Difference between revisions of "Tom Dick and Harry Mountain Hike"

Revision as of 22:50, 27 August 2019

Mount Hood and the Zigzag Valley from the trail to Tom Dick and Harry Mountain (Tom Kloster)

The bridge over Camp Creek, Mirror Lake Trail (bobcat)

The cliffs of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain tower above Mirror Lake (Tom Kloster)

Mount Hood alpenglow from Mirror Lake (Tom Kloster)

Coiled-beak lousewort (Pedicularis contorta), Tom Dick and Harry Mountain (bobcat)

Mt. Hood and Mirror Lake from Harry (bobcat)

The route of the Mirror Lake Trail to Tom Dick and Harry Mountain (not a GPS track) (bobcat) Courtesy: Caltopo/USFS

Start point: Mirror Lake Trailhead
End Point: Tom Dick and Harry Mountain
Trail Log: Trail Log
Distance: 7.7 miles
Elevation gain: 1460 feet
High Point: 4,930 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Seasons: Summer into fall
Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids
Backpackable: Yes - camping at Mirror Lake

The Mirror Lake Trail is one of those trails which suffers from an abundance of love, due in large part to its convenient location right off of Highway 26. The attention is well-deserved: The always well-graded route takes you past a picture-postcard view of Mount Hood from Mirror Lake and then enters the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness to ascend to the magnificent vistas from rugged Tom Dick and Harry Mountain. Most hikers go far as as the westernmost prominence on the ridge (Harry), but the new location of the Mirror Lake Trailhead near Ski Bowl West also makes a loop more palatable as hikers will no longer have to hike down Highway 26 to reach their vehicles.

From the plaza at the parking area, find the paved ADA trail that leads down a slope behind the restrooms. Six winding switchbacks descend to a wide footbridge over Camp Creek, where the paved section ends. You're in a secondary forest of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, silver fir, noble fir, and western red-cedar. Before Camp Creek, a pole-and-rail barrier prevents shortcutting at a switchback.

After Camp Creek, you're on a wide machine-built trail. Cross two footbridges over seasonally dry gullies. The next bridge crosses the creek that drains the Comerford Lakes. Rise gradually to cross more footbridges over trickling creeks that feed small bogs below. Rhododendrons enter the understory, and you'll see springboard notches on rotting stumps. The trail undulates along, passing over more bridges, and soon crosses Mirror Lake Creek. Cross an old logging road, and then bend sharp left to rise steeply and intersect the old tread which came up from the U.S. 26 trailhead. Whole trees have been felled over this path to decommission it.

Switchback on the narrower old tread, and pass a vine maple-verged patch of talus. Walk on another old logging road for a few yards, pass through a devil's club thicket, and switchback up twice to where a new pole-and-rail fence prevents cutting corners. Reach the Mirror Lake-Mirror Lake Shore Trail North Junction, and go left to begin your clockwise tour around Mirror Lake.

Cross a single log footbridge over Mirror Lake Creek, and then emerge from the woods at an open bracken slope above Mirror Lake itself. Pass through a thicket of Sitka alder, ocean spray, and boxwood to get views up to the crags of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain. There are various short spurs that access the lake shore. Washington lilies and penstemon bloom alongside the path in summer. On the south shore, you'll see a set of steps leading down. Silver fir, Alaska yellow-cedar, and western red-cedar shade a well-trodden flat here. Cross a rocky stream bed, and see where a trail leads down to the shore for the iconic views you see in many photographs. The reflection of Mount Hood is perfect on a still day without a whisper of a breeze. When it's windy, expect a more Impressionist effect. The Shore Trail continues around to a two-plank boardwalk through a spiraea/willow swamp, where you'll get more views of Mount Hood. When you reach the Mirror Lake-Mirror Lake Shore Trail South Junction, make a sharp left to begin the ascent to Tom Dick and Harry Mountain.

The route continues through handsome forest, thick with pink rhododendrons in early summer, before reaching the steep north slopes of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain. This section of trail is lush with wildflowers in summer, and features unusual views of Highway 26 far below, as well as Mount Hood and the Zigzag Mountain high country. The trail continues along this slope, gradually climbing to a broad crest, where a huge rock cairn at 3.3 miles marks a switchback toward the summit. From the cairn, continue at an easy grade along the ridgetop through open lodgepole forest for a half-mile before reaching a steep, more rocky section of trail as you near the west or Harry summit of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain.

