New Moon Over Paradise Park (Overnighter in Snow 6/8-9)

[rainrunner]

Thanks to Turtle's report, we tried the Paradise Park Trail from the Kiwanas Camp and it was absolutely lovely! The trail gains 3,000', but it is a gentle climb. The summer forest fragrance whiffed through the air. The goal of this trip was to take night shots of Mt. Hood under a new moon sky.

Up until the Paradise Park Trail (778) meets the Zig Zag Mtn. Trail (775), there wasn't much snow, but then it became impossible to visually follow the trail. This is where we met our fifth & sixth people of the day. One was a man from Cal. attempting to hike from Paradise Park to Cascade Locks on the PCT. Seriously, didn't he check the snow levels? Oh, wait, he didn't think a map and compass were necessary or that extra I-Phone batteries may be needed. We gave him our Green Trails Map (we had three other maps with us) and tried to show him the direction of Burnt Lake, which is where he wanted to go.

From the intersection, it was forested, so, we relied on the GPS to stay close to the trail. We didn't use any traction devices or post hole. Mearly stomping our heels or toes into the snow on hillsides was sufficient. In our opinion, we would not have been able to make it without Eric's Gorge Mapset and our GPS.


Paradise Park is mostly snow covered. The few bare spots have shoots coming up and the Pasque flowers are beginning to bloom.


We saw the International space station fly over at sunset.


The lights of the climbers scaling Mt. Hood.


Without the rainfly on the tent, it was quite chilly for me (Ann), so I improvised by pulling the rainfly over our sleeping bags. Here is the view out of our tent with our rainfly keeping us warm.




























Split Rock is directly behind us here.

[kepPNW]

Dropdead gorgeous shots, there! Wow... Words really lack in the face of such beauty.

In our opinion, we would not have been able to make it without Eric's Gorge Mapset and our GPS.

You don't happen to post your tracks anywhere, do you? I'm not fully sure the route this trip took you, but would love to visualize it.

Thanks for the report!

[retired jerry]

Great that you got up there this early in the year. I see there are a few melted out spaces. Nice views of Portland.

Were there steep icy places that were difficult to walk over?

That could be a good spot July 4 - watch fireworks in Portland - except they are very small from that far away.

[Crusak]

Burrrr! Looks like a chilly, clear night under the stars. A fun one! Nice pictures. I bet that was really cool watching the lights of the climbers at night.

[rainrunner]

Dropdead gorgeous shots, there! Wow... Words really lack in the face of such beauty.

In our opinion, we would not have been able to make it without Eric's Gorge Mapset and our GPS.

You don't happen to post your tracks anywhere, do you? I'm not fully sure the route this trip took you, but would love to visualize it.

Thanks for the report!

KepPNW - I am new to this GPS stuff, but I think this is want you are asking about.
Sorry for all the meandering once I hit the snow on the trail, I was trying to follow an easy route on the snow, and stay close to where the trail was.
GPS fly - Paradise Park trail 778

As I get use to this thing, I will hopefully get better at using it.

Crusak - It really wasn't that cold out while I was out taking pictures. The wind was not very strong and I was only wearing two shirts, a sweater and a the liner to a winter jacket. I think the high was in the high 50's and it only dropped down to the mid 30's by morning.

Jerry - We didn't hit any icy spots even in the morning, but I could see how that last section on Paradise Park loop trail could get dicey if it were to get a deep freeze again. I headed a bit lower on the hillside on the way back closer to some melted areas.

[Waffle Stomper]

Thank you for the trip report and some mighty fine photography. The last shot is my favorite.

[romann]

Your pictures are sublime! Can't get better than this

I wouldn't believe you about satellites but I've slept once without tent at Paradise Park and was surprised at how many / how easily they can be seen... As well as flashlights of climbers on the mountain, several miles away.

[kepPNW]

You don't happen to post your tracks anywhere, do you? I'm not fully sure the route this trip took you, but would love to visualize it.

KepPNW - I am new to this GPS stuff, but I think this is want you are asking about.
Sorry for all the meandering once I hit the snow on the trail, I was trying to follow an easy route on the snow, and stay close to where the trail was.
GPS fly - Paradise Park trail 778

As I get use to this thing, I will hopefully get better at using it.

Yes! That's very much appreciated. I don't know why, but I didn't even realize the trail left from Govt Camp. Or, seeing that, that it was that long!

I've really come to appreciate that site you posted it at, too. I keep a link to all my tracks, there, in my sig below. And it's one of the first few places I search when I'm planning a hike to somewhere I haven't been. (It's really easy to download a trusted track onto the GPS, and use that as a reality check when in unfamiliar territory!)

Seems getting better with the GPS is an ongoing thing. I've had mine for a bit over a year, and was still trying out new route finding and navigation exercises up on Benson Plateau the other day. It's places like that (or Multnomah Basin!) where I can get really turned around mentally.

Thanks again!

[discodan7700]

Seriously, didn't he check the snow levels? Oh, wait, he didn't think a map and compass were necessary or that extra I-Phone batteries may be needed. We gave him our Green Trails Map (we had three other maps with us)

You Rawk!

Thank you for thinking ahead to bring extra maps. I was reading on another website about how often folks keep getting lost out there on the trail. And I was thinking about bringing extra maps with me on my next trek. Sounds like it wasn't a dumb idea.

You could have saved that person so much trouble... not too mention the person's family. I mean, I'm trying to be realistic, and not think in worse case scenarios. Even if the person got lost and all that happened was they were late on their return. I'm thinking about the person's family and friends who will be sick with worry. Minutes could feel like hours to them. Hours could feel like days.

Oh yeah, that's assuming this person shared their plans with someone they trust. And that this wasn't just an impromptu adventure.

Oh, beautiful pictures....

And question: How do you check the snow levels this time of year? The site I was going to over the winter seemed to have stopped updates after May 1.

thanks again,

-daniel-

[retired jerry]

That's funny Daniel

That's what you suggested on bpl (bring extra maps and hand them out) and got criticized for