when there are typically fires burning somewhere in the region. In the weeks leading up to your trip, you might check inciweb or airnow.gov, to see if Mt Hood is on fire, or if a fire somewhere else is nuking local air quality. With about 5 days of driving and hiking time, there's a strong chance you could get a good trip in, even if fires and smoke are affecting the region. If the Cascades are bad, but the winds are from the East, you might enjoy a trip to the Wallowas, Strawberries, or Elkhorns. If the winds are from the West, the Olypmics usually have better air quality (and there are some good trips to be done in the National Forest near the Park, which wouldn't require as much advance planning or permits).
  
  My backpacking buddy and I have developed a habit of planning multiple options for trips, and we've definitely relied on that advance planning.

Cheers!

[drm]

I would add two things. If you are unlucky enough to be in a heat wave, which is very possible that time of year, camp night 1 next to Rushing Water Creek. It's just a couple hundred yards before the Sandy River and is usually much cooler. Since that will be your lowest altitude camp, the heat could be a big issue there.

I think the Timberline Trail between Ramona Falls the Muddy Fork is now open. There may still be some trees and you can get an update here next year - or even from hikers going the other way that you meet in and around Ramona Falls.

And, of course, you will want to check with us here right before your trip to get an update on the water crossing condition, though by late August it should not be too bad, even in a heat wave.

[texasbb]

Regarding the Ladd Creek area, I'd prefer Eden Park over Cairn Basin, mostly because Ladd Cr has more glacial silt than I like putting through my filter, but also because Eden is much nicer.

[teachpdx]

Timberline Lodge is easily accessible from PDX via public transit. I make the trip a few times a year, and I even have a car.

Trimet MAX red line to Gateway TC > blue line to Gresham TC. $2.50
SAM to Sandy TC $1*
Mt. Hood Express to Timberline Lodge $2*

*These are either a timed connection or the same bus

The latest you can leave PDX is 5:00 PM to get the last bus of the day to Timberline. It's a 2.5 hour trip (vs. 1.5 driving plus getting a rental car).

There's a Fred Meyer directly adjacent to Gateway TC where you can stock up on last-minutes and non-flyables (fuel canisters, etc.).

Transit directions via Google Maps are awesome for this connection.

Seriously consider using public transit and save all that $$$. No need to pay for a rental car that you just leave parked for days.

www.mthoodexpress.com

[adamschneider]

Seriously consider using public transit and save all that $$$. No need to pay for a rental car that you just leave parked for days.

On the return trip, it'd also be pretty easy to hitchhike from Timberline Lodge back to Portland. More than half the cars leaving the parking lot will be crossing a MAX track on their way home.

[Walkin' Fool]

Just wanted to second Charley's comment and strongly suggest you have a back up plan in another area. All of the recommendations in the above post are excellent. Also, even though Olympic National Park requires backcountry permits, most of the permits are non-quota (although a few areas areas are quota like Seven Lakes Basin, the Ozette area on the northern coast, Grand Valley, the end of the Hoh River Trail, and Royal Lake, so definitely check), so it's very easy to plan a several day trip even in the NP on short notice avoiding the quota areas. And if you're in an area in the NP that requires a bear can, you can borrow one at a ranger station.

[Charley]

Timberline Lodge is easily accessible from PDX via public transit.

Totally! It's a cheap and pretty low-stress way to get up there.

Here's a trip report from 9 (!) years ago. I am getting so old.

[djsatterfield]

Wow, great responses from all, greatly appreciated.
I have read up on water crossings earlier in the day, so will keep that in mind.
I will most definitely check the status of things come spring/early summer 2024.
Wife and I visited around Labor Day 2022 and had to deal with some smoke from wildfires, and some thick fog, making Mt. Hood not very visible when we were in the area. Just sightseeing, no hiking (she is not a hiker).
Good to know about the trail between Ramona Falls and Muddy Fork, I will check it out too.
Thanks for the Ladd Creek glacial silt situation. I am going to try to avoid filtering that type of water if possible.
I do understand the rental car and leaving it sit situation, but I really like to have the freedom to stop where I want and when I want on the way to Timberline Lodge and going back. I have a fairly good price on a car already, but again, I do understand your logic.
Concerning the "backup" plan, that I hadn't thought about that, as I am pretty set on this itinerary, rain or shine. I will start looking at Plan B, just in case. As mentioned, I can't control wildfires, etc.