The final pitch is up an open rocky crest, where the view is dominated by Mount Hood and Mirror Lake nestled in its forested bowl below. On the northern skyline, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, and Mount Adams can be seen on a clear day. The view also includes Mount Jefferson to the south and the high, wild ridge tops of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness to the southwest. The village of Government Camp and Timberline Lodge are also visible from this airy perch. Golden-mantled ground squirrels and pikas scuttle about on the slopes of platy andesite.

Making a loop:

A rough trail leads along the ridge through lodgepole pines and blooming lupine and lousewort. You'll pass the craggy buttress of Dick and then reach the summit of Tom Peak in a cross-country ski corridor known as Treviso's Traverse. Get views to the Comerford Lakes below, and pass interpretive signs on the local wildlife and vegetation. Join Skyline Road near Skibowl Peak and the top of the Upper Sky Chair. Descending the road, pass the Skyline Road-Wind Lake Trail Junction (See the Wind Lake-Multorpor Fen Loop Hike.). Here you can make a side trip to Wind Lake, about half a mile away. You can use roads to get back through the Ski Bowl West area to the Mirror Lake Trailhead. Do NOT hike down Ski Bowl's mountain bike trails!

Fees, Regulations, etc.

As of June 2019 a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required. Pass must be acquired beforehand as they are not sold at the trailhead.
Dogs on leash
Restrooms, information kiosk at trailhead

Maps

Maps: Hike Finder
The maps below show the pre-2018 trail alignment
Green Trails Maps: Government Camp, OR #461
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Zigzag Ranger District
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Hood National Forest
National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount Hood
Adventure Maps: Mt. Hood Area

Trip Reports

Search Trip Reports for Tom Dick and Harry Mountain Hike

Related Discussions / Q&A

Search Trail Q&A for Tom Dick and Harry Mountain Hike

Guidebooks

The guidebooks below cover the old trail alignment.
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland by Paul Gerald
I Heart Oregon (& Washington) by Lisa D. Holmes
Take a Hike: Portland by Barbara I . Bond
Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington by William L. Sullivan
Beer Hiking: Pacific Northwest by Rachel Wood & Brandon Fralic
Best Hikes Near Portland, Oregon by Fred Barstad
Hikes & Walks on Mt. Hood by Sonia Buist & Emily Keller
105 Virtual Hikes of the Mt. Hood National Forest by Northwest Hiker
70 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades by Don & Roberta Lowe
62 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades by Don & Roberta Lowe
100 Oregon Hiking Trails by Don & Roberta Lowe
Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
Snowshoe Routes - Oregon by Shea Andersen
Best Hikes With Dogs: Oregon by Ellen Morris Bishop

