Mt Hebo and beyond 25 Apr 2015

Beautiful day!  Certainly a gift from God on a day when it was supposed to be pretty iffy. It couldn't have been more beautiful - the light was fabulous and people who take photos know it is all about the light.
We left around 9:15 from West Salem for Hebo Lake where we parked. The trail starts off through a lush Sitka Spruce forest where everything is covered, dripping, draped in moss. If you stood still for any length of time, you would probably begin growing moss too!  As the hike climbed up the slope, the landscape changed from ferns to Oregon grape, from Sitka spruce to Fir trees which were part of a reforestation project - but the seeds are from CO and so they aren't as robust as the trees on other peaks in the coast range.  Apparently this entire trail is part of the Pioneer trail early settlers used (previously an Indian trail) to cross the coastal range.  It was easier to get through than the lower elevation rain forest.
The views from Hebo are nice but we saw that a nearby peak with a radio/cell tower on it was a bit higher and accessible so we hiked over to it.  Way better views.  We also explored South Point while we were over there.  These last two peaks required walking on Hwy 14 for a bit.  Great day!

Mt Hebo and beyond map

moss covered Sitka spruce

beautiful lush forest

straight fir

lily on the summit

from Mt Hebo - the ocean in the distance

Mt Hebo from the Radar Summit

heading out to the viewpoint on the Radar Summit

from the Radar Summit

from South Point

heading back the light was superb!

reflections in Hebo Lake

Herman Creek Backpack 18-19 April 2015

Ann and I hiked the 7.3 miles to Cedar Swamp campground where we set up camp.  After exploring further along the trail the next day, we decided that Noble Camp, just beyond the Herman Creek crossing, would have been the prettiest place to camp.  We also hiked up to Mud Lake to check it out.  Discovered some snow on the way there!  Weather was beautiful, sunny and warm.  Even the nighttime temps didn't get below 40.  We hiked 20 miles all together:  14.6 RT from Cedar Swamp/2800 ft gain and 2 + 4.4 miles from Cedar Swamp to Mud Lake (we hiked part of it in the evening too)/ 1200 ft gain.

Return Cedar Swamp to TH
Cedar Swamp to Mud Lake

the trail starts out in lush woods

the first beautiful waterfall

our camp at Cedar Swamp

snow on the way to Mud Lake

Mud Lake

wild rose

trilliums everywhere

fairy slipper with spider...they were very common too

Oregon Grape

intrepid backpackers

Mosier Plateau, Memaloose Hills, and Rowena Plateau Wildflower hike 17 April 2015

Three hikes, all within a short distance of each other...about 9 miles.  Next time:  start at Rowena Crest viewpoint and hike Tom McCall preserve first, then the others.  That hike gains 1100 ft in a little over 3 miles.  The hikes I did were not difficult.  Only the Memaloose hike had some gain, but it was short.  Nice views!

Mosier Plateau offered a waterfall and nice gorge views.  Standard flowers.  Memaloose trailed through oak forests with lots of flowers, even paintbrush.  The terrain was quite varied so it made a nice little hike. You could go up two hills for views of Hood and Adams and the Columbia River.

I also stopped at an old barn and house that is now a bat house.  This is public land but you have to step over barbed wire to get to it.

Rowena Plateau had fewer flowers, but interesting rock canyons and vertical gorge overlooks.  I could see out to the hikes from previous weeks.

This took all day because of my picture taking.  One could go faster and get Tom McCall in as well.  Started out at 6a.

map of Mosier Plateau
map of Memaloose Hills
map of McClure Bat House (and drive to Rowena - oops)
map of Rowena Plateau

Mosier Plateau 

falls at Mosier Plateau

Balsamroot

looking southwest

ponderosa pine on the plateau - this is/was private land at one time

Pioneer cemetery at the start of the trail

Memaloose Hills

flowers in an oak forest (no poison oak)

beautiful views from Chatham Hill

Paintbrush too!

lots of flowers near a spring

Mt Hood

McClure Bat House


the barn

now a home for b

Camas in the field nearby

Rowena Plateau

canyon

pond

balsamroot and lupines

lunch spot

McCall Mtn

Columbia River with Rowena below

Lyle Cherry Orchard 11 April 2015

Part 2 of the day...LCO isn't far from Crawford Oaks, so we thought we would get in two different hikes.  This hike starts about 1.5 miles east of Lyle just east of a tunnel.  You park in a pull out on the north side of the Hwy.  The hike climbs for about a mile up the side of the gorge then travels through oak forest to a turn around in an ancient cherry orchard (though we only saw a couple very old trees).  The best part of the hike happens before leaving the cliffs.  Turning back before entering the oak forest would make a satisfactory though shorter hike.  The views of the gorge are the best there are because you are totally exposed hiking up the cliff.  However, there is a ton of POISON OAK - so much that I will probably not return.  There was more diversity in the flower population too.  Also this day we saw two snakes (one rattlesnake - which rattled), a wild turkey, a fox, heard lots of meadowlarks and other birds - more wildlife than we usually see!
4.7 miles, 1000ft gain.
map

Heading up

delphinium

caterpillar on a stick! "Fiddleneck"

looking east

lunch spot

looking down on the lunch spot

beautiful trail flowers

ancient cherry tree

enjoy your hike!!!