Elk Mountain - Elk Meadows Loop

[Sugar Pine]

Hiked the Elk Mountain - Elk Meadows loop in Mt Hood National Forest. We enjoyed great views, nice weather, and some fall colors.

Nice log crossing of Newton Creek

The trail to Elk Mountain was overgrown with huckleberry bushes (no huckleberries), but easy to follow.

Great views from the Elk Mountain lookout site, including Mt Jefferson.

View to Lookout Mtn from Elk Mtn Lookout location.

There were over 100 downed trees from Elk Mountain to Elk Meadow. Most could be easily stepped over. Navigating them was a little harder on the tie trail heading downhill.

Mt Hood from Bluegrass Ridge Trail

We did not see a trail sign at the Bluegrass Ridge - Bluegrass Tie trail junction. I did not know to look for one (not having read the field guide before the hike), so I don't know if it is on the ground somewhere, buried beneath the many downed trees littering the junction.
We came to a very large cairn near where USGS and USFS maps (on Gaia) show the trail down to the meadow. But, Gaia Topo and NatGeo showed the trail a bit further north. Continuing past the large cairn, we found a trail down, marked with orange ribbon, and trod with many footprints. This GPS location of the sign is where the large cairn is located. I don't know if there was another route down there or not.

Huckleberry bushes had turned orange and red in areas open to the sun.

Bluegrass Ridge

Nice fall colors near Elk Meadow

We turned left at the meadow, had lunch and headed back to our car, being pressed for time.

Elk Meadow

[squidvicious]

That tie trail can be a bit tricky to spot, especially as the area keeps changing as trees come down and all sorts of braided boot paths spring up. Pretty sure the sign is long gone--might have seen it on the ground a year or two ago, but nothing now. When I was there earlier this summer I followed a boot path around some debris, got a bit confused when it just suddenly stopped, looked around trying to pick up the proper trail again, found a few more bits that went nowhere. Then just when I thought I was finally back on the Bluegrass Ridge trail and ready to look out for the tie trail, I realized I was going too far downhill. Looked around and realized I was actually *on* the tie trail. Looked back up to where the junction must have been and didn't recognize anything from the previous year.

I did recognize various landmarks on the tie trail, though, so I was again confused when the ribbons I'd been seeing along the way veered off to the right when I was pretty sure I need to veer to the left. Well ok, maybe they're laying out a new route. So I followed the ribbons. And then they disappeared. And I had to work my way back to the left where I'd wanted to go all along. Rude. But, not like you're going to get lost--just head for the trees and keep going until you intersect the Elk Meadows trail. Just maybe turn an ankle picking a bad line.

Still love that loop, though.