Sheppard’s Dell Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Devil’s Rest – 4/28/2024

After a dry spell, April showers returned as we prepared for a planned outing to the Columbia River Gorge. On the plus side the plan was to visit several waterfalls which would only benefit from the additional precipitation, and it might keep a few folks home meaning less crowds. On the minus side was the potential for limited views during our planned loop to Devil’s Rest, and possible difficulty keeping the camera lens dry. The pros won out and we got our typical early start to try and make sure there would be a parking spot when we got to our third stop at the Wahkeena Falls Trailhead.

Our plan for the day was to begin by stopping at the two shorter hikes first then end with a longer lollipop loop hike from the Wahkeena Falls Trailhead up to and around Devil’s Rest. Note that all loops visiting Devil’s Rest rely in part on a network of user-created trails. This network of trails, sometimes known as “Foxglovia”, was largely the result of the hard work of “Red Shorts” who sadly passed away unexpectedly earlier this month. Thanks to his work the trails we used on this day were in good shape and well signed for the most part. It will now be left up to others to carry on his work if the trails are to remain passable. As always it is important to attempt to get updated trail conditions before heading out.

We started with the shortest hike of the day by parking at a small pullout along historic Highway 30 across from a sign for Sheppard’s Dell.
The trailhead at 6:15am.

A short path on the far side of the highway leads to a viewpoint at Young Creek and of the 1914 highway bridge.
The Bishops Cap along Highway 30.

The stone railed trail can be seen along the cliff above the lower falls.

The upper falls can be seen through the trees with the lower falls more visible.

End of the trail.

The bridge from the trail.

From Sheppard’s Dell we drove east on Highway 30 (less than a mile) to the Bridal Veil State Scenic Viewpoint.
Informational signboard at the trailhead.

This park hosts two short trails, the Bridal Viel Falls Trail and the Overlook Loop Trail. We started with trail to the falls which began as a paved path next to the restrooms.

After a short distance the trail turns to gravel as it begins to descend to Bridal Veil Creek.

Bridal Veil Creek

The trail crosses the creek on a wide footbridge then turns right and climbs slightly to a viewing platform across from the falls.

The 120′ two-tiered Bridal Veil Falls.

After admiring the waterfall we returned the way we’d come and set off on the Overlook Loop Trail. The half mile interpretive loop passes several viewpoints across the Columbia River to Washington.

There was a lot of camas blooming along the trail.

Cape Horn (post) across from one of the viewpoints.

Sand Island to the west.

The Overlook Loop arriving back at the trailhead parking area.

The short 1.1-mile hike here was still a mile longer than that at Sheppard’s Dell which meant it only a little after 7am as we headed for our final stop of the day. There are actually several starting points for loop hikes involving Devil’s Rest with the most popular seemingly being the Angel’s Rest and Wahkeena Falls Trailheads. Multnomah Falls and Palmer Mill Road are two others that allow for loops under 10-miles. While the Angel’s Rest Trailhead was closer to Bridal Veil it is a slightly longer loop with more elevation gain than starting from Wahkeena Falls Trailhead. Starting at Wahkeena Falls also means getting to see that waterfall and Fairy Falls prior to the start of the loop.

There were a few parking spots available at the Angel’s Rest Trailhead and even fewer cars at Wahkeena Falls when we arrived at 7:15am. We’d been to Wahkeena Falls before. Heather, Dominique and I on an out-and-back from the aforementioned Angel’s Rest Trailhead in 2013(post) and just myself in 2022 after hiking to Larch Mountain from Multnomah Falls (post). Before starting the 1.4-mile climb to the start of the loop we stopped at the Wahkeena Falls viewpoint.

While the Wahkeena Trail passes just below the falls the upper portion of the falls is only visible from a distance.

The trail begins as pavement as it switchbacks uphill before turning to rock/dirt and arriving at a footbridge below the lower portion of Wahkeena Falls at the 0.2-mile mark.

Beyond the falls the trail climbs to a spur trail to the Lemmons Viewpoint then continues along Wahkeena Creek (crossing it twice) to Fairy Falls at the 1.1-mile mark.

The Wahkeena Trail switchbacking up to the Lemmon Viewpoint junction.

Sitka mist-maidens

Woodland-star

The Forest Service includes maps at junctions involving official USFS trails. Note that the map does not extend to Devil’s Rest or include the Foxglovia area.

Our first paintbrush sighting for the year was at the Lemmons Viewpoint.

Archer Mountain in the foreground with Hamilton Mountain (post) and Beacon Rock (post) further to the east.

The first crossing of Wahkeena Creek.

Second footbridge.

Since my visit in October 2022 the trail has experienced a couple of slides, likely a lingering result of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. As of 2/18/24 the Forest Service advises caution if attempting to navigate the slides and in fact does not recommend attempting it. They had not officially closed the trail, but also do not have an eta on repairs.
This was the first sketchy new obstacle. The large tree is cutting across a switchback rerouting the trail steeply uphill. While there were some footholds the steepness combined with muddy conditions required caution.

Wahkeena Creek

Fairy Falls with Wahkeena Creek through the trees on the right.

Fairy Falls

Trillium

Bleeding heart

The worst of the slides was a short distance beyond Fairy Falls.
The worst slide took out a section of trail just before a switchback.

Looking down the washout.

The switchback in 2022.

Not pictured, but just above the missing section of trail was another large, downed tree. It was possible to pass under but to do so we both needed to get on our hands and knees.

Neither of us were looking forward to going down either of these washed-out sections but that was a problem for later. The rest of the Wahkeena Trail was in good shape and we followed it past its junction with the Vista Point Trail to a junction with the Angel’s Rest Trail and the start of the loop.
Coming up on the lower end of the Vista Point Trail.

The Angel’s Rest Trail junction.

We went left at this junction sticking to the Wahkeena Trail as it climbed to a junction with the upper end of the Vista Point Trail.

Signs at the junction with upper end of the Vista Point Trail.

Beyond this junction the Wahkeena Trail descended slightly to a junction with the Devil’s Rest Trail.

We veered uphill to the right on the Devil’s Rest Trail.

The Devil’s Rest Trail (Trail 420C) is an official USFS trail that ends at the rocky outcrop atop Devil’s Rest after 1.6 miles. The trail climbs approximately 800′ but is fairly gradual initially using switchbacks to keep the climb reasonable.
Coltsfoot along the trail.

Bleeding heart

Violets lining the trail.

After switchingback along Shady Creek the trail arrives at the rim of the Wahkeena Bowl where the climb becomes even more gradual.

Traveling along the rim of the Wahkeena Bowl.

A small pocket of forest that escaped the Eagle Creek Fire.

Devil’s Rest looking a little foggy from below.

There were a lot of trillium along the rim.

We passed a trail crew that was just hiking in to start work. Not sure how they got up there, but it was nice to see them out and we thanked them for their efforts.

The trail passed two rocky viewpoints before making a final climb to Devil’s Rest.
The first viewpoint was slightly off the trail.

We could at least make out the Columbia River below.

We were going in and out of fog ever few minutes.

Archer Mountain making an appearance.

A trail led to the second outcrop which had a rock sticking up.

Company at the viewpoint.

Something for the trail crew to work on.

Nearing Devil’s Rest.

The Devil’s Rest Trail veered right at a fork and ended at a rock outcrop.

Even without the foggy conditions there wouldn’t have been much of a view from Devil’s Rest, the FS mentions that in their description, but it still makes for a nice destination.

Earlier I mentioned that there were several potential places to start a hike to Devil’s Rest, but there are also several options for returning. The obvious being simply returning via the USFS Trail. To make a loop out of the hike there are a number of options. The steepest and most difficult would be finding the Primrose Path which reportedly heads directly downhill from Devil’s Rest. We didn’t see that trail, but we also weren’t planning on using it. We hiked back along the Devil’s Rest Trail to the junction below and turned right following a pointer for Angel’s Rest.

From there things got a little confusing for us. While we had our GPS and maps showing loops from both Oregon Hikers and NW Hiker none of them showed all of the current trails, but we didn’t realize that initially. This trail is part of the upper Foxglove Way Trail.

A short distance from the the first Angel’s Rest point we came to a fork in the trail with another Angel’s Rest pointer. This one saying to go take the left hand fork.

By going left we were now on a newer (22-23) route. This new trail is referred to as either the She Devil Trail or Red Shorts Cut Trail.
The pointer says “To She Devil Trail” with Red Shorts Cut at the bottom but AllTrails and some more recent Oregon Hikers maps label this section the She Devil Trail.

Regardless of which is the official name it wasn’t on the maps we had but it took us a bit to realize we weren’t where we thought we were. As it turns out Red Shorts built this trail as a more gradual, albeit longer, option. This explained the Angel’s Rest pointer since this was his intended route. The trail itself was in great shape and easy to follow.

The first clue that we might not know where we were came when we passed a stake marking a less worn trail that simply said “Multnomah Basin Road” with a pointer.

Post hike research revealed this was the Lil’ Devil Trail which connects to yet more trails. We correctly ignored this spur and continued on She Devil.

It wasn’t long before we passed another trail and pointer, this time on our right.

This turned out to be the She Devil – Devil’s Fork Trail junction. Taking the Devil’s Fork Trail would have saved us a fair amount of distance as it descends to the Foxglove Trail in 0.2 miles then continues another 0.4 to the Lily’s Lane Trail. Because we didn’t have all the existing trails on our maps we mistook this for a different trail altogether. Instead of turning right we stuck to the She Devil Trail.

We now had enough of a GPS track that we could compare it to the route shown on the Oregon Hikers/NW Hiker maps and see that something seemed off. Our track had headed too far to the SSW compared to the maps so when we came to the next split in the trail we veered right on a flagged trail.
The pointer on the left is for Smith Road. We didn’t see any signs for the right-hand fork.

