One thing I like about this trail is that it has periodic views to relieve the trudging through trees effect. Dog Mtn was all green (and its parking lot almost full), while St. Helens was still mostly white.
Adams came into view at around the 3000’ level
and soon I was passing a snow-free Warren Lake.
There were minor patches of snow from the 417/413 trail junction at about 4400’ to the top of Defiance and a larger patch on the 413 W of the summit but that was the only snow I saw all day - things are melting out fast. After a quick snack, I descended SW on the 413 toward North Lake, catching a view of Hood,
and a late blooming Trillium along the way.
At the 413/411 trail junction, I took the 411 past North Lake and on to Green Point saddle. Barely a week ago, I had found the 411 about half-covered with snow and hard to follow in spots. Now all the snow was gone and, while the trail was still scruffy, it was easy to see and follow. From Green Point saddle, I went NE directly along the crest of Lindsay Ridge, then stayed right as the ridge dropped. I had imagined a bushwhack but the forest floor was mostly open for the majority of the descent (more undergrowth showed up near the bottom but even that wasn’t much of a problem).
I mostly stayed right on the ridge but there was one steep section where some game trails came in handy. But there were no serious outcroppings blocking the way and nothing extremely steep - the W ridge of Elk is far steeper.
This arts and crafts project with a large log was on the ridge a good ¾ mi from the bottom.
There was also this odd rock formation,
which close-up looked something like a large poodle (or a character from Planet of the Apes).
Don’s map shows an old road snaking up the lower part of the ridge but I ran across several other “roads” or dozer cuts higher up then that. I was thinking about trying to find and follow the lower road but eventually opted for a speedier descent directly down the ridge to the power line service road. At this point, continuing E to connect with the Defiance (413) trail was blocked by Lindsay Creek Falls, which, although charming, were not something I was keen to try crossing.
So I descended to I-84 and crossed the creek on a freeway culvert. I had every intention of following the freeway to MP 53.7, then re-entering the woods to find the log stairs that would take me back up to the 413. But, sadly, my resolve failed, as hiking back uphill at this point seemed so much less inviting than just hiking along the freeway directly to the TH, my car, and refreshments at home. Quite an adventure (14.8 mi, 5400’ gain) and certainly something different than my usual Defiance loop. Pablo is to be seriously commended for finding (re-discovering) this route and for route-finding his way up it!