Page Contributors

Splintercat (Tom Kloster) (primary)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Category:Mount Hood Area]]
 [[Category:Northwest Oregon]]
+[[Category:Mt Hood National Forest]]
+[[Category:Wilderness Hikes]]
+[[Category:Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness]]
 [[Category:Viewpoint Hikes]]
 [[Category:Alpine Hikes]]
 [[Category:Wildflower Hikes]]
 [[Category:Lake Hikes]]
-[[Image:HoodZigzagPanSmall.jpg|thumb|400px|Mount Hood and the Zigzag Valley from the trail to Tom Dick and Harry Mountain ''(Tom Kloster)'']]
+[[Category:Hikes]]
+[[Image:HoodZigzagPanSmall.jpg|thumb|500px|Mount Hood and the Zigzag Valley from the trail to Tom Dick and Harry Mountain ''(Tom Kloster)'']]
+[[Image:Bridge over Camp Creek, Mirror Lake Trail.jpg|250px|thumb|The bridge over Camp Creek, Mirror Lake Trail ''(bobcat)'']]
 [[Image:MirrorLake.jpg|250px|thumb|The cliffs of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain tower above Mirror Lake ''(Tom Kloster)'']]
 [[Image:MirrorLakeAlpenglow.jpg|250px|thumb|Mount Hood alpenglow from Mirror Lake ''(Tom Kloster)'']]
+[[Image:Coiled-beak lousewort, Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain.jpg|thumb|160px|Coiled-beak lousewort ''(Pedicularis contorta)'', Tom Dick and Harry Mountain ''(bobcat)'']]
+[[Image:TomDickHarry2.jpg|thumb|160px|Mt. Hood and Mirror Lake from Harry ''(bobcat)'']]
+[[Image:TomDickHarryMountainMap.png|400px|thumb|The route of the Mirror Lake Trail to Tom Dick and Harry Mountain (not a GPS track) ''(bobcat)'' Courtesy: ''Caltopo/USFS'']]
-* Start Point: [[Mirror Lake Trailhead]]
+{{Start point|Mirror Lake Trailhead}}
 * End Point: [[Tom Dick and Harry Mountain]]
 * Trail Log: [[Tom Dick and Harry Mountain Hike/Log|Trail Log]]
-{{Distance|6.6 miles}} round-trip to West Summit
+{{Distance|7.7 miles}}
-{{Elevation Gain|1520 feet}}
+{{Elevation Gain|1460 feet}}
-* High Point: 4,920 feet
+* High Point: 4,930 feet
-* Difficulty: Moderate
+{{Difficulty|Moderate}}
-* Seasons: Summer through early Fall
+* Seasons: Summer into fall
 * Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids
 * Backpackable: Yes - camping at [[Mirror Lake]]
+<!-- <GPSTrack>Mirror Lake Hike</GPSTrack> -->
 === Description ===
-The [[Mirror Lake]] trail has the misfortune of being one of the few hikes accessible directly from Highway 26, and thus suffers a crush of visitors on weekends. The attention is well-deserved: the always well-graded trail takes you past a picture-postcard views of Mount Hood and rugged Tom Dick Mountain, towering above [[Mirror Lake]].
+The Mirror Lake Trail is one of those trails which suffers from an abundance of love, due in large part to its convenient location right off of Highway 26. The attention is well-deserved: The always well-graded route takes you past a picture-postcard view of [[Mount Hood]] from [[Mirror Lake]] and then enters the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness to ascend to the magnificent vistas from rugged [[Tom Dick and Harry Mountain]]. Most hikers go far as as the westernmost prominence on the ridge (Harry), but the new location of the [[Mirror Lake Trailhead]] near Ski Bowl West also makes a loop more palatable as hikers will no longer have to hike down Highway 26 to reach their vehicles.
-From the trailhead parking area, cross rushing Camp Creek and immediately enter deep forest, crossing Mirror Creek on a second log bridge. The trail soon enters more open woods, then begins a series of switchbacks across open scree slopes that provide interesting views of the Zigzag valley, far below. If you’re taking children on this hike, the evidence of shortcuts at the switchbacks provide a good opportunity to teach the about trail stewardship, and the idea that everyone is an owner of our public lands.
+From the plaza at the parking area, find the paved ADA trail that leads down a slope behind the restrooms. Six winding switchbacks descend to a wide footbridge over Camp Creek, where the paved section ends. You're in a secondary forest of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, silver fir, noble fir, and western red-cedar. Before Camp Creek, a pole-and-rail barrier prevents shortcutting at a switchback.
-As the trail approaches [[Mirror Lake]], you will hear the outlet creek, and see a third bridge leading to the loop around the lake at the 1.4 mile mark. If you’re planning to stop at the lake, go left and cross the bridge for the best picnic spots along the east shore. Then be sure to complete the loop around the lake to take in the marsh boardwalk at the south end of the lake, and picturesque views of Mount Hood.
+After Camp Creek, you're on a wide machine-built trail. Cross two footbridges over seasonally dry gullies. The next bridge crosses the creek that drains the Comerford Lakes. Rise gradually to cross more footbridges over trickling creeks that feed small bogs below. Rhododendrons enter the understory, and you'll see springboard notches on rotting stumps. The trail undulates along, passing over more bridges, and soon crosses Mirror Lake Creek. Cross an old logging road, and then bend sharp left to rise steeply and intersect the old tread which came up from the U.S. 26 trailhead. Whole trees have been felled over this path to decommission it.