Despite not seeing a sign for the flagged trail we knew we didn’t want to continue heading SSW. This turned out to be the Red Shorts Cut Trail which slowly curved around to head NNW and meet up with the Foxglove Trail.

Mushrooms

Approximately 0.4-miles along the Red Shorts Cut Trail we arrived at the Foxglove Trail where we were initially confused once again. We could continue in a NNW direction or turn right (ENE). We correctly, although not confidently, turned right onto the Foxglove Trail.

After a third of a mile we arrived at a 4-way junction.

This was the Devil’s Fork Trail crossing the Foxglove Trail. In other words, had we taken the Foxglove Trail way back when we veered left on the She Devil Trail it would have led us here. Likewise had we taken the Devil’s Fork Trail when we stayed left on the She Devil Trail it would have brought us here. Regardless of which trail brought us to this 4-way junction following the pointer for the Wahkeena Trail was the direction we wanted to go.

We turned left onto the Devil’s Fork Trail which briefly followed an old road bed.

We passed the signed Devil’s Cut-off Trail a tenth of a mile from the 4-way junction. This is the trail we mistook the upper portion of the Devil’s Fork Trail for. The cut-off leads over to the Primrose Path.
The Devil’s Cut-off Trail on the right.

Signage on the Devil’s Cut-off Trail.

Sticking to the Devil’s Fork Trail brought us to the Lily’s Lane Trail in another third of a mile.

This was honestly the most debris/blowdown we encountered on the user-maintained trails.

Pointers at the junction with the Lily’s Lane Trail.

Devil’s Fork Trail signs at the junction.

We turned right on Lily’s Lane for 0.2-miles to its end at the Angel’s Rest Trail.

Columbian larkspur getting ready to bloom.

Sign at the Lily’s Lane/Angel’s Rest Trail junction.

We turned right on the Angel’s Rest Trail and followed it for 1.5-miles back to the Wahkeena Trail.
Mist Creek Footbridge.

The first of two logs that required crawling under.

There was a short section filled with Scouler’s corydalis.

The Primrose Path joining from the right.

Primrose Path warning.

Does anyone know the story of this columbine at the Primrose junction? It has to be non-native.

Wahkeena Creek from the Angel’s Rest Trail.

Valerian

Nice display of Oregon grape near Wahkeena Springs.

Arriving at Wahkeena Springs.

Wahkeena Springs

The Wahkeena Trail junction is a very short distance from Wahkeena Springs.

We turned left onto the Wahkeena Trail and began our decent. It was busier than it had been that morning, but it still wasn’t crowded. The less-than-ideal weather seemed to have worked in our favor. Aside from a couple of brief light showers we’d stayed dry and couldn’t have hoped for better given the forecast. We carefully navigated the tricky slides and made our way back down to Wahkeena Falls.
Both female and male versions of western meadowrue. Today was by far the most meadowrue we’d ever seen on a hike.

Female

Male

Fairy Falls

Starting down the switchbacks.

Gold stars

Wahkeena Falls.

The version of the loop that we did came to 9.4-miles with 2350′ of elevation gain.

This turned out to be a great day in the Gorge with the first two waterfalls being more than worth the quick stops and the Devil’s Rest hike added a good amount of adventure. I was saddened to learn of Red Shorts passing when I got home and started researching what we’d done wrong. I was glad to have taken the route that we wound up with though as it was a testament to his hard work and effort.

Flickr: Sheppard’s Dell, Bridal Veil Falls, and Devil’s Rest

Jackson Bottom Wetlands and Rood Bridge Park – 04/20/2024

In the original version of our 2024 hiking schedule we’d planned on visiting Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve and Rood Bridge Park in March, but the thing about wetlands is that they tend to be wet. We’d been waiting for all of the trails at Jackson Bottom to dry out, and according to online reports that had finally happened.

Both the preserve and park are located in the city of Hillsboro with the preserve being home to a nature center open 10am – 4pm seven days a week. We began our day at Jackson Bottom by parking at the south entrance near the nature center. (We did not visit the nature center primarily due to the fact that we finished our hike here before 9:30am.)

A network of trails provides numerous options to explore. For our hike we began on the River Trail at the SW corner of the parking lot.

This trail descended a staircase to a view of the Tualatin River.

The trail follows the river through woods with several varieties of Spring wildflowers.

Camas

Solomonseal

Fawn lilies

Thimbleberry

Giant purple wakerobin

The River Trail ended at the Kingfisher Marsh Loop where we turned right.
The trail signs were very helpful in keeping us on track.

Anna’s hummingbird

Viewpoint overlooking Kingfisher Marsh.

The trail crossed Jackson Slough on a footbridge.

After crossing the slough we turned right on a connector trail that brought us to the Pintail Pond Loop where we once again turned right.
Pintail Pond Loop

American goldfinch

A short distance from the connector trail junction we passed the Ash Trail which was temporarily closed due to unstable conditions.

We would have preferred sticking to the Pintail Pond Trail even if the Ash Trail had been open simply because the Pintail Pond Trail provided constant views of the pond where numerous ducks, geese and other birds could be seen.
Red-winged blackbird

Sparrow

Purple martins

American robin

There is a lot of lupine in the preserve but only a few had started blooming.

There was a connector trail down to the Ash Trail near a covered viewing deck, but again we opted to stay on the pond loop.

We paused near the viewing deck to watch the tree swallows glide around their houses.

Pintail Pond

Northern shoveler drake and a gadwall

Green-winged teal

Geese

Killdeer

At the northern end of the pond we arrived at the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Trail where we turned right.

We followed this trail past the northern end of the Ash Trail to a junction with the Coyote Hill Trail where, you guessed it, we turned right.
More camas

The Ash Trail.

Orange-crowned warbler

Jackson Bottom Wetlands

Can’t emphasize enough how helpful the map/pointer combinations are.

The Coyote Hill Trail doesn’t actually climb a hill, but rather it loops around a meadow with a view of Coyote Hill.

Noisy crow

Mourning dove

Our assumption was that that is Coyote Hill in the distance.

Western buttercups

Some houses on the wetlands border.

Golden-crowned sparrow

The Coyote Hill Trail brought us back to the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Trail near its end. We finally made a left turn and headed back toward Pintail Pond.

End of the trail.

Savannah sparrow

Spotted towhee

Passing Pintail Pond.

We stayed right at junctions following the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Trail to its end at Jackson Bottom North Trailhead.
Wapato Marsh

White-crowned sparrow

American robin

American coot

Ring-necked ducks

Wapato Marsh

Cormorants

Raised viewing platform with many tree swallow photobombs.

This couple was having quite the discussion.

The Bobcat Marsh Trail on the left.

Water treatment pipes at the other end of the Bobcat Marsh Trail.

NW Pond

The trail passed between the NW Pond on the left and Oak Island Marsh on the right.

NW Pond had a variety of waterfowl. This is a northern shoveler drake, ring-necked duck pair, four lesser scaups, and an American coot.

Pied-billed grebe in NW Pond

Lesser scaups

Goose and mallards

Yellow-rumped warbler

The northern trailhead.

Viewing platform at the trailhead.

On the way back we took the Bobcat Marsh Trail which passed Meadow Mouse Marsh.

Cinnamon teal on Meadow Mouse Marsh

Near the southern end of the Bobcat Marsh Trail a pair of geese were nesting on a pole and were noisily fending off a second pair of geese.

After rejoining the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Trail we followed it back to the Kingfisher Marsh Loop where we turned right.
Mt. Hood beyond Wapato Marsh

Back on the Kingfisher Marsh Loop.

We followed this trail to a junction below the Nature Center where we stayed straight at a junction and climbed a small hill to the Nature Center Trail.
The Kingfisher Marsh Loop turned left here.

The trail passed behind the Nature Center to some gardens.

Mason bee house

We followed the Nature Trail down to the River Trail which we followed back to the parking lot. Our hike here came in just under 5 miles with just 50′ of elevation gain. From the parking lot we drove 4.3 miles to Rood Bridge Park (it’s less than 2 miles as the crow flies).

The parking area here is rather large, but we chose to park at the northern end near the playground. From our parking spot we made our way toward the rhododendron garden.

Sign for the rhododendron garden.

Numerous paths loop through the garden, but we stayed mostly to the right as we made our way east to the Woodland Pond.

The Woodland Pond

At the pond we turned right on a paved trail which led us to the Rock Creek Trail.
Heading for the Rock Creek Trail.

Rock Creek from the Rock Creek Trail.

We were familiar with the Rock Creek Trail having hiked its two other segments in May 2022 (post). The eventual plan is for the three current segments to be connected to make a single 8-mile trail. We turned right onto the Rock Creek Trail and followed it to a junction with Lakeside Loop Trail where we took another right.
The maps for the park were a little tougher to follow as most of the trails weren’t named and there were a lot of interconnected short segments.

We followed this paved path past a trail leading downhill to a lake.

We stuck to the paved trail which brought us back to the parking lot and the beginning/end of the Rock Creek Trail.

The junction ahead is where the Rock Creek Trail beings/end according to the Rock Creek Trail maps. Maps of Rood Bridge Park simply refer to this as part of the “Main Trail Loop”, if they label it at all.

We followed the Rock Creek Trail downhill past a sign for a watercraft launch along the Tualatin River. The trail then followed the river before arriving at junction with the Lollipop Loop.

Mallards

Footbridge at the start of the Lollipop Loop.

We crossed Rock Creek on the footbridge and quickly found ourselves climbing a short but steepish hill to a forested ridge. The loop began a short distance after the trail flattened out.

