A: At the moment, I would say I want more bang for my buck.
Q: Your buck? Hang on just a minute.. I mean, what does hiking cost? Some of your gas money? The occasional new pair of wool socks? Need I point out to you that your chosen hobby is simply an elaborate form of walking?
A: Oh, I'm not saying hiking is expensive, not by any means. There are far faster ways to blow throw a wad of weekend cash than hiking. [1] What I mean is that I want to buy low and sell high.
Q: Huh? What?
A: Alright, let's try this again. I'm trying to increase my hiking profitability. What this means is that I want to go places that are somewhat off the beaten track, and yet easily exceed the expectations of any normal day-hike. I want waterfalls, I want views, I want maybe a little history... and yet, I don't want to see five busloads of people.
Q: That sounds like a tall order. If you want to see a big waterfall, odds are a lot of folks are going to be around. If you want a spectacular view, you may have to share it with others.
A: Maybe... or maybe not.
Q: Alright, give me an example of "maybe not."
A: Easy -- Wind Mountain, right next door to Dog Mountain in the Columbia River Gorge.
Q: Hey, I've seen that mountain before. I love that one. It's gorgeous.
A: I could not agree more. Wind Mountain's conical shape seems nearly symmetrical from a distance, which means that it tends to have a uniform appearance from nearly all directions.
Q: And you can climb that? I've been to the top of Dog Mountain next door, but I've never seen any signs indicating that Wind Mountain can be climbed as well.
A: And you won't -- with one exception.
Q: What's that?
A: As you take Wind Mountain Road from SR 14, watch for the intersection with Girl Scout Road. There's a sign here, indicating that a trailhead for Wind Mountain indeed is nearby. Follow this sign until you wind up in a large, unpaved parking area (875 ft).
Q: That's the Wind Mountain Trailhead?
A: I think so.
Q: So there must be a sign here.
A: Not that I could see. I also couldn't find a trail at first.
Q: There's no hiking trail that leaves from the parking area?
A: Doubtful. However, there is a single-lane unpaved road that heads downhill. Follow this for a bit and look for a trail to your right. This is where the walk up Wind Mountain starts.
Q: And there's a sign here, right?
A: Nope. [2]
Q: Sheesh -- why all the secrecy?
A: That's a good question. Let's head uphill and see what we find.
Q: Is this a long hike?
A: Not at all. The summit is 1,900 feet, so we probably won't accumulate more than 1,200 feet total from here to the top.
Q: 1,200 feet of gain? That's not much. That's a couple hundred feet higher than Wauna Viewpoint. That's less than the trail to Angels Rest.
A: Exactly. Angels Rest has a wonderful view. However, it also has lots of people. And today's exercise is all about profit -- more views, more fun, less people.
Q: What are the views like along here?
A: Mostly forested, but the trail is very well maintained. [3] However, when we get to about 1,100 feet, we're going to watch for a spur trail down to our left.
Q: Where does this go? To a really incredible viewpoint?
A: Actually... yes.
Q: Get out! That's ridiculously cool! Can you see Dog Mountain from here?
A: You bet.
Q: So there must be tons of people walking up here to see this view, right?
A: At the moment, nobody. In fact, the only vehicle at the trailhead this morning was mine.
Q: Wow. Do the views get even better higher up?
A: Absolutely. And as we climb, we may solve the mystery of Wind Mountain.
Q: Do you mean, the mystery of why this is not a high-traffic trail?
A: Yes, because we may wonder if the Forest Service knows about us, or even cares, until we get very close to the top. And then, suddenly, signs start to appear. Lots of them. All looking very, very official. [4]
Q: Signs? What do they say?
A: Basically, don't be a total yob.
Q: "American heritage"? What's up here? Relics?
A: Yes -- this is a Native American sacred site, which the Forest Service intends to preserve. As we climb higher, we are greeted with an informational sign denoting the summit trail loop, designated "viewing areas," and the location of pits and trenches created by Native Americans over the past 1,000 years, primarily related to "spirit quests" of boys who were about to enter manhood.
Q: And that's all up here right now?
A: Sure - we'll follow the provided map, which indicates where the rock formations can be found. I don't think it's a coincidence that the man-made pits and trenches are sited above spectacular views.
Q: And the summit? Is there a summit?
A: Sure -- you can tag it right here. Just remember that this summit area is under strict preservation, so while it's okay to have a look around, and even hang out for a while, climbing the talus fields is prohibited. If you want to play with rocks, head across the river to Elevator Shaft and knock yourself out.
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Q: OK, that was pretty awesome. I see what you mean about hiking "profitability" -- more views, more cool stuff, great trails, and less people.
A: Yep. Ready for one more?
Q: Sure. Where to next?
A: Well, in a perfect world, Washington's Falls Creek Falls would be right next to Wind Mountain. In fact, we'd hike up the Falls Creek Trail, enjoy the falls, and then strike out for a summit.
Q: That would be pretty awesome.
A: However, I am not permitted to reorganize the universe, so we will have to get back in the truck and start driving.
