The whole route is on Forest Service land with a couple of patches of Washington DNR and a private section (Broughton Lumber) coming down from the Cook summit to the saddle with the communication towers. I took the zigzagging logging road up through the oaks and then the secondary Douglas-fir forest (The legendary chair was nowhere to be seen). Poison oak hugs the tread here and will soon begin to dominate it. I reached the junction with Russ Jolley’s summit trail. This meanders up through mixed forest and then heads out to the lower meadow, which offers views across to Wygant Peak, Mt. Defiance, etc. The balsamroot in the lower meadow is just beginning to bloom: it will be prime in about two weeks.
Cook Hill Loop
Cook Hill Loop
It was time to bag the 37,050th highest peak in the United States (according to Peakbagger). The loop up and over Cook Hill, including the Russ Jolley section, is easy to follow in the spring before rampant plant growth takes over. Passing Dog Mountain, there were already about 50 cars. I was only vehicle at the big pullout off Cook-Underwood Road opposite Jackson Road.
The whole route is on Forest Service land with a couple of patches of Washington DNR and a private section (Broughton Lumber) coming down from the Cook summit to the saddle with the communication towers. I took the zigzagging logging road up through the oaks and then the secondary Douglas-fir forest (The legendary chair was nowhere to be seen). Poison oak hugs the tread here and will soon begin to dominate it. I reached the junction with Russ Jolley’s summit trail. This meanders up through mixed forest and then heads out to the lower meadow, which offers views across to Wygant Peak, Mt. Defiance, etc. The balsamroot in the lower meadow is just beginning to bloom: it will be prime in about two weeks.
After that, it’s up through the woods and then across the lengthy summit meadow, which was grazed until about the year 2000, so it’s a different wildflower province here – very little balsamroot or lupine. However, a few weeks ago it would have been a vast sward of blooming grass widows (I found the last two). Right now, it’s mainly prairie violet, prairie star, larkspur, and buttercup. The summit itself is just off the meadow on the forested ridge. It was a little hazy but there was a good view to Mt. Hood from the meadow.
The trail disappears in these meadows, so you need to drop steeply down and pick it up as it reenters the woods. Soon you connect with an old ridge road that is carpeted with strawberries and offers views to Mt. Adams. The first comm. tower is for lease if anyone is interested.
From the saddle, I took the logging road back down to Jackson Road. I had passed several recent piles of bear scat on the loop and, at one point, there was a clumsy, doltish crashing in the brush so I must have spooked him. Coming back, Dog was hazardous, with cars parked a quarter mile along SR 14 in both directions from the trailhead.
Edit: Sedge ID was incorrect and has been changed.
The whole route is on Forest Service land with a couple of patches of Washington DNR and a private section (Broughton Lumber) coming down from the Cook summit to the saddle with the communication towers. I took the zigzagging logging road up through the oaks and then the secondary Douglas-fir forest (The legendary chair was nowhere to be seen). Poison oak hugs the tread here and will soon begin to dominate it. I reached the junction with Russ Jolley’s summit trail. This meanders up through mixed forest and then heads out to the lower meadow, which offers views across to Wygant Peak, Mt. Defiance, etc. The balsamroot in the lower meadow is just beginning to bloom: it will be prime in about two weeks.
After that, it’s up through the woods and then across the lengthy summit meadow, which was grazed until about the year 2000, so it’s a different wildflower province here – very little balsamroot or lupine. However, a few weeks ago it would have been a vast sward of blooming grass widows (I found the last two). Right now, it’s mainly prairie violet, prairie star, larkspur, and buttercup. The summit itself is just off the meadow on the forested ridge. It was a little hazy but there was a good view to Mt. Hood from the meadow.
The trail disappears in these meadows, so you need to drop steeply down and pick it up as it reenters the woods. Soon you connect with an old ridge road that is carpeted with strawberries and offers views to Mt. Adams. The first comm. tower is for lease if anyone is interested.
From the saddle, I took the logging road back down to Jackson Road. I had passed several recent piles of bear scat on the loop and, at one point, there was a clumsy, doltish crashing in the brush so I must have spooked him. Coming back, Dog was hazardous, with cars parked a quarter mile along SR 14 in both directions from the trailhead.
Edit: Sedge ID was incorrect and has been changed.
Re: Cook Hill Loop
bobcat wrote:It was time to bag the 37,050th highest peak in the United States...
Excellent first sentence. And excellent pictures too!
Re: Cook Hill Loop
OH hiker beag tipped me off to Cook Hill a few years ago. It's an annual hike for CHiyoko & I now. A Gorge Classic! Thanks for the TR bobcat.
Re: Cook Hill Loop
Dog mountain is still nowhere near primetime, right? Why so many people I wonder?
Great TR, I've never been on this trail at all. I love those Dutchman Breeches, probably because it's one of the flowers I've never seen in person!
Great TR, I've never been on this trail at all. I love those Dutchman Breeches, probably because it's one of the flowers I've never seen in person!
"The top...is not the top" - Mile...Mile & a Half
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Re: Cook Hill Loop
I'd say it's still another two-three weeks for a good show. The lower meadow on Cook Hill was a good indicator, with the balsam root just leafing out and only one or two beginning to bloom.miah66 wrote:Dog mountain is still nowhere near primetime, right?
Guy, I read your report (and others) on the Augspurger Loop and wanted to do that, but I cranked my bad knee coming down Cook and settled for hobbling back behind the bear that I never did see.Guy wrote:It's an annual hike for CHiyoko & I now.
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sprengers4jc
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Re: Cook Hill Loop
Great trip report, and love the humor.
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I don't remember being on Cook Hill but perhaps I have a doppelganger out thereat one point, there was a clumsy, doltish crashing in the brush...
.'We travel not to escape life but for life to not escape us.'
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woodswalker
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Re: Cook Hill Loop
I love the flower id's. I had heard that there were beautiful views along Cook road, but I had no idea there was hiking. Hope the knee recovers easily and quickly.
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chiefWright
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Re: Cook Hill Loop
Hi Bobcat-
Is there a guide somewhere for this trail? Couldn't find one one this website. Can't find the trail marked on my topo. My other guidebooks (I don't have a huge selection) don't list it either. Might be why Dog gets all the attention...
Thanks-
John
Is there a guide somewhere for this trail? Couldn't find one one this website. Can't find the trail marked on my topo. My other guidebooks (I don't have a huge selection) don't list it either. Might be why Dog gets all the attention...
Thanks-
John
Re: Cook Hill Loop
@chiefWright: It's not in any guidebooks. Russ Jolley and other Friends (of the Columbia Gorge) used to lead hikes there, but I haven't seen one listed recently. The best tracks of this exact loop that I've seen are in Guy's 2013 report.
Park just above Jackson Road in the big pullout on the right side of Cook-Underwood. Hike along Jackson and straight into the woods. At a big bend, there's a small cairn marking the junction with the Russ Jolley summit trail. Everything gets more overgrown as the spring progresses and the trail gets lost in the meadows. Use your inner canine to sniff out the correct way.
Park just above Jackson Road in the big pullout on the right side of Cook-Underwood. Hike along Jackson and straight into the woods. At a big bend, there's a small cairn marking the junction with the Russ Jolley summit trail. Everything gets more overgrown as the spring progresses and the trail gets lost in the meadows. Use your inner canine to sniff out the correct way.
Re: Cook Hill Loop
I like to do the hike clockwise.Just go South at Towers which will take you over to the summit of Cook. The views are in front of you as you hike at a slight angle down through Cook meadow. When you reach Russ J meadow bear a bit right to find entrance to woods. The hike out to the road should be easy.