As we had for most of the day we went right when the trail split and followed the path through the woods. There were several use trails cutting through the center of the loop as well as some spur trails leading to nearby homes, so it took some trial and error to find the “official” trail. We managed to only veer off course once, but we spent a fair amount of time pondering which way to go at several junctions. The highlight of this loop was the abundance of trillium. We were just catching the tail end of the bloom, but it was impressive.
There was a fair amount of Oregon grape as well.

Violets and trillium

After completing the loop we returned to the Rock Creek Trail, turning right and climbing back to the junction where we’d turned onto the Lakeside Loop earlier.

Western meadowrue

Fawn lilies

We veered right off of the paved trail onto a dirt path since it was a much more inviting surface.

The dirt path rejoined the paved path behind the Rhododendron Garden and playground.

We continued on the Rock Creek Trail as it passed behind the playground area and descended back down to Rock Creek on what was now a dirt/gravel trail.

Sparrow

Footbridge over Rock Creek.

Just over 100 yards beyond the footbridge the trail arrived at S 1st Avenue where the segment currently ends.

We turned around at street and headed back, taking a somewhat muddy spur trail that ran parallel to the main trail for 0.2 tenths of a mile just to change things up on the way back. When we got back to the Rhododendron Garden we passed through again on different paths to see more of the plants.
Left is the dirt path we’d taken earlier, straight is the Rock Creek Trail, and right led to the Rhododendron Garden.

This hike was approximately 2.5-miles with 100′ or so of elevation gain giving us just under 7.5-miles and 150′ of elevation gain for the day.
Jackson Bottom on the left and Rood Bridge to the right.

Both of these destinations would be great for kids. (Note dogs and bicycles are not allowed at Jackson Bottom.) We enjoyed Jackson Bottom a little more given the wildlife, but Rood Bridge was a nice park and the trillium display along the Lollipop Loop will not be forgotten. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Jackson Bottom Wetlands and Rood Bridge Park

Lower Archer Falls, Wind Mt., Sams-Walker, & Doetsch Ranch – 4/13/2024

Our first April outing was a trip to the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge to check out four short hikes. These were all new hikes for us located within 23-miles of each other.

We began our day with me realizing that I hadn’t made sure that our NW Forest Pass was in the car since one was needed for two of our planned stops. This despite thinking that I needed to do that several times over the previous several days, including the day before when I was putting the Washington Discovery Pass we needed for Doetsch Ranch in the glovebox. Fortunately we were only in downtown Salem so we weren’t too far from home. Unfortunately the pass wasn’t in the other car or any of the places that I could think (at 5am) of where I might have put it. I decided it would probably quicker and much less stressful to purchase an ePass online for the day and look for the missing annual pass later.

Once we had our pass situation straightened out we drove to our first stop at the St. Cloud Day Use Area.

The day use area has picnic tables, a 1-mile loop trail, and a vault toilet (thus the need for a NW Forest Pass). Before exploring the day use area though we wanted to check out nearby Lower Archer Falls. To reach the trail to the falls we walked back to Hwy 14 and crossed to an unsigned trail that lead into overgrown woods. The need to cross the highway was the deciding factor on us starting our day here. We figured that there would be less traffic before 8am than there would be later in the day.
The brown strip in the grass near the center of the photo is the trail.

The trail entering the woods.

Pointer for Lower Archer Falls.

The user-maintained trail was in pretty good shape up until just before the falls where a small slide has done a bit of damage and just beyond that one of the make shift bridges seemed a little sketchy.
Bridges over Gable Creek.

Big Doug Bridge (Jan 23) over Archer Creek.

Archer Creek

After crossing the creek the trail did a short climb gaining approximately 150′ of elevation.

Trillium along the trail.

One of several of these style bridges on the way to the falls.

The “sketchy” bridge. It felt pretty solid underfoot, but the rail seemed ornamental only.

The final footbridge before the falls.

The trail extends beyond the falls climbing to a junction with the Archer Mountain Trail, but that route is reportedly less maintained with blackberry, poison oak, and nettles crowding the trail at times. We weren’t interested in that much adventure today so after enjoying the falls we headed back stopping along the way to admire the Spring wildflowers.
Steps leading up from Lower Archer Falls.

Trillium

Scouler’s corydalis

Bleeding heart

Salmonberry

Fairy bell

Fringecup

After successfully recrossing the highway we hiked the mile long St. Cloud Loop.
The start of the loop.

The trail loops around a former apple orchard.

Apple blossoms

A spur trail leading down to the Columbia River.

Devil’s Rest and Multnomah Falls (post)

Multnomah Falls

Yellow-rumped warbler.

The St. Cloud Day Use Area was the westernmost stop of our day, and from there we headed for the easternmost stop at the Wind Mountain Trailhead. The trailhead is approximately a tenth of a mile downhill beyond a quarry. We parked at the quarry where two other vehicles were parked instead of continuing down the narrow, steep, slightly rutted road.
The quarry later in the morning.

Pullout at the actual trailhead.

The Wind Mountain Trail at the trailhead.

The Wind Mountain Trail gains over 1100′ in just over a mile as it climbs to the summit of Wind Mountain. The mountain’s summit is sacred to the area’s Native American tribes and signs near the summit show the areas where hikers are allowed to be.

The climb was a good workout. While the trail didn’t appear to be all that steep our legs reminded us that it was.

There was a nice variety of wildflowers on display and at the 0.4-mile mark we came to a spur trail leading out to a rock outcrop.
Slender toothwort

Trillium

Red flowering currant

Close up of red flowering currant

Pioneer violet

Fairy slipper

Blue-eyed Mary

The spur trail down to the outcrop.

The spur trail was steep a little sketchy in spots so Heather opted to skip the viewpoint while I carefully made my way down.
Looking back up the spur trail.

Serviceberry

Augspurger Mountain (post) from the outcrop.

Dog Mountain (post)

After taking in the view I returned to the trail and continued uphill.

Largeleaf sandwort

Talus slope on Wind Mountain.

Slender toothwort along the trail.

One of the signs near the summit.

Interpretive sign with a map of the areas open to hikers.

Trillium

View west down the Columbia River. Hamilton Mountain (post), Table Mountain (post), and Greenleaf Peak (post) from L to R in the center.

Mt. Defiance (post) from the summit.

Vision quest pits on Wind Mountain.

Mt. Adams beyond Augspurger Mountain.

Mt. Adams

Looking across the Columbia River.

There was a nice breeze at the summit, and we took a well-earned break before heading down. Up till that point we’d only seen five other hikers all morning, but now that it was later we found ourselves stepping aside regularly to let the uphill traffic pass. From the quarry we headed back West to our next stop at the Sams-Walker Day Use Area.

Similar to the St. Cloud Day Use Area the area is a former homestead with picnic tables, a 1.1-mile loop trail, and vault toilet. We were surprised to find the small parking lot here almost entirely full. As it turned out group from the Friends of the Columbia River Gorge were out doing some planting.

We were able to park along the edge of the trailhead entrance and set off on the loop.

There are a couple of loop options here, but no maps to assist with navigation. We had our GPS map and a map from the Oregon Hikers Field Guide, but it turns out they are both outdated so when we veered right at the first split we planned on hiking the outer loop counterclockwise.
The first split where we went right.

A tenth of a mile later we came to another split which managed to confuse us based on the maps we had available.
To continue on the counterclockwise loop we should have turned right at the junction ahead.

We veered left thinking that the righthand trail was a connector passing through the middle of the day use area. In another tenth of a mile though we arrived at “T” junction where we realized that the left at the first junction was the outer loop going in a clockwise rotation.
We turned right at the junction now doing the loop clockwise.

Coming up on one of the picnic tables along the loop.

The Columbia River from the picnic table.

Horsetail Falls (post) from the picnic table.

We continued on loop which eventually passed through a cedar grove before bringing us back to the second junction we’d passed.

Chipping sparrow

White-crowned sparrow

Bleeding heart and fringecup

The cedar grove

Completing the first loop.

When we got back to the second junction we decided to go right and then take a left at the third junction to hike the portion of the outer loop that we’d missed. It was along this quarter mile section that we passed the group from Friends of the Columbia Gorge.

Spider on perriwinkle

After hiking all the trails here we returned to Highway 14 and drove 2 miles back to the east to turn into the Doetsch Ranch Day Use area of Beacon Rock State Park.
Kiosk at Doetsch Ranch.

A 1.1-mile paved loop circles the picnic area. We set off counterclockwise from the kiosk following the paved path for a little over 3/4 of a mile to another parking area along Beacon Rock Moorage Road.

Beacon Rock (post) from the trail.

Beacon Rock and Hamilton Mountain.

Coming up on the other parking area.

We left the loop at the road and followed the road down to the river. Next we walked up the road passing under railroad tracks to find the start of the 0.75-mile River to Rock Trail.

Woodward Creek

This trail climbs over 250′ before dropping to the River to Rock Trailhead. Along the way the trail passes around Riddle Lake and an old stone structure along with many wildflowers.
Fairy bells, vine maple, and fringecup

Columbian larkspur

Trillium and voilets

Checker (chocolate) lilies

Bleeding heart

This was just one part of the best display of chocolate lilies we’d ever seen.

There were a couple of lilies with this coloration which was new to us.

Riddle Lake

Dropping down to the River to Rock Trailhead.

Looking back up the River to Rock Trail.

We hadn’t planned on re-hiking Beacon Rock and the steady stream of people we could see from the trail going up and down the stairs reenforced that choice. We returned the way we’d come and then completed the paved loop at Doetsch Ranch to finish off our day.
Passing back by the large patch of chocolate lilies.

Our first butterfly of 2024, an echo azure.

Completing the loop.