Q: Where are we headed?
A: First, we'll go back to the west and exit SR 14 for the charming logging town of Carson, Washington. From there, we'll head northbound on SR 30 until we reach the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Then we'll follow signs to the Falls Creek Trailhead. [5]
Q: There's more than one trail here?
A: Technically, there are Trail 152 and 152A, which form a loop. As we leave the parking area at the upper trailhead, we'll skip past a footbridge across Falls Creek.
This bridge will be part of our route back. Instead, we'll simply work our way up the creek for a couple of miles, and enjoy the fact that there's barely anyone around.
Eventually, we will have to cross to the north side of the creek, which we'll do on this clever, sturdy suspension bridge. Then, we'll enjoy more of the sounds and views you only get from creekside hiking:
Q: Wow, I have to say that hiking along a creek is one of my favorite things to do. I love how the sound changes with almost every passing minute. And also, creekside rambles usually aren't too steep, such as at Silver Falls.
A: Exactly. However, it's a sunny April weekend -- what do you think Silver Falls looks like today?
Q: Um... packed. Like sardines.
A: However, there are just a few folks to say "hey" to along the Falls Creek Trail, as we continue on our way to the big show. I'd say that's very profitable, wouldn't you?
Q: Well, yes... but what's this about a "big show"?
A: We're headed for Falls Creek Falls.
Q: Oh, right. Is it sweet?
A: Very sweet. Be sure to look up at the incredibly high cascade when you reach this footbridge:
Q: Hey, neat! A tall cascade after some creekside hiking. I like Falls Creek Falls.
A: I do too.. except that's not it.
Q: It's not?
A: Nope, let's keep going, and keep your ears open as you peer through the trees.
Q: Oh jeez... what's that?
A: Falls Creek Falls!
Q: That's massive -- is that the entire thing?
A: The "entire thing" actually is nearly impossible to see from a single location since it's in three drops -- the last one a classic 80-foot bruiser into an ancient splashpool. However, from just about any angle, what you can see of Falls Creek Falls is still impressive... and noisy.
Q: Are there better viewpoints than right next to the splashpool?
A: Barely. There is the approach along the main trail. And then there are two upper viewpoints. We'll head back to an intersection we passed previously and climb uphill a bit. Later, we'll use this upper intersection as our loop back to the west (and the trailhead).
For now, we'll keep climbing to the east and look for views. There are a couple of ridgeline locations where we can hear the falls, at at one, we can make out a bit.
The view back to the west, of the Falls Creek Canyon, is lovely:
Q: I like it -- anything else?
A: Just one more thing: We're in the snow-zone, so let's see if we can tag Falls Creek up here before heading back. I always like to get a look at a creek in snow:
And we've even found a small, beautifully formed waterfall for our efforts:
Q: Wow -- a Gorge summit, Indian artifacts, creekside hiking, a massive waterfall, some snow. That's a lot of work. And how many people did you see on the trail today?
A: Maybe ten or twelve. [6]
Q: I'd call that... profitable.
A: Very profitable.
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[1] For example, the combination of lift-pass prices and surly teenagers has made me an occasional skier nowadays, at best. The last time I was at Mt. Hood Meadows, I felt like I had paid fifty bucks (plus gas) just so that I could feel like Glenn Ford in The Blackboard Jungle. Hiking has taught me many things -- among them, that an array of ski-lifts is not where you go when you want to punch a day-long snooze button on the world.
[2] True confession: I didn't know I was going to climb Wind Mountain today until 10 minutes before I got out of my truck at the trailhead, entirely because I missed my intended exit from SR 14 and within moments that gorgeous, forested cone was dominating my windshield. Knowing that there was a route to the top (but nothing else), I drove around, and then walked around, until I figured out where "up" actually starts. I didn't do any more driving than necessary, but I can't say the same about walking.
[3] Since it lacks signage, I'm still unclear if the Wind Mountain Trail is an official Forest Service Trail or not. It's not indicated on the Green Trails topo. However, it's hardly a user-maintained scramble, and it clearly was built with care. It's as nice as anything on Hamilton Mountain.
[4] The key sensation one gathers along this climb from the Forest Service is "Don't park here... not at trail here... nothing to see here... don't come up here..." until you actually reach the summit area, where signs suddenly appear out of nowhere, seeming to claim "Alright, since you made it up here Mr./Ms. hiker-person, pay attention..."
[5] Sullivan offers good directions, and you probably can figure it out on Google Maps too. Just take the Wind River Highway (SR 30) from Carson for 14 miles, until you reach the fish hatchery. Then watch for signs that will take you on Wind River Road (a different one that the one in central Carson), and then the unpaved Road 3056. Follow this all the way to the end to reach the upper trailhead, or take a right at Road 57 to reach the lower trailhead.
[6] I only saw one person on the Wind Mountain Trail, as I was descending. Most of the hikers I met along Falls Creek were near the falls. Not surprisingly, I had the snowy ridge all to myself.
