Nesmith Trail is what they say it is. A training hike. Not a whole lot of views ... and a lot of up up up. Tons of rocky footing ... not a soft fir trail anywhere to be found. Even at the lower elevations where there was some semblance of a traditional forest trail, it was still pocked with rocks. As you get higher up the rocks get more prevalent and in a couple of places become boulders that you have to scramble over to continue.
It is a good cardio workout and will strengthen your legs and your resolve, especially during the switchbacks. About 3.5 miles in, you finally hit the ridgeline and it eases up from there. The trail also mellows a bit on your feet. But the whole time you're thinking in the back of your head about how you eventually have to descend that same trail to get to your car ... which you will be very happy to see later that day.
Take this all with a grain of salt because while I'm typing here about how knee pounding and foot twisting it is ... a pair of trail runners passed us while running down the dang thing. These 50 year old knees could never.
Once at the top there is a nice view of the Columbia and some cliffs and ridges ... typical Gorge fare ... but it was nice and cool and there was a steady breeze. We hung out about a half hour and then started our return.
It truly is a knee pounding trail to hike down ... especially the steep middle section loaded with ... you guessed it ... rocks. Still we made it down just fine and a couple hours later my legs feel pretty good. We'll see tomorrow but I think the score was Hikers 1, Nesmith 0.
Beginning our ascent:
Just before the switchbacks start:
The trail gets rocky:
Still climbing:
More like a boulder field than a trail:
Winding through the thickets and boom ... where'd the trail go?
Finally ... the Point:
A sign-eating tree at the top:
Love the blue-black stems on these ferns:
One last shot of some rock outcroppings on the way down ...
I've heard Defiance is the undisputed King of Gorge elevation gain and the logical step up to St. Helens, but I think this hike gave me a good indication of where I am right now and it sure did allow me to gain some technique, especially descending. It's not really the views that you would trek this hard for. It's the workout. And it was a good one.