Our mileage for the day came to 9.2 with 1.6 coming at each Sams-Walker and St. Cloud, 2.7 at Wind Mountain, and 3.3 at Doestch Ranch. The elevation total was a nearly 1700′ with nearly 1200′ coming at Wind Mountain, 185′ at St. Cloud, and 270′ on the River to Rock Trail.
St. Cloud and Lower Archer Falls

Wind Mountain

Sams-Walker

Doetsch Ranch

While none of the hikes were long enough to justify the 1:30 to 2hr drive from Salem combining them made for a more than worthy outing. When we got home it took me all of 5 minutes to remember where our annual forest pass was. I’d put in a shoebox on the work bench in our garage. Apparently 5am brain isn’t up to par with 3pm brain. Happy Trails!

Flickr: St. Cloud, Wind Mt. Sams-Walker, & Doetsch Ranch

Jackson-Frazier Wetland, Mary’s River Nature Park, and Mulkey Ridge Trail – 3/30/2024

A sunny Easter weekend provided us an opportunity to visit three trails in the Corvallis area. The first two were new to us while the third, the Mulkey Ridge Trail, filled in a gap between two of our previous hikes in the area.

Our first stop for the day was at the Jackson-Frazier Wetland just to the NE of town.

A short, paved path leads to a 3/4-mile boardwalk that loops through the wetland.
A footbridge along the paved path crosses Frazier Creek.

Kiosk at the start of the Bob Frenkel Boardwalk.

A fairly rainy week had left the wetland wet, but not flooded. By the sounds, birds were everywhere although we only managed to spot a small fraction of them as we made our way around the boardwalk.
The start of the loop. We went counterclockwise.

Northern flicker

We listened to this sparrow sing for a bit. It was putting on quite the performance.

One of a couple viewing platforms off the main boardwalk.

Blackbird

Robin in the morning sunlight.

Sparrow

Hummingbird

Easter rabbit?

While short (0.9 miles) this was a really nice walk, and there is something about hearing birds that is uplifting.

From this wetland we drove through Corvallis and parked at Mary’s River Natural Area (If you are using Google Maps you want Mary’s River Natural Park not “Area”.
Kiosk at the trailhead.

Mary’s River Natural Area is another wetland with a short, paved path leading to a boardwalk although here there is no loop.

Interpretive sign along the path.

Buttercups and a bog saxifrage

The start of the boardwalk.

Three California scrub-jays

One of the scrub-jays up close.

We walked a short distance from the end of the boardwalk to visit Mary’s River.

Swollen Mary’s River. It did appear that it might be possible to make this a loop in the dry season by following a grassy track, but it was too wet and muddy to even attempt that today.

We returned the way we’d come stopping a couple of times to watch birds flitting between the trees.
Mary’s Peak (post) from the boardwalk.

Black-capped chickadee

Anna’s hummingbird

This was another 0.9-mile hike, and while not as interesting as the Jackson-Frazier Wetland it was a pleasant walk with a fair number of bird sightings.

Since these new to us hikes totaled less than two miles, we wanted something longer as we continue to build our base back up for longer hikes later this year. This gave us the perfect excuse to revisit part of two previous hikes, Bald Hill (post) and Fitton Green (post). We’d visited the Fitton Green Natural Area just over a year ago and on that hike noted that the Mulkey Ridge Trail made it possible to connect that area with the Bald Hill Natuarl Area which we had visited in October of 2016.

Just as we’d done in 2016 we parked at the Oak Creek Trailhead which is West of town.
Kiosk just on the other side of Oak Creek from the trailhead parking lot.

At the first kiosk we turned right along Oak Creek to a second kiosk at the boundary for the Bald Hill Farm Conservation Area.

This is the 3.7-mile long Mulkey Ridge Trail which we followed along Oak Creek to a fence where we turned left along a gravel road. The road jogged right heading uphill past a large barn.
Bald Hill from the trail.

Mary’s Peak

The barn across the gravel road.

Our fist camas sighting of the year. The only one in bloom that we’d see all day.

A half mile from the trailhead we stayed straight at a junction to continue on the Mulkey Ridge Trail.
We’d turned left here on our 2016 Bald Hill hike.

The trail continued for approximately another 0.4-miles before briefly joining it at a farm road with a sign pointing downhill to a farmhouse, barn, and shops.

Crossing the farmhouse road to join the gravel road.

We followed the gravel road past a private residence after which the road turned into a trail again.

As the trail entered woods where we began seeing a variety of Spring wildflowers.

The first of many fawn lilies we’d see.

Giant white wakerobin

Toothwort

More fawn lilies

Bleeding heart

At the 1.2-mile mark we came to a map board at a “Y” junction. We had a couple of choices to make here. Sullivan added Fitton Green as a featured hike in his “100 Hikes Oregon Coast” 1st edition, describing an 8.2-mile out-and-back starting at the Oak Creek Trailhead while the Oregonhikers.com field guide describes a 6.9-mile lollipop loop beginning from the same TH. While the lollipop is shorter it involves nearly a mile and a half of road walking. Our first choice was easy, we prefer loops when possible, even if they involve some road walking. The second decision to make was did we want to do the road walk now or wait until we were heading back. While the Oregonhikers entry saves the road walk for the return we opted to do it now, primarily because road walking tends to be harder on the feet and we didn’t want to wait until they were even more tired to put them through that.

We veered uphill to the right at the junction and in 0.2-miles arrived at gravel Wynoochee Drive.

Trail pointer at Wynoochee Drive.

We turned left onto the road which climbed gradually for just over three quarters of a mile to paved Panorama Drive.

We spotted several deer in the grass at the intersection with Skipanon Drive.

I count six in this photo.

In addition to the deer we saw a large number of Stellar’s jays along Wynoochee Drive.
While most of the jays wouldn’t sit still in the open long enough for a decent photo this one at least cooperated.

Sign for the Fitton Green Natural Area at the intersection with Panorama Drive.

We followed the pointer for Fitton Green to the left and did some more climbing as Panorma Drive took us past several homes before descending to the Panorama Drive Trailhead three quarters of a mile from the intersection.

The road turned to gravel shortly before arriving at the trailhead.

Gate at the trailhead.

We hiked past the gate and in a tenth of a mile came to the Allen Throop Loop which had been part of our 2023 hike here.

We turned left onto the loop and climbed to a viewpoint of Mary’s Peak.

Mary’s Peak still sporting a decent amount of snow.

We followed the Allen Throop Loop as it wound down the open hillside for 0.7-miles to a junction with the Mulkey Ridge Trail.
Looking SE towards Corvallis

Looking West towards the Coast Range.

Common lomatium

We were hoping it was clear enough to see the Cascade Volcanoes, but the Three Sisters were hidden by clouds. We were however able to see the top of Mt. Jefferson.

The Mulkey Ridge Trail below to the left arriving at the Allen Throop Loop.

We turned left onto the Mulkey Ridge Trail and began to make our way back to the trailhead.

There were a fair number of flowers blooming along the trail.
Strawberry

Redstem storksbill

Wild iris

More fawn lilies

Candy flower

Purple deadnettle

Pacific hound’s tongue

Colorful turkey tails

The trail splits briefly along a ridge marking what used to be the end of trail from the Oak Creek Trailhead.

Dark-eyed junco

There were a pair of acorn woodpeckers in this area that we stopped to watch.

This tree was full of holes that the woodpeckers use to store their acorns in.

One of several benches along the trail.

Oregon grape

Trillium

The Mulkey Ridge Trail descending to Mulkey Creek. (Note the footbridge in the lower right-hand corner.)

Footbridge over Mulkey Creek.

Approximately 2.5-miles from the Allen Throop Loop we arrived back at the spur trail we’d followed up to Wynoochee Drive.

Toothwort

We retraced our steps back 1.2-miles to the Oak Creek Trailhead where we were happy to find our backup GPS unit was still sitting on top of our car where we’d accidently left it.
Western buttercups along the trail on our way back.

The GPS we did remember to take with us indicated this was a 7.4-mile hike, a half mile longer than the Oregonhikers field guide. I can’t account for the difference but given the elapsed time 7.4-miles seems reasonable. The hike included a little over 1150′ of elevation gain as well. Overall this was a great hike with a good variety of scenery, nice views, and some wildlife. The network of trails also makes both shorter and much longer hikes possible. Happy Trails!

Our three hikes for the day.

Today’s hike in cyan, 2016 Bald Hill green, and 2023 Fitton Green purple

Middle Fork Path – Dorris Ranch to Clearwater Park – 03/16/2024

March began with a couple of weeks of wet weather including several days with snow mixed in with the rain. Things finally changed this week and by the weekend temperatures in the Willamette Valley were entering the low 70’s which meant it was time for our March hike. Dorris Ranch had been on the schedule for March 2024 since 2022 following a February hike by my parents there. They’d been a little too early for any flowers, so March seemed like a good time for us to give the ranch a try.

The 268-acre Dorris Ranch (est. 1892) is located in Springfield, OR and is recognized as the first commercial filbert (hazelnut) orchard in the United States. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is reported that over 50% of the commercial filbert trees growing in the U.S. today originated from the Ranch’s nursery stock.

Trails crisscross the ranch ranging from the paved Middle Fork Path to gravel and natural surface paths. We parked at the Middle Fork Path Trailhead at Dorris Ranch. Our plan was to begin by hiking through the orchards to the confluence of the Coast Fork and Middle Fork Willamette Rivers then continue on to the Middle Fork Path and follow it to its end at Clearwater Park and then return to the trailhead via the Middle Fork Path.
Signboard at the trailhead.

Map of the trails at Dorris Ranch.

Map of the Middle Fork Path (red) and Mill Race Path (yellow).

