Silver Star South Ridge – 7-20-20
Posted: July 22nd, 2020, 8:21 am
I did something I’ve hardly ever done in my life – hike the same trail within a matter of days although the circumstances were vastly different. This route was posted about frequently in the past, mostly by snowshoers in the winter. It was my first hike on Silver Star in the summer - except on Friday, it wasn’t really summer.
Kate and I knew it was going to be cloudy. We didn’t know the clouds would be down to the ground, the forest dripping, the shrubbery soaking. Wearing summer cotton shorts and only with a light windbreaker, I got soaked from head to toe and mildly hypothermic. When we got to the junction with the Grouse Vista Trail, we paused for a moment. Others were coming up that trail in regular procession. Since there had been no views whatsoever, we decided to turn back. This was Kate’s first COVID hike (we carpooled with her in the back passenger seat, windows down, both wearing masks), and she was just happy to be out.
I decided to return on Monday, with a forecast of over 90 degrees in Portland itself. Once out of the woods, the views opened up to my return route down from the Indian Pits. Pyramid Rock and False Pyramid stood out on the ridge above the Hagen Creek bowl. Wildflowers were blazing along the old road bed, dominated by that ubiquitous invasive (smooth hawksbeard) which loves Silver Star so much. Just before the junction with the Grouse Vista Trail, I took note of the Pyramid Rock Trail tunneling down through Sitka alder (I’ve never done that one).
Then it was up to the summit – a bit hazy and already populated but a five-volcano view, the meadows still blooming profusely and a light breeze providing the needed coolness.
I went over to Silver Star 2 and took the nasty cutoff that tunnels down through the bear-grass to join the Indian Pits Trail (you can’t see your feet and loose rocks and roots invite stumbles and twists of the ankles).
Indian Pits offered more views of the mountains, bear-grass meadows, and of course, the pits themselves. Looking over the Hagen Creek bowl, you can see where noble firs were planted in rows a few decades ago. To connect with the south ridge jeep road, I headed down scree for the most part but also ploughing through some armpit high brush (there are blackberries in there!) before closing the loop and heading back down as the day steamed up.
Kate and I knew it was going to be cloudy. We didn’t know the clouds would be down to the ground, the forest dripping, the shrubbery soaking. Wearing summer cotton shorts and only with a light windbreaker, I got soaked from head to toe and mildly hypothermic. When we got to the junction with the Grouse Vista Trail, we paused for a moment. Others were coming up that trail in regular procession. Since there had been no views whatsoever, we decided to turn back. This was Kate’s first COVID hike (we carpooled with her in the back passenger seat, windows down, both wearing masks), and she was just happy to be out.
I decided to return on Monday, with a forecast of over 90 degrees in Portland itself. Once out of the woods, the views opened up to my return route down from the Indian Pits. Pyramid Rock and False Pyramid stood out on the ridge above the Hagen Creek bowl. Wildflowers were blazing along the old road bed, dominated by that ubiquitous invasive (smooth hawksbeard) which loves Silver Star so much. Just before the junction with the Grouse Vista Trail, I took note of the Pyramid Rock Trail tunneling down through Sitka alder (I’ve never done that one).
Then it was up to the summit – a bit hazy and already populated but a five-volcano view, the meadows still blooming profusely and a light breeze providing the needed coolness.
I went over to Silver Star 2 and took the nasty cutoff that tunnels down through the bear-grass to join the Indian Pits Trail (you can’t see your feet and loose rocks and roots invite stumbles and twists of the ankles).
Indian Pits offered more views of the mountains, bear-grass meadows, and of course, the pits themselves. Looking over the Hagen Creek bowl, you can see where noble firs were planted in rows a few decades ago. To connect with the south ridge jeep road, I headed down scree for the most part but also ploughing through some armpit high brush (there are blackberries in there!) before closing the loop and heading back down as the day steamed up.