Reg and I drove up to Beacon Rock State Park, to climb Hamilton Mountain. We've climbed Beacon Rock many times, but this was our first time up past the waterfalls to Hamilton Mountain.
It's basically uphill to the top! 4 miles up, and the wildflowers were amazing. It was super muggy when we were out of the wind, and it never really rained, just heavy mist that felt good with the humidity. Here are some pics:
Here's the first view of Hamilton Mountain, the higher peak in the photo:
Some more flowers, on the way to Hardy Falls:
Hardy Falls have a viewing platform -- it is so green there! And there's a breeze coming that feels great after getting up to the falls. And more flowers and views to see!
Now the uphill really starts -- amazing views, even with all the clouds. And more wildflowers!
The views to the south and west were fantastic going up -- it can only get better on a clear day!
This was our lunch view!
The tiger lilies were amazing at the top! And all along the trail. Starting down, we took the north trail. Lots of wet brush at first (it was misting again, but too warm for ponchos or jackets) then the mist raised, and the trail opened up to the saddle area. If it had been clear, we'd have had more mountain views -- so definitely another trip up the mountain is in store!
Going on down, we did a little bit of fire/equestrian road before getting back on single trail. This direction was more shaded (though it was never really sunny that day), and not as steep. It was definitely easier going down this north side than the way we went up!
And that was the Hamilton Mountain hike. After we got down, we drove to North Bonneville Dam to the visitors' center, then crossed Bridge of the Gods to Cascade Locks, where we did a 4.4 mile round trip hike to Dry Creek falls. This used to be the water supply for Cascade Locks. And we read that the creek never really goes dry...
It felt so good to stand in that waterfall spray! A good day for hiking!
1 comment:
Hey Karen,
I found your blog on the RW site. Very nice pics. Hope you had a good hiking experience.
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