Before heading for the rivers we visited the Living History Village. Replicas of the 1850’s buildings built by the Masterson family built prior to selling the land to the Dorris family are located along a short loop and is used for school field trips.
The Masterson cabin replica. They were a family of ten when they moved out.

After checking out the Living History Village we headed downhill to the Dorris Ranch Barn.

These cedar doors were installed earlier this month replacing a broken door.

Plaque on the barn.

From the barn we took a wide gravel path past a gate to the orchards.

A January 16th ice storm hit the area hard and damaged a number of trees at the ranch and along the Middle Fork Path.

Some signs of the ice storm damage.

Large trees around the pump house and packing shed.

An American kestrel with an unlucky frog atop a tall tree.

Oregon grape near the packing shed.

Old oak tree along the path.

Purple deadnettle beneath the old oak.

Black walnut orchard just past the oak tree.

At the black walnut orchard the gravel gave way to a natural surface trail.

Violet

Violet

The trail arrived at a bench overlooking the confluence of the Coast Fork and Middle Fork Willamette Rivers.
The confluence.

Middle Fork Willamette River

From the confluence the trail turned left passing through a forest before arriving at the Middle Fork Path after half a mile.

Mallards

Hooded mergansers

Slender toothwort

Someone had left some seeds and nuts on this tree. While it’s not LNT compliant it was attracting a variety of wildlife.
Chipmunk and squirrel

Chipmunk and white-breasted nuthatch

Giant White Wakerobin, Trillium albidum

The paved Middle Fork Path dead ahead.

We turned right onto the Middle Fork Path and followed it for three and a quarter mile to the parking lot at Clearwater Park.

Ruby-crowned kinglet

Wren

Middle Fork Willamette River

Double-breasted cormorant

Pacific hound’s tongue

Ring-necked ducks

Goose

Arriving at the Quarry Creek picnic area.

Looking back at Spencer Butte (post).

A goose and a couple of common mergansers in the river.

Common merganser drake

Approximately 2.75-miles from Dorris Ranch we came to the junction with the 3-mile-long Mill Race Path. An adventure for another day.

There were plenty of benches along the path.

Larkspur starting to bloom.

Springfield Mill Race

Mt. Pisgah (post) through the trees across the Middle Fork Willamette.

Disc golf course at Clearwater Park.

Nearing the parking lot at Clearwater Park.

Map of the trails at Clearwater Park.

We weren’t aware of the informal trails shown on the map at Clearwater Park, but the prospect of seeing a couple of ponds piqued our interest so we crossed the park entrance road and followed a narrow gravel path into the woods.

Turkey vultures. We’d seen our first turkey vulture of the year a little earlier on the Middle Fork Path. I’d been on the lookout for one of these scavengers for the last couple of weeks knowing that their arrival in the Willamette Valley coincides with the onset of Spring.

We didn’t get far on the informal trails before ice storm damage turned us back.

We backtracked and took a different informal path to the parking area near the boat launch and then followed a dirt path back to the Middle Fork Path.
Turkey vulture enjoying the sunshine.

Arriving at the boat launch area.

Heading back to the Middle Fork Path.

We followed the Middle Fork Path back to Dorris Ranch, sticking to the paved trail all the way back to the trailhead.

Back at Dorris Ranch. The trail we’d taken earlier that morning is to the left just before the bench.

Western bluebirds

I believe this is a Cooper’s hawk.

Western buttercups

Daffodils

While we saw a few more flowers than my parents had in February we were still a week or two early, but at least we did see a few of the early bloomers. There was abundant wildlife though and the fairly level trails made for a relaxing hike. Our GPS units both showed this as a 9.2-mile hike which was just right for our feet this time of year given we were primarily on paved trails.

After the hike we met up with our Son for lunch at Ubon Thai Kitchen before heading back to Salem. As to close a perfect late Winter hike as you can get. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Middle Fork Path

Ki-a-Kuts Falls Fernhill Wetlands – 02/24/2024

A mostly sunny, near 60-degree forecast, looked too good to pass up so we decided to head out and attempt a pair of short hikes in the Oregon Coast Ranges Tillamook State Forest. Our first stop was along Maple Creek Road for a hike to Ki-a-Kuts Falls.
Sunrise from the trailhead.

Clear cut at the trailhead.

The old alignment of the road was said to be located approximately 80 yards from the trailhead, but it appears that between time, storms, and logging operations the old road has become far less obvious.
This was the view through the forest from Maple Creek Road around the 80-yard mark.

We hiked further up Maple Creek Road and checked for a way down to the old alignment, but in the end decided that the slick conditions combined with the amount of blowdown on the hillsides would have made for a much more challenging hike than we were looking to tackle.
We could hear the Tualatin River in the valley below and I managed to get far enough down the hill to get a glimpse of the water. I had descended from a pullout with a fire ring about 50-75′ looking for the old roadbed, but I still couldn’t make out where it actually was and had been slipping a lot on wet wood.

After climbing back up to Heather I called an audible and we turned to Plan B. The second hike we’d originally planned on was a 1.5-mile out and back further into the forest to visit Stairstep Falls, a rapid more than a fall, that requires fording the 25 yard wide Middle Fork North Fork Trask River. We decided against attempting that hike because it would effectively end our hiking day by leaving the only pair of hiking shoes I’d brought soaked. That was fine when it was going to be the final hike of our day, but we wanted to get a little more than 2.5-miles in. (We’d done close to 1 looking for the way to Ki-a-Kuts Falls.)

I’d known going in that there was a chance that we’d need to turn to Plan B because the most recent trip reports I could find for Ki-a-Kuts Falls was from 2014. That Plan B had been Fernhill Wetlands. Located in Forest Grove, OR the trailhead was just 26-miles from where we were. We drove back to Yamhill and then headed North on Highway 47 to the Fernhill Wetlands Trailhead.

Map and information at the trailhead.

There are several loops possible at the wetlands and we hoped to maximize these, so we headed south along Fernhill Marsh.

Starling

Lenticular clouds over Mt. Hood in the distance.

Our first wildflower of the year is Indian plum in 2024.

Egret

Path at Fernhill Wetlands.

We stayed straight at a junction with a path between Fernhill Marsh and Cattail Marsh.
Gazebo overlooking Cattail Marsh.

Great blue heron on a post above Cattail Marsh.

American coot

At the next junction we turned left between Cattail and Eagles Perch Marshes.

Another great blue heron.

Red-winged blackbird

Hawk flying over Eagles Perch Marsh.

Fittingly at the far end of the marsh were a pair of bald eagles.

We turned right and walked along Eagles Perch Marsh for a tenth of a mile to a gate along SW Geiger Rd.

Ring-necked ducks

Buffleheads

This one might be a hooded merganser?

After turning around we headed north passing Cattail Marsh and arriving at Fernhill Lake.

Fernhill Lake

The trail bent eastward along the lake to a gazebo overlooking Barney Wetlands. From the gazebo we watched a flock of tundra swans. This was our second outing in a row (Wapato Lake) seeing tundra swans after not ever having seen them on a hike prior.
This is where the trail turned east (for obvious reasons).

Barney wetlands

There were also quite a few ruddy ducks here which we don’t often see.

After a good long break watching the swans we continued around Fernhill Lake to Dabblers Marsh.
Double-crested cormorant on a post in Barney Wetlands.

Double-crested cormorant

Drying off in the sun.

Nurtia at a bench near Dabblers Marsh

Nutria

Dabblers Marsh

Green-winged teal

Great blue heron

Pie-billed grebe

We turned west between Fernhill Lake and Dabblers Marsh and came to a nice view of the lake and the start of the Dabblers Marsh Loop Trail.

We turned onto the woodchip path along Dabblers Marsh and followed pointers to a loop around some farmland.

Robin

The start of the loop at the edge of the farmland. We stayed left opting to hike the loop clockwise.

Anna’s hummingbrid

A gaggle of geese in the field.

American kestrels manning their posts.

Purple dead-nettle

More geese coming in for a landing.

Near the end of the loop the trail left the field along Dabblers Marsh.

Spotted towhee

Rabbit

After completing the loop and returning to Fernhill Lake we did a loop through the Water Gardens.
Geese on Fernhill Lake

Mallard drake

Mallard female

Water Gardens

Northern shovelers, a mallard, and a coot.

Oregon grape beginning to bloom.

Northern shoveler

Green-winged teal pair

Path along the Research Wetlands.

Egret near the parking lot at Fernhill Marsh

Looking back at the Research Wetlands from the near the trailhead.

We managed to get 3.7-miles in at the wetlands and saw a lot of birds and other animals. While there were quite a few more folks here than we’d seen on our previous hike at nearby Wapato Lake Wildlife Refuge, it never felt too busy. Plan B had earned an A+ in our books. Happy Trails!

2023 Wildlife Gallery Part 2 – Featherless Friends

As we did last year we’ve split our wildlife recap into two posts, feathered (post) and featherless. As with all our wildflower and wildlife posts any corrections or additions to our attempts at identifying what we’ve photographed is greatly appreciated. One other note, while we really enjoy taking pictures as a way to record what we see on our hikes, we are by no means photographers. We use our phones and a point and shoot camera on the auto setting, so the pictures are far from professional, but we hope you enjoy them. Finally, we do practice Leave No Trace Principles including Principle 6: Respect Wildlife which means observing from a distance, never feeding, and respecting any area wildlife closures. We urge others to do the same and recreate responsibly.

The highlight of the year was getting to watch a badger make its way down Central Patrol Road in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on 9/4/23.

