Annual Trails Club of Oregon President's Hike - Hamilton Mountain Loop

note: we will be splitting into two groups at the trailhead - one for speedy hikers, one for less speedy hikers

Join us for a Trails Club tradition - the Annual President's Hike.

This year I have chosen one of my personal favorites - Hamilton Mountain. We will stop off afterward for a meal at Bridgeside Restaurant (http://bridgesidedining.com/) in Cascade Locks. I hope you can join us!

• Pamela Moore, President, Trails Club of Oregon

About the Trail:

· Total hiking distance: 7.5 Miles

· Difficulty: Class B Moderate

· Elevation gain: 2,100 feet

· Hiking Time: 4 hours

· Dogs: Well behaved leashed dogs allowed

· Driving distance: 100 miles round trip

Schedule & Carpooling:

· 8am: Carpoolers meet at Gateway Transit Center, 1321 NE 99th Ave, Portland

· 9am: Depart from Trailhead (directions below)

· 1:30pm: Meal at Bridgeside Restaurant, 745 NorthWest Wanapa Street, Cascade Locks, 97014, Cascade Locks

Directions to Trailhead:

From Portland, take I-84 East and exit at Cascade Locks. Cross the Columbia River to Washington State over the Bridge of the Gods (toll required). Take a left on Rt 14 and go seven miles. Watch for Beacon Rock - it will tower in front of you as you approach the state park, which is near mile marker 35. Turn right into the campground and follow it uphill a short ways and take your first right into the small trailhead parking lot.

Bring:

· 2 liters water

· Snacks

· Hiking poles

· Ten essentials

· Cash:

· $5 gas for driver

· $3 to pitch in for $10 Discovery Pass

· $1 to pitch in for Bridge of the Gods toll

· $ for meal afterward

Trail Description:

This trail has a feast of features for hikers, including waterfalls, craggy cliffs, deep forests, superb vistas, and a nice loop option for the trek.

The trail begins with a moderate climb, going through second-growth Douglas firs then under power lines. There are nice views of Hamilton Mountain and Bonneville Dam from a bench about 4/10 of a mile in. There's also a junction with a trail to an alternate trailhead in the campground. About a mile from the trailhead, you'll come to the waterfall area. There's only one creek here, falling almost continuously, but there are three named waterfalls. First, you can take a side trail to the right for a limited view of Hardy Falls, the lowest of the waterfalls. Back on the main trail, continue a few hundred yards and go left on a side trail that ends at a railed lookout to view of the two upper areas, Pool of the Winds, and Rodney Falls. Hardy Creek pours into the Pool of Winds from the right, tumbling 50 feet before hitting the pool in the rocks. Then the water breaks free and cascades out along a stream bed worn in the rock, and then slides down water slide-like channel until it hits a rocky labyrinth, splitting the flow in many ways, before it all comes together again below. A beautiful waterfall indeed!

Return to the main trail and switchback down to a sturdy footbridge below the falls for more cooling spray and photo opportunities. Beyond the Hardy Creek Bridge, switchback uphill and climb 0.2 mile to a junction with the Hardy Creek Trail. In the warmer seasons, your trail may be lined with ferns, Oregon Grape, thimble berries and wild rose. In fall, this area is filled with an understory of yellow maples beneath the green firs. For this hike take the "more difficult" route to the right and ascend steeply through the forest. Soon, the trail switches back beneath the first of Hamilton's many cliff faces. Follow steep switchbacks leading up a cliff-edged ridge and you will be rewarded with spectacular views across the Columbia River at a spot locally known as Little Hamilton Mountain. The trail heads across the very crest of a ridge to Hamilton Mountain proper and continues climbing for another mile, until you reach a T-shaped junction at the summit ridgecrest. The path to the right will dead-end at Hamilton's summit, 2488', but the view there is somewhat obscured by brush.

Turn around, and follow the ridgecrest trail downhill toward the north to a plateau with better viewings of Mount Hood, Mount Adams, Mount Saint Helens and Table Mountain, as well as the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. You now will have hiked a little over three miles and climbed some 2000 feet, so take a leisurely lunch break here if it's not too windy.

To continue on your counter-clockwise loop, turn left down an old road. This entire trail is very popular, and besides other hikers, you may find yourself sharing this stretch with horseback riders. Keep left on the road for one mile to a trail junction near a little meadow and creek crossing. Here you will veer onto a level path through a cool alder forest, and after 1.1 mile will join back on the main trail. Turning right will bring you back to the parking lot.