Bearing east last Sunday, I felt I was safely out of the rain zone when I reached Catherine Creek, so I pulled into the easternmost trailhead there (Tracy Hill) and began a meandering loop. Parts of this have been reported in
jdemott’s return to the land of the truly living and
Guy’s February outing.
Catherine Creek is another one of those immensely popular east Gorge destinations that was slowly discovered by the hiking masses after it became public land. Originally the Lauterbach Ranch, the property, which extends from Tracy Hill west to the Labyrinth, was purchased by the Trust for Public Land in 1985. In 1986, the Scenic Area was established and the next year, the Forest Service purchased the land from TPL in keeping with its goal to expand public holdings within the CRGNSA. At first, only a few botanizers explored these slopes: the area has greater floral diversity than places like Dog Mountain because of the unusual scabland nature of the slopes below 1,200 feet, which were scoured repeatedly by the Bretz (Missoula) Floods (15,300 – 12,700 years ago). Now, of course, anyone hiking the upper slopes in the spring can look down on that lengthy, glinting line of vehicles pulled in at the main trailhead.
Mt. Hood was always under cloud, but as I ascended Tracy Hill the views of the Columbia opened up, especially east towards Crates Point and the Columbia Hills. The grass widows are in decline, but early spring blooms like bog saxifrage, poet’s shooting star, gold stars, prairie star, and whitlow grass were abundant on the lower scablands. The trail/old jeep track winds up close to the oak woods rimming Major Creek: I looked down and a coyote was gamboling across the sward before ducking into the woods. After a short stretch in the oaks, the trail led along the slope below an old cattle pond and Tracy Hill Spring. I reached a copse of ponderosas and wandered down to the bench above Catherine Creek.
Turning up the creek, I took up the network of braided deer trails that traverse an ever-steepening slope. I kept the trajectory of Old Stove Road across the creek in sight before descending into the brushy, poison oak choked creek bottom to attempt a crossing. The creek was flowing well but could have been forded; however, with the assistance of a stout staff, I made the crossing dry footed on a small, slippery log. Then I hiked up along Old Stove Road into ever gloomier woods and arrived at the junction with Atwood Road.
I took Atwood up to the open slopes of East Burdoin Mountain, crossed under the powerlines there, and hopped Rowland Creek where the oaks turn to Douglas-firs. I took the first path down the slope (What I will call the Rowland Wall Trail); at the next junction I decided to explore what I will call the Interminably Winding Upper Rowland Basin Mountain Bike Trail. After half an hour or so, I got tired of winding and guessed I had really only descended about 80 feet or so from the junction. I cut back up to the ridge and found the Rowland Wall Trail. This I descended, getting views of the Rowland Pinnacle and McCall Point, etc. before dropping to cross the creek and arrive at the rim of East Burdoin. The route descended the lip of Rowland Wall from here and I met many hikers coming up. After visiting the Pinnacle from above, I followed the trail east past numerous vernal pools almost to the main parking area.
I still had to get back to the Tracy Trailhead, so I finished the day by following the Arch Trail up the Catherine Creek valley past the old corral and then looped back over above the arch (now, of course, protected by a pole and rail fence) and descended the scabland slope to Highway 8. I followed the fence line here until I dropped to the road for the last 200 yards back to the car.
Only a couple of sprinkles, but after a calm morning, the wind came up mid-afternoon and I drove the freeway back through a couple of blinding monsoon-like downpours.