Harvester ants – 5/29/23, Riley Ranch Preserve, Bend

Ant on penstemon – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Crab spider on a California harebell – 6/25/23, North Umpqua Trail, BLM Roseburg District

Bee – 9/3/23, Threemile Canyon, BLM Burns District

Bees – 7/8/23, Sand Mountain, Willamette National Forest

Sweat bee? and a beetle on a prickly pear cactus – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Beetle – 7/31/23, Garfield Peak Trail, Crater Lake National Park

Beetle – 7/29/23, Stuart Falls Trail, Crater Lake National Park

Beetle on a white mariposa lily – 8/14/23, Main Eagle Creek Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Beetle and another bug on spirea – 7/4/23, Rocky Top Trail, Santiam State Forest

Beetles on thistle – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Ladybug on a daisy – 7/4/23, Natural Arch Trail, Santiam State Forest

Common pill-bug – 6/25/23, North Bank Habitat, BLM Roseburg District

Beetle – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Beetle and a butterfly on buckwheat – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Grasshopper – 9/3/23, P Ranch, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Cricket – 6/14/23, Imnaha Trail, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Caterpillar – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Caterpillar – 7/1/23, Hummocks Trail, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, WA

Caterpillar – 8/16/23, West Eagle Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Millipede – 6/12/23, Imnaha River Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Millipedes – 6/12/23, Imnaha River Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Eight-spotted Forester-Alypia octomaculata – 7/4/23, Niagra Heights Road, Santiam State Forest

Fireweed Clearwing Moth (Albuna pyramidalis) – 7/4/23, Niagra Heights Road, Santiam State Forest

Moth – 7/4/23, Niagra Heights Road, Santiam State Forest

Moths – 6/3/23, Buck Creek Trail, Husum, WA

Moth – 6/3/23, Buck Creek Trail, Husum, WA

Moth – 6/3/23, Buck Creek Trail, Husum, WA

Moth – 6/16/23, Trail 1890, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Moth – 7/4/23, Rocky Top Trail, North Santiam State Park

Moth – 6/25/23, North Umpqua Trail, BLM Roseburg District

Moth – 6/12/23, Imnaha River Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Moth – 6/24/23, Rogue River National Recreation Trail, Wild Rogue Wilderness

Moth – 7/8/23, Santiam Wagon Road, Willamette National Forest

Sphinx moth – 8/17/23, West Eagle Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Fly and butterfly – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Boisduval’s blues? – 6/3/23, Buck Creek Trail, Husum, WA

Acmon blue? – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Eastern tailed blue? – 5/13/23, Graham Oaks Nature Park, Wilsonville

Butterfly in the Lycaenidae family – 5/2/23, Sterling Mind Ditch Trail System, BLM Medford District

Butterfly in the Lycaenidae family – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Butterfly in the Lycaenidae family – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Butterfly in the Lycaenidae family – 6/13/23, Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site, Joseph

Echo azures? – 5/4/23, Forest Road 011, Rogue-River Siskiyou National Forest

Butterfly in the Lycaenidae family – 6/3/23, Buck Creek Trail, Husum, WA

Butterflies in the Lycaenidae family – 7/4/23, Niagra Heights Road, Santiam State Forest

Gray hairstreak – 6/11/23, Lewis & Clark Trail, Hermiston

Thicket hairstreak? – 7/8/23, Sand Mountain, Willamette National Forest

A hairstreak – 6/3/23, Buck Creek Trail, Husum, WA

Various butterflies – 6/16/23, Deep Creek Stairway Trail, Payette National Forest, ID

Lorquin’s admiral – 6/14/23, Imnaha Trail, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Red admiral – 7/23/23, Metolius River Trail, Deschutes National Forest

California sister – 10/8/23, Forest Road 041, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

Painted lady – 6/12/23, Imnaha River Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

California tortoiseshell – 9/16/23, Fish Lake Trail, Mt. Hood National Forest

Milbert’s tortoiseshell – 8/14/23, Main Eagle Creek Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Hoary comma – 7/8/23, Sand Mountain, Willamette National Forest

Mourning cloak – 6/14/23, Imnaha Trail, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Common wood nymph – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Ochre ringlet – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Checkerspot – 7/29/23, Stuart Falls Trail, Crater Lake National Park

Checkerspot – 7/1/23, Boundary Trail, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, WA

Snowberry checkerspot – 7/1/23, Boundary Trail, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, WA

Edith’s checkerspot – 7/8/23, Sand Mountain, Willamette National Forest

Mylitta crescent – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

A crescent? – 5/13/23, Graham Oaks Nature Park, Wilsonville

Fritillary butterflies – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

A fritillary – 7/4/23, Rocky Top Trail, Santiam State Forest

A fritillary – 7/15/23, Forest Road 4610, Mt. Hood National Forest

Indra swallowtail – 5/4/23, Kerby Flat Trail, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

Oregon swallowtail? with ladybug – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Swallowtail – 6/3/23, Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Trout Lake, WA

Western swallowtails – 6/12/23, Imnaha River Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Swallowtail – 6/12/23, Imnaha River Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

A sulphur – 9/9/23, Alta Lake Trail, Sky Lakes Wilderness

Large marble – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Becker’s white – 6/14/23, Imnaha Trail, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Male margined white? – 8/29/23, Newell Creek Canyon Nature Park, Oregon City

Mountain parnassian – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Clodius parnassian – 7/29/23, Pumice Flat Trail, Crater Lake National Park

Silver-spotted Skipper – 6/14/23, Eureka Bar, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

A skipper – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

A skipper – 6/12/23, Imnaha River Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

A skipper – 6/24/23, Rogue River National Recreation Trail, Wild Rogue Wilderness

A skipper – 9/3/23, Threemile Canyon, BLM Burns District

Skipper on a sagebrush mariposa lily – 7/23/23, Metolius River Trail, Deschutes National Forest

A skipper – 9/3/23, P Ranch, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Duskywing? – 6/24/23, Rogue River National Recreation Trail, Wild Rogue Wilderness

Duskywing – 5/3/23, Waters Creek Interpretive Trail, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

Dreamy duskywing – 6/12/23, Imnaha River Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Dragonfly – 6/24/23, Rogue River National Recreation Trail, Wild Rogue Wilderness

Dragonfly – 7/1/23, Hummocks Trail, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, WA

Dragonfly – 7/15/23, Plaza Lake, Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness

Dragonfly – 7/31/23, Godfrey Glen Trail, Crater Lake National Park

Dragonfly – 9/2/23, Idlewild Loop Trail, Malheur National Forest

Slug – 4/29/23, Canemah Bluff Nature Park, Oregon City

Snail – 4/15/23, Enchanted Valley Trail, Siuslaw National Forest

Rough skinned newt – 4/15/23, Cape Mountain, Siuslaw National Forest

Tadpoles – 9/9/23, Pacific Crest Trail, Sky Lakes Wilderness

Western toads – 9/9/23, Pacific Crest Trail, Sky Lakes Wilderness

Full grown western toad – 9/9/23, Pacific Crest Trail, Sky Lakes Wilderness

Cascade frog – 9/9/23, Pacific Crest Trail, Sky Lakes Wilderness

Pacific treefrog – 9/3/23, Threemile Canyon, BLM Burns District

Northern red-legged frog – 8/26/23, Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Cloverdale

Bullfrog (invasive) – 4/22/23, Talking Water Gardens, Albany

Western pond turtles – 4/22/23, Talking Water Gardens, Albany

Southern alligator lizard – 6/24/23, Rogue River National Recreation Trail, Wild Rogue Wilderness

Western fence lizard – 5/3/23, Waters Creek Interpretive Trail, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

Sagebrush lizard – 7/22/23, Shut-In Trail, Deschutes National Forest

Pygmy short-horned lizard – 7/8/23, Santiam Wagon Road, Willamette National Forest

Gopher snake – 6/25/23, North Bank Habitat, BLM Roseburg District

Garter snake – 4/22/23, Dave Clark Riverfront Path, Albany

Rubber boa? – 6/14/23, Imnaha Trail, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Nutria (invasive) – 5/13/23, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Sherwood

Beaver – 5/29/23, Riley Ranch Preserve, Bend

Yellow-bellied marmot – 7/31/23, Garfield Peak Trail, Crater Lake National Park

Gray squirrel – 4/22/23, Dave Clark Riverfront Path, Albany

Douglas’ squirrel – 4/22/23, Dave Clark Riverfront Path, Albany

Eastern fox squirrel? – 4/29/23, Newell Creek Canyon Nature Park, Oregon City

Columbian ground squirrel – 8/16/23, Tombstone Lake Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Golden-mantled ground squirrel – 7/31/23, Garfield Peak Trail, Crater Lake National Park

Chipmunk – 8/5/23, McNeil Point scramble trail, Mt. Hood Wilderness

Pika – 8/5/23, McNeil Point Trail, Mt. Hood Wilderness

Rabbit – 5/13/23, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Sherwood

Mountain cottontail – 5/29/23, Riley Ranch Preserve, Bend

Fawns – 7/31/23, Garfield Peak Trail, Crater Lake National Park

Doe – 5/20/23, Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washougal, WA

Buck – 7/31/23, Rim Trail, Crater Lake National Park

Elk – 6/15/23, Buckhorn Road (FR 46), Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Horses – 9/3/23, Threemile Canyon, BLM Burns District

Bat -5/2/23, Sterling Mine Ditch Tunnel, BLM Medford District

Seals – 11/18/23, Siletz Bay, Lincoln City

Shell with inhabitant – 11/18/23, Nelscott Beach, Lincoln City

Starfish – 10/28/23, Short Beach, Oceanside

Trout – 8/16/23, Tombstone Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Fish – 6/16/23, Hells Canyon Reservoir, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

2023 Wildlife Gallery Part 1 – Feathered Friends

Last year we did something different and split our 2023 wildlife gallery into two posts, one feathered and one featherless. As with all our wildflower and wildlife posts any corrections or additions to our attempts at identifying what we’ve photographed is greatly appreciated. One last note, while we really enjoy taking pictures as a way to record what we see on our hikes, we are by no means photographers. We use our phones and a point and shoot camera on the auto setting, so the pictures are far from professional, but we hope you enjoy them. We also practice Leave No Trace Principles including Principle 6: Respect Wildlife which means observing from a distance, never feeding, and respecting any area wildlife closures.