-If you opt for the longer hike, continue straight (right) when you reach the loop junction, and soon pass the west shore of [[Mirror Lake]], with views of the massive summit cliffs of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain towering above. The second junction with the lake loop is near the south end of the lake at the 1.5 mile mark. Take a moment to walk the marsh boardwalk, visible just a few yards away on the lake loop, before continuing beyond the lake on the mail trail.
+Switchback on the narrower old tread, and pass a vine maple-verged patch of talus. Walk on another old logging road for a few yards, pass through a devil's club thicket, and switchback up twice to where a new pole-and-rail fence prevents cutting corners. Reach the [[Mirror Lake-Mirror Lake Shore Trail North Junction]], and go left to begin your clockwise tour around [[Mirror Lake]].
-The route continues through handsome forest, thick with pink rhododendrons in early summer, before reaching the steep north slopes of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain. This section of trail is lush with wildflowers in summer, and features unusual views of Highway 26, far below, as well as Mount Hood and the Zigzag Mountain high country. The trail continues along this slope, gradually climbing to a broad crest, where a huge rock cairn at 2.5 miles marks a switchback toward the summit. From the cairn, continue at an easy grade along the ridgetop through open lodgepole forest for a half mile before reaching a steep, more rocky section of trail as you near the West Summit of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain.
+Cross a single log footbridge over Mirror Lake Creek, and then emerge from the woods at an open bracken slope above [[Mirror Lake]] itself. Pass through a thicket of Sitka alder, ocean spray, and boxwood to get views up to the crags of [[Tom Dick and Harry Mountain]]. There are various short spurs that access the lake shore. Washington lilies and penstemon bloom alongside the path in summer. On the south shore, you'll see a set of steps leading down. Silver fir, Alaska yellow-cedar, and western red-cedar shade a well-trodden flat here. Cross a rocky stream bed, and see where a trail leads down to the shore for the iconic views you see in many photographs. The reflection of [[Mount Hood]] is perfect on a still day without a whisper of a breeze. When it's windy, expect a more Impressionist effect. The Shore Trail continues around to a two-plank boardwalk through a spiraea/willow swamp, where you'll get more views of [[Mount Hood]]. When you reach the [[Mirror Lake-Mirror Lake Shore Trail South Junction]], make a sharp left to begin the ascent to [[Tom Dick and Harry Mountain]].
-The final pitch is up an open rocky crest, where the view is dominated by Mount Hood and Mirror Lake, far below. The view also includes Mount Jefferson to the south, and the high, wild ridge tops of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness to the southwest. The village of Government Camp and Timberline Lodge are also visible from this airy viewpoint. Though some continue on toward the eastern summits of the mountain, the trail gets rough, so this is the best spot to end your hike. From here, retrace your steps to complete the hike.
+The route continues through handsome forest, thick with pink rhododendrons in early summer, before reaching the steep north slopes of [[Tom Dick and Harry Mountain]]. This section of trail is lush with wildflowers in summer, and features unusual views of Highway 26 far below, as well as [[Mount Hood]] and the Zigzag Mountain high country. The trail continues along this slope, gradually climbing to a broad crest, where a huge rock cairn at 3.3 miles marks a switchback toward the summit. From the cairn, continue at an easy grade along the ridgetop through open lodgepole forest for a half-mile before reaching a steep, more rocky section of trail as you near the west or Harry summit of [[Tom Dick and Harry Mountain]].
+The final pitch is up an open rocky crest, where the view is dominated by [[Mount Hood]] and [[Mirror Lake]] nestled in its forested bowl below. On the northern skyline, [[Mount Saint Helens]], [[Mount Rainier]], and [[Mount Adams]] can be seen on a clear day. The view also includes [[Mount Jefferson]] to the south and the high, wild ridge tops of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness to the southwest. The village of Government Camp and [[Timberline Lodge]] are also visible from this airy perch. Golden-mantled ground squirrels and pikas scuttle about on the slopes of platy andesite.
+<b>Making a loop:</b>
