Devil's Rest 15-April-2010

[VanMarmot]

I put today’s unexpected day off to good use by hiking up Devil’s Rest via Wahkeena Falls and Multnomah Creek. This is just another of the seemingly infinite ways you can get to Devil’s Rest (and it’s safe to assume that Don Nelsen has mapped all of them). It was overcast and cloudy when I left the Wahkeena Falls TH but had turned into a blue bird day by the time I returned. If there was ever any recent snow on the trails around Devil’s Rest, it’s all gone now – all the trails were clear and in good condition. I started out on the Wahkeena Falls trail, then went east on the Vista Trail (419) and Tr 420 to reach Multnomah Creek. The recent snow and rains seemed to have breathed a little extra life into Wahkeena Creek, which had been looking a little peaked in this lower than average water year.



I followed along Multnomah Creek on Tr 441, then headed back west on the road that gives access to Nesika Lodge. I’m not a big fan of using a road as a trail but this one doesn’t bother me – probably because it makes for a nice loop, runs through some lovely country, and is almost always devoid of other people. Walking along I was struck by how lush and intensely verdant the landscape looked in these first days of Spring.





It had rained the night before, and the temperature was up a bit, so the slugs were out, doing their bit for the ecology of the forest floor.



Cloudy conditions early in the day meant that there were still raindrops on the foliage for me to try photographing.



The last cloud bank of the day was waiting for me at around 2000’, as I was leaving the service road and making the short connection to the Devil’s Rest trail (420C).



Within 10 minutes, however, the clouds and mist began to lift and dissipate – by the time I reached the really nice viewpoint just before the final climb to the summit, blue sky was everywhere.



From the Rest, I headed down the Foxglove Trail (and back up it and down it again to retrieve a lost glove) to a T-junction (now nicely marked with signs) and took the right fork toward Wahkeena Spring. The first time I hiked this trail, about 15 years ago, it was just slightly better than a bushwhack. Now, thanks to the diligent efforts of volunteer trail tenders, it’s a real trail.



It’s a short hike on the Foxglove to Trail 415, which I followed past Wahkeena Spring to the 442 trail which took me back to the TH. As is usually the case, I didn’t see anyone on the trail until I reached Wahkeena Spring – after that I saw maybe 8 folks. I also saw a bunch of cars in the Angel’s Rest TH parking lot on my way home – guess I’m not the only one fortunate enough to go hiking mid-week? I can think of no better way to spend Tax Day!

[AlexanderSupertramp]

Great report and super pics! What a great day to be out there.

[cfm]

That is one gorgeous slug!

[Charley]

Yeah, that road isn't a bad one for walking is it? Even as close to the highway and as impacted all of that land up there is, the Multnomah Basin area is awesome.

[hrdustydeva]

LOVED your photos!

[pablo]

Very nice, my favorite is the Columbia River overlook with the reflections on the CR. Just last weekend I hiked this trail for the first time and was surprised at the nice viewpoints along the way.

Thx,

--Paul

[VanMarmot]

Very nice, my favorite is the Columbia River overlook with the reflections on the CR. Just last weekend I hiked this trail for the first time and was surprised at the nice viewpoints along the way.

Thx,

--Paul

Thanks. I used to stop at the rocky viewpoint just off the trail and think this was the only view there was enroute to Devil's Rest. For whatever reason, it took me years to appreciate the much better viewpoint about 50' off the main trail, just past the survey marker.