For this year’s gallery the photos will be in date order, because why not?
Hermit thrush – 2/11/23, Council Crest Park, Portland

Pied billed grebe – 3/19/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Ring-necked duck – 3/25/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Bufflehead – 3/25/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Sparrow – 3/25/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Lesser goldfinch – 4/8/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Ruby-crowned kinglet? – 4/8/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Egret – 4/8/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Marsh wren – 4/13/23, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Rickreall

Geese, I believe both cackling and Canada – 4/13/23, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Rickreall

California quail – 4/13/23, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Rickreall

Northern shoveler – 4/13/23, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Rickreall

Western meadowlark (Oregon’s state bird) – 4/13/23, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Rickreall

Red-winged blackbird – 4/13/23, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Rickreall

Ruddy duck – 4/13/23, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Rickreall

Savannah sparrow – 4/13/23, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Rickreall

Gold-crowned sparrow – 4/14/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Red-breasted sapsuckers – 4/14/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Hummingbird (Rufous?) – 4/14/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Orange-crowned warbler – 4/14/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Dark-eyed junco – 4/14/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Northern flicker – 4/14/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Turkey vulture – 4/14/23, Minto-Brown Island Park, Salem

Warbler? – 4/22/23, Dave Clark Riverfront Path, Albany

Osprey – 4/22/23, Dave Clark Riverfront Path, Albany

Cormorant – 4/22/23, Dave Clark Riverfront Path, Albany

Red-winged blackbird (female) – 4/22/23, Talking Water Gardens, Albany

Green-winged teal – 4/22/23, Talking Water Gardens, Albany

Yellow-rumped warbler (Audubon’s) – 4/22/23, Talking Water Gardens, Albany

Black phoebe – 4/22/23, Talking Water Gardens, Albany

Acorn woodpecker – 4/22/23, Talking Water Gardens, Albany

Hawk – 4/22/23, Talking Water Gardens, Albany

Mallards – 4/22/23, Talking Water Gardens, Albany

Chickadee (chestnut-backed?) – 4/22/23, Talking Water Gardens, Albany

Nashville warbler – 4/29/23, Canemah Bluff Nature Park, Oregon City

Bewick’s wren – 4/29/23, Canemah Bluff Nature Park, Oregon City

House finches – 4/29/23, Canemah Bluff Nature Park, Oregon City

Spotted towhee – 4/29/23 Newell Creek Canyon Nature Park, Oregon City

Common mergansers – 5/1/23, Rogue River National Recreation Trail, BLM Medford District

Bullock’s oriole – 5/1/23, Rogue River National Recreation Trail, BLM Medford District

American robin – 5/1/23, Rogue River National Recreation Trail, BLM Medford District

Greater yellowlegs – 5/13/23, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Sherwood

Mourning dove – 5/13/23, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Sherwood

Gadwall – 5/13/23, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Sherwood

Killdeer – 5/13/23, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Sherwood

Cinnamon teal – 5/13/23, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Sherwood

Anna’s hummingbird – 5/13/23, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, Sherwood

American kestral – 5/13/23, Graham Oaks Nature Park, Wilsonville

European starling – 5/13/23, Graham Oaks Nature Park, Wilsonville

Wood duck – 5/23/23, Stigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washougal, WA

Belted kingfisher – 5/23/23, Stigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washougal, WA

American goldfinch – 5/23/23, Stigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washougal, WA

Spotted sandpiper – 5/23/23, Stigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washougal, WA

Purple martin – 5/23/23, Stigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washougal, WA

Common yellowthroat – 5/23/23, Stigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washougal, WA

American bittern – 5/23/23, Stigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washougal, WA

Lark sparrow – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Horned lark – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Mountain bluebird – 5/28/23, Criterion Tract, BLM Prineville District

Black-headed grosbeak – 5/29/23, Riley Ranch Preserve, Bend

Lewis’s woodpecker – 5/29/23, Tumalo State Park, Bend

Magpie – 5/29/23, Tumalo State Park, Bend

Black-headed cowbird – 5/29/23, Tumalo State Park, Bend

Tree swallow – 5/29/23, Tumalo State Park, Bend

Pygmy nuthatch? – 5/29/23, Tumalo State Park, Bend

Lazuli bunting – 6/3/23, Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Trout Lake, WA

Yellow warbler – 6/3/23, Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Trout Lake, WA

Western bluebird – 6/3/23, Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Trout Lake, WA

Sandhill cranes – 6/3/23, Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Trout Lake, WA

Warbling vireo – 6/3/23, Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Trout Lake, WA

Raven – 6/11/23, Lewis & Clark Trail, Hermiston

Eastern kingbird – 6/11/23, Lewis & Clark Trail, Hermiston

Caspian tern – 6/11/23, Lewis & Clark Trail, Hermiston

Geese – 6/11/23, Hat Rock State Park, Hermiston

Cliff swallows – 6/14/23, Imnaha Trail, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Hawk – 6/14/23, Imnaha Trail, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Common nighthawk – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Chipping sparrow – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Cassin’s finch – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Western wood pee-wee – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Western tanager – 6/15/23, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Red-eyed vireo – 6/16/23, Trail 1890, Hells Canyon Wilderness

Bushtit – 6/24/23, Rogue River National Recreation Trail, Wild Rogue Wilderness

Macgillivray’s warbler? – 6/25/23, North Umpqua Trail, BLM Roseburg District

Woodpecker – 6/25/23, North Umpqua Trail, BLM Roseburg District

Hawk – 6/25/23, North Bank Habitat, BLM Roseburg District

White-crowned sparrow – 7/1/23, Boundary Trail, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Cedar waxwings – 7/1/23, Boundary Trail, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Ouzel – 7/22/23, Metolius River Trail, Deschutes National Forest

Sooty grouse – 7/22/23, Metolius River Trail, Deschutes National Forest

Canada jay – 8/5/23, Timberline Trail, Mt. Hood Wilderness

Wilson’s warbler? – 8/29/23, Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Cloverdale

Clark’s nutcrakcer – 9/2/23, Dry River Canyon, BLM Prineville District

Great horned owl – 9/3/23, P Ranch, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Western grebe – 9/3/23, Krumbo Reservoir, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Unidentified bird – 9/3/23, Krumbo Reservoir, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

White-faced ibis – 9/3/23, Cental Patrol Road, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Ring-necked pheasant – 9/3/23, Central Patrol Road, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Townsends solitaire – 9/4/23 Fryrear Canyon, BLM Prineville District

Rock wren? – 9/4/23 Fryrear Canyon, BLM Prineville District

Mountain chickadee – 9/4/23 Fryrear Canyon, BLM Prineville District

Black-backed woodpecker – 9/9/23, Pacific Crest Trail, Sky Lakes Wilderness

American pipit – 9/9/23, Devil’s Peak, Sky Lakes Wilderness

Golden eye – 9/16/23, Fish Lake, Mt. Hood National Forest

White-breasted nuthatch – 9/16/23, Fish Lake Trail, Mt. Hood National Forest

Stellar’s jay – 9/30/23, Big Creek Park, Newport

Red-tailed hawk – 9/30/23, Strom Boulder Ridge, Burnt Woods

Varied thrush – 10/9/23, Babyfoot Lake Trail, Kalmiopsis Wilderness

Seagull – 10/28/23, Oceanside Beach, Oceanside

Great blue heron – 10/28/23, Oceanside Beach, Oceanside

Red-throated loon – 10/28/23, Pacific Ocean, Oceanside

Bald eagle – 10/28/23, Tillamook Wetlands, Tillamook

Hawk – 10/28/23, Tillamook Wetlands, Tillamook

Hooded merganser – 11/18/23, D River, Lincoln City

Crows – 11/18/23, Siletz Bay, Lincoln City

Brown pelicans – 11/18/23, Siletz Bay, Lincoln City

Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge – 02/10/2024

While we didn’t have another hike scheduled for February a decent forecast was too much to pass up. We were looking for something nearby (less than an hour from Salem) on the shorter side that would be more of a leisurely stroll than a hike. We decided it would be a good day to check out the Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge . Originally added (2007) as part of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (post) the Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge was designated in 2013. Eight years later the refuge was opened to public use and now has approximately 2.85 miles of trail. The trails are currently open from Feb 1st through Nov 30th each year (note the 1.3-miles of natural surface is closed to hiking starting Sept 1st). Also of note is that during periods of heavy rains the access trail may become flooded, but the Refuge website has a link to the USGS Monitoring Tool where you can easily check to see if the creek’s level is over 7.5 feet.

The trailhead is adjacent to Brown Park in the city of Gaston, OR and includes two ADA parking spaces and a restroom. What it lacks is signage from Highway 47. The parking area can be accessed from that highway or via Onion Lane by turning South off of E Main Street/SW Gaston Road. A paved trail begins at an informational signboard where you can also pick up a brochure.

It was a little cloudier than we’d hopped as we set off on the paved path. We followed the path to a footbridge over Wapato Creek to the levee that partially surrounds the lakebed. We faced a choice of heading left for 0.6-miles or right for up to 2-miles. Another person had just turned left so we opted to go right.

We were a little confused by the sign on the left here stating the trail was closed. The website and signboard had said nothing about a closure and the gate at the far end of the bridge was open and others were already out on the levee. We assume they just hadn’t taken the sign down after the seasonal closure period.

