Two day backpacking trip recommendations

[Alexus123]

Hi!
I’m looking at doing a two day backpacking trip this upcoming weekend(3/23-3/25). I would love a loop and am not a fan of snow! I don’t mind driving two or three hours from Portland! Any suggestions?

[happilyretired]

What sort of mileage are you looking for?

[teachpdx]

Not the easiest ask this time of year. Many more weekend loop opportunities will start to open up in mid-April, but you're pretty limited to lower elevation out-and-backs (usually adjacent to rivers) this early in the year.

Those would be Salmon River, possibly the lower reaches of Badger Creek, maybe the Lewis River starting from Curley Creek Falls.

The Mill Creek Wilderness loop is usually the first true weekend-length loop (to my knowledge) to thaw out in the Spring. But it's four hours from Portland and Ochoco Pass (which is 1000' lower than the upper reaches of the loop) is still holding a little roadside snow. It likely won't be snow-free for another few weeks.

[leiavoia]

If you are willing to drive south a ways, the Illinois River and Rogue river have opportunities, but otherwise this is just too early for backpacking. I’m seeing snow on the local foothills, so ever lower elevation hikes will have snow right now.

[Alexus123]

15 miles, is what I’m looking for!
Thank you guys so much for the recommendations!

[happilyretired]

There are plenty of trails down around Oakridge, which should be within your 3-hour drive limit. Snow level was above 2500' last week, though there may be more coming and frankly the weekend looks like crap weather in those mountains. Not too many loops that stay low. An out-and-back of the North Fork Middle Fork trail from Westfir should be snow-free, but probably not rain-free this weekend.

[leiavoia]

Drift Creek Wilderness near Lincoln city has an early spring trail, but its a long drive for a short, mediocre hike.

Gales Creek is technically backpackable at the 5-mile point, but its not much of a campsite, assuming the parking lot gate is open to begin with. See: snow in foothills.

Again, not the best time of year for this kind of activity.

[Aimless]

We get similar requests around spring break time each year and each time we mention the meager opportunities available. The basic problem is that spring break always coincides with the snow pack reaching its maximum for the year. If you don't snow camp there's not much out there right now for backpackers. But I hope you have good luck on your chosen trip, Alexus123!

[leiavoia]

On that note, i would love some more info on snow camping. I'm willing, but inexperienced and dont have gear for that (yet).

[happilyretired]

I've done a small amount of snow camping in the midwest. If you're planning to combine winter camping with backpacking, be prepared to carry a LOT more weight than on a summer trip. But well before you try a winter camping backpack, put together the gear you intend to use and then car camp with it in winter conditions. Having an easy bail-out option the first few times is (in my opinion, anyhow) an essential safety precaution.

Section Hiker has a lot of decent advice on winter hiking gear & techniques, though I would start with the older content - affiliate links and "top 10 X" posts have taken over there in recent years.