+A rough trail leads along the ridge through lodgepole pines and blooming lupine and lousewort. You'll pass the craggy buttress of Dick and then reach the summit of [[Tom Peak]] in a cross-country ski corridor known as Treviso's Traverse. Get views to the Comerford Lakes below, and pass interpretive signs on the local wildlife and vegetation. Join Skyline Road near Skibowl Peak and the top of the Upper Sky Chair. Descending the road, pass the [[Skyline Road-Wind Lake Trail Junction]] (See the [[Wind Lake-Multorpor Fen Loop Hike]].). Here you can make a side trip to [[Wind Lake]], about half a mile away. You can use roads to get back through the Ski Bowl West area to the [[Mirror Lake Trailhead]]. Do NOT hike down Ski Bowl's mountain bike trails!
+=== Fees, Regulations, etc. ===
+* As of June 2019 a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required. Pass must be acquired beforehand as they are not sold at the trailhead.
+* Dogs on leash
+* Restrooms, information kiosk at trailhead
 === Maps ===
-[[Image:MirrorLakeTrailMap.jpg|thumb|600px]]
+{{Hikemaps|latitude=45.2928|longitude=-121.8005}}
+* The maps below show the pre-2018 trail alignment
+* Green Trails Maps: ''Government Camp, OR #461''
+* U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: ''Zigzag Ranger District''
+* U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: ''Mt. Hood National Forest''
+* National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: ''Mount Hood''
+* Adventure Maps: ''Mt. Hood Area''
 {{TripReports|{{PAGENAME}}}}
+* [https://www.oregonhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=27880  Mirror Lake TDH Loop - Nov 8, 2018]
 * [http://portlandhikers.com/forums/thread/11366.aspx Mirror Lake Snowshoe 12/28/06]
-(Click [http://portlandhikers.com/forums/AddPost.aspx?ForumID=8 here] to add your own)
 {{RelatedDiscussions|{{PAGENAME}}}}
-(Click [http://portlandhikers.com/forums/AddPost.aspx?ForumID=141 here] to ask a question or start a conversation)
-=== Guidebooks that cover this hike ===
+=== Guidebooks ===
-''60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Portland'', by Paul Gerald
+* The guidebooks below cover the old trail alignment.
+* ''60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland'' by Paul Gerald
+* ''I Heart Oregon (& Washington)'' by Lisa D. Holmes
+* ''Take a Hike: Portland'' by Barbara I . Bond
+* ''Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver'' by Douglas Lorain
+* ''100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington'' by William L. Sullivan
+* ''Beer Hiking: Pacific Northwest'' by Rachel Wood & Brandon Fralic
+* ''Best Hikes Near Portland, Oregon'' by Fred Barstad
+* ''Hikes & Walks on Mt. Hood'' by Sonia Buist & Emily Keller
+* ''105 Virtual Hikes of the Mt. Hood National Forest'' by Northwest Hiker
+* ''70 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades'' by Don & Roberta Lowe
+* ''62 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades'' by Don & Roberta Lowe
+* ''100 Oregon Hiking Trails'' by Don & Roberta Lowe
+* ''Oregon Hiking'' by Sean Patrick Hill
+* ''Pacific Northwest Hiking'' by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
+* ''Snowshoe Routes - Oregon'' by Shea Andersen
+* ''Best Hikes With Dogs: Oregon'' by Ellen Morris Bishop
 === More Links ===
+* [https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recarea/?recid=53430  Mirror Lake Trail #664 (USFS)]
+* [https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recarea/?recid=53566  Mirror Lake Trailhead (USFS)]
+* [https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/tom-dick-and-harry-mountain-trail  Tom Dick and Harry Mountain Trail (All Trails)]
+* [http://www.thenationalparksgirl.com/blog/2016/6/5/hiking-tom-dick-and-harry-mountain  Hiking Tom Dick and Harry Mountain Trail (The National Parks Girl)]
+* [https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/oregon/hikes/mirror-lake-tom-dick-and-harry-mountain  Mirror Lake + Tom Dick and Harry Mountain (Outdoor Project)]
+* [http://www.nwhiker.com/MHNFHike29.html  Tom Dick Harry Mountain Hike (Northwest Hiker)]
+* [https://www.bringfido.com/attraction/9509  Mirror Lake and Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain Trail (Bring Fido)]
+* [https://www.backpacker.com/trips/portland-or-tom-dick-and-harry-mountain-via-mirror-lake  Tom Dick and Harry Mountain via Mirror Lake (Backpacker)]
+* [https://www.johann-sandra.com/hiking/mirror.htm  Mirror Lake (Johann & Sandra's Web)]
+* [https://www.theoutbound.com/oregon/backpacking/climb-tom-dick-and-harry-mountain  Climb Tom Dick and Harry Mountain (The Outbound Collective)]
+* [https://runoregonblog.com/2016/12/04/take-a-hike-tom-dick-harry-mountain/  Take a Hike: Tom Dick & Harry Mountain (Run Oregon)]
+* [https://rootsrated.com/stories/mount-hood-hikes-5-spots-with-stunning-views-of-oregons-iconic-peak  Mount Hood Hikes: 5 Spots With Stunning Views of Oregon's Iconic Peak (Roots Rated)]
 === Page Contributors ===
 * [[User:Splintercat|Splintercat (Tom Kloster)]] (primary)

Difference between revisions of "Tom Dick and Harry Mountain Hike"

Difference between revisions of "Tom Dick and Harry Mountain Hike"

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

Revision as of 22:50, 27 August 2019

Contents

Description

Fees, Regulations, etc.

Maps

Trip Reports

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks

More Links

Page Contributors