Pointers on the levee.

Nutria (sigh). We had hopped it was a beaver but alas the whiskers give it away.

Geese, several species of ducks, and some shore birds.

From the bridge to the right the levee’s surface is good gravel. We took our time as we strolled south trying to discern which types of ducks we were seeing.
A great blue heron along Wapato Creek.

Great blue heron

Wapato Lake

Beaver lodge

Northern shovelers and an American wigeon

Of course we forgot to bring binoculars making it even harder to make out which types of ducks were out there.

Ring-necked ducks with an American coot in the background.

Ring-necked duck and northern shovelers

Reflections in Wapato Lake

There is virtually no shade along the lake which wasn’t an issue today but could be in the heat of Summer. There are however three benches along the levee allowing for a place to sit and watch the birds.

Lesser scaups

Ducks flying over the lake.

Old bridge over Wapato Creek. The gravel surface ended at this bridge.

After 0.7 miles of gravel the levee continued as a natural surface. The unevenness of the natural surface was a stark difference to the gravel.

We continued on the natural surface another three quarters of a mile to a gate at another old bridge. Across the lake we could see some tundra swans which were a first for us, and we startled a coyote that raced off through the brush along the lakebed.

The coyote running off through the brush.

Tundra swans

Tundra swans

We decided to turn around at this bridge even though the levee continued. It appeared that the water was further away from the levee going forward and we hadn’t planned on going much more than 3-miles today.

We were hoping that the partly sunny skies that had been forecast would make an appearance as we made our way back, but that never happened. Nevertheless, we were enjoying trying to identify the different ducks and birds we were seeing.
Northern pintails and some green-winged teals.

American wigeons and a pair of green-winged teals.

There were a couple of times that blue sky seemed imminent.

Buffleheads

Iowa Hill (post) across the lake.

More buffleheads

Immature bald eagle

Sparrow

Horned grebe

Canvasbacks, another first for us.

Great blue heron on the osprey nest.

Ther heron on the nest.

When we arrived back at the bridge over Wapato Creek we stayed straight on the level and followed the gravel path north 0.6-miles to a gate where we turned around and returned to our car.

Mallards

Red-winged blackbird

Bald eagle

Nutria

Gaston from the refuge.

Green-winged teals

Northern pintails

Mostly American wigeons and green-winged teals

On the paved path back to the parking lot.

We wound up going a total of 4.8-miles (according to both our GPS units) which was a little further than we’d planned, but we got to see a lot of wildlife without much effort on the level trails.

This was an enjoyable visit and given its relative proximity to Salem one that we’ll likely revisit down the line. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Wapato Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Forest Park (Germantown Road to Newberry Road) – 02/03/2024

Warm weather and possible blue sky prompted us to head out for our February hike the first day we had off. While the very recent weather had been unseasonably warm the Willamette Valley, and especially the Portland area, was still recovering from January’s Winter storm. We had changed our planned January hike due to storm damage in Portland’s Forest Park and found ourselves looking to change our planned February hike now as well.

We had originally planned on visiting some wetlands west of Portland but flooding from the ice storm and heavy rains that followed had left some of those trails flooded. A quick check of the current trail conditions at Forest Park revealed that there were no closures/detours listed for the area of the park we had planned to hike the previous week so that became our Plan B.

We had hiked in the 5200-acre Forest Park on five previous occasions with each hike including part of the approximately 30-mile Wildwood National Recreation Trail. The trail begins in Washington Park’s Hoyt Arboretum (post) and ends at Newberry Road to the NW. Our previous outings had covered all but approximately 3.3-miles of the Wildwood Trail between the arboretum and Germantown Road (post). A 2022 visit to the Pittock Mansion via the Wildwood Trail (post) connected to the hike from Hoyt Arboretum and to a 2020 loop starting on Leif Erickson Drive from Thurman Street (post). A 2019 loop from the Lower Saltzman Road Trailhead (post) didn’t connect to any of the other hikes leaving a 1.3-mile gap in the Wildwood Trail between the Maple Trail and Nature Trail junctions, and a 2-mile gap between Firelanes 5 and 7A.

We were missing all of the Wildwood Trail between Germantown Road and Newberry Road though, so that was the goal of today’s hike. We decided to start at the Germantown Road Trailhead as opposed to the Newberry Road Trailhead which was a choice we would regret later. We were the third car at the Germantown Road Trailhead at 7:15am.
Some of the damage from the ice storm at the trailhead.

One of the nice things about Forest Park is the numerous loops that are possible off of the Wildwood Trail which allows one to avoid straight out-and-back hikes. There is a price for the loops which is paid in the currency of elevation gain. The route I’d planned for the day included three loops beginning at the trailhead where instead of taking the Wildwood Trail we took the Connector Trail to the Cannon Trail and followed it downhill to the Leif Erickson Drive North Trailhead.
Sign for the Connector Trail at the trailhead.

Cannon Trail

From the Leif Erickson Trailhead we crossed Germantown Road at the gate for Firelane 9 then hiked uphill along the shoulder of Germantown Road just over 100 yards to Firelane 10.
Firelane 9 across from the trailhead.

Firelane 10

We followed Firelane 10 downhill to a stream crossing then climbed to a junction with the Linnton Trail.

Unsurprisingly the recent weather had most of the stream beds flowing which we hadn’t witnessed on our other visits.

Heading up to the junction.

The Linnton Trail heads down a ridge to the Linnton Trailhead.

We turned left at the junction sticking to Firelane 10 which climbed back up to the Wildwood Trail. The 1.7-mile detour from the Germantown Trailhead came with an elevation loss of 375′ and gain of 550′.

We passed the Keyser Trail which rejoins Firelane 10 just a quarter mile ahead. We stuck to Firelane 10 which climbed very steeply in that quarter mile leading us to believe the Keyser Trail may have been a little more gradual as the map showed it bowing away from Firelane 10 before rejoining.

The first of only three trees that were still down over the trails we hiked. In the distance is a Wildwood Trail sign at the junction.

We turned right onto the Wildwood Trail and followed it for just over a mile to the BPA Road.

The trail repeatedly bows into the hillside to cross creek beds.

We passed three pointers for Newton Road and then crossed Newton Road along this section of the Wildwood Trail. We would be using Newton Road to make another small loop on our way back.

The Wildwood Trail crossing Newton Road.

Not all of the junctions have maps, but most of the major ones do to help keep hikers and runners on track (or to give them more ideas).

Climbing up to the BPA Road crossing.

The BPA Road heading uphill with the Wildwood Trail we’d just come up to the right.

We turned off of the Wildwood Trail here and took a right onto the BPA Road. After a brief climb the BPA Road dropped to a saddle where Firelane 12 joined from the left at the Fix-the-Hole plaque.

Firelane 12 on the left.

The middle of three plaques commemorating the 1999 acquisition of 73-acres that was in danger of being developed.

We turned left onto Firelane 12 and descended for half a mile to Firelane 15 near another unnamed creek.

Once again varied thrush 1 – Deryl 0. If I was keeping score, it would probably be something like 179-10.

Firelane 15 on the left ahead.

We turned left onto Firelane 15 and climbed over 230′ in 0.4-miles to the Wildwood Trail.
The small creek along Firelane 15.

Blue sky and powerlines above Firelane 15.

Wildwood Trail crossing Firelane 15.

We turned right onto the Wildwood Trail once again and followed it nearly 1.8-miles to its end at Newberry Road. There were no firelanes or side trails along this final stretch of the Wildwood Trail.

The fanciest bridge we crossed all day.

Why is the trail way down there when the road is up above on the far hillside?

Woolly bear

Climbing to Newberry Road just to say we made it to the end of the Wildwood Trail.

Newberry Road Trailhead.

After a brief break at the trailhead we headed back. We stuck to the Wildwood Trail passing both Firelane 15 and the BPA Road. Just under 4-miles from Newberry Road we arrived at Newton Road were we turned right and left the Wildwood Trail.

Another sub-par bird photo, but it took us quite a while just to spot this woodpecker who was way up in the treetops (and mostly in the shade).

Crossing Firelane 15.

Another blurry bird. This one a wren, one of many we heard but the only one we were able to spot.

Uprooted trees along the Wildwood Trail.

Newton Road to the right of the Wildwood Trail.

We turned uphill onto Newton Road and followed it just over half a mile to the Newton Road Trailhead where we paused to use the facilities.
Mile marker along Newton Road.

Douglas squirrel

One of several small habitat restoration study areas along Newton Road.

The Newton Road Trailhead in the distance.

After our break at this trailhead we followed Firelane 10 at the far end of the parking area 0.2-miles to the Wildwood Trail.

It was just over three quarters of a mile on the Wildwood Trail from Firelane 10 to the Germantown Road Trailhead.
One of only two benches we saw all day.

Cars parked along Germantown Road in the distance.

According to the Garmin our hike was 12.2 miles with approximately 2200′ of elevation gain. A good challenge for us this early in the year. (Our feet were not too happy with us.)

Despite the challenge it had been a nice hike with excellent weather, and while Forest Park is much busier than many of the trails we visit it never really feels too crowded.

While our experience on the trails had been good we arrived back at our car to find that people had parked along a fence behind us in the parking lot which didn’t leave us enough room to back out from between the cars on either side of us. We hadn’t expected anyone to park there because of the lack of room, but we should have known better. We spent the next half hour or so waiting for the owners of any of the three cars parked around us to return and set us free. (Although the SUV parked on our right was most likely going to be in the same predicament we were.) Fortunately the people that had parked directly behind us returned and we were able to escape. There have been other times I worried about having the car get trapped, but until today it had just been my own paranoia. Hopefully we will choose our parking spots more carefully in the future. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Northern Forest Park