Dollar Puddle

[drm]

Did a solo trip up Pinnacle Ridge to Dollar Puddle. The road to the trailhead is fine, the same after Elk Cove TH as before. The trail itself is hot and dusty the first half but well maintained, with logs all cut out. The upper half is another story. Short and extremely steep steps combine with a fair number of logs, in some places rendering the trail impassable and requiring finding an alternate route. Probably won't go that way again.

There were flies during the day and mosquitoes in the evening, but not too many of either.

I went up for Sunday night and had the puddle area all to myself. I went to see the flowers in Elk Cove Sunday afternoon and up Barrett Spur Monday morning.

From near the trailhead

the Puddle, water was actually fairly clear

the hippies are always quite numerous in Elk Cove

there was a very intense patch of these surrounding the Elk Cove Creek a little ways up

About 20 minutes after sunset, I believe that is Jupiter taking his crowning place over Mt Hood

Heading up the winding Barrett Spur on a surprisingly good trail

I stop at the lower summit of the spur, always been a tad too chicken to go up the upper one, which looks to be exposed class III

Amazingly straight moraines

[retired jerry]

I once saw a guy and his dog swimming in Dollar Lake puddle.

I don't drink out of it

[drm]

I collected enough drinking water down at Elk Cove, but I did use the puddle for cooking water.

[teachpdx]

The puddle has been and always will be one of my favorite spots on Hood. Incredible views, a great jumping off point to Barrett Spur and other alpine points, and cell reception! (lol)

The only downside is the distance to fresh water, because drinking out of Dollar Puddle can be pretty marginal later in the season. I usually load up on all the water I can at Wy'East Basin on the way up.

I've actually never taken the Pinnacle Ridge route, always defaulting to Vista Ridge instead. Maybe I'll try it once it gets some maintenance.