A late season hike at Mt. Hood Meadows with Lori and Marilyn. We put together several of the lower trails to make a loop. Fall was setting in with most flowers gone to seed and fall colors coming on. We did about 4 miles and 400 ft. gain. Afterwards we went to Smokey Hearth for lunch.
We parked by and started on the Umbrella Falls Trail
We hiked up through sub-alpine forest
The corn stock plants had all died back and stink
We broke out of the trees and head to the Bear Grass Trail
We needed to get behind the lodge to pick up the trail
Old man of the Mt. getting ready spread it's seeds
The large trail map sign we still up but all the other signs were gone
On the trail and looking at the back of the lodge
Final view of the sky lift area
Pearly Ever Lasting really do last.
The huckleberry was showing Fall color
Viewing up a sky meadow to Mt. Hood
Hiking through a patch of Sub-Alpine forest on the Bear Grass Trail
Hiking under the chair lifts
We got a view of Mt. Jefferson
We took the side trail to the view point
Young Sub-Alpine forest
Looking out from the view point
Some bright Fall color
These bushes had very strong color
Approaching our intersection with Umbrella Falls Cut-off Trail
Checking out new Trails that were build in the Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort. It is a nice new trail system with well designed trails and many beautiful placed to see.
Hike was about 8 miles with 1800 ft. elevation gain
Start of day and Mt. Hood with no haze
Starting out on the Umbrella Falls Trail
Goldenrod in morning light
A field of Goldenrod and Fire Weed
The bridge at Umbrella Falls is a landmark
Umbrella Falls
Umbrella Falls trail is a wide path
The cutoff is one of the new trails
Lot of spots to get great views of Mt. Hood
Mt. Jefferson and the Three Sisters are showing today
I have been wanted for years to get to Picnic Rock
The trail wines through the trees
The first view point and a great view
One of the natural meadows that give the area its name
The second viewpoint on top of the rock
Nice view with some fire smoke in the distance
The new trails are marked with a numbering system
These trails wind though old growth sub alpine forest
Some lupin that were still blooming
A patch of Pearly Everlasting
The road is my transition to a new trail
But first I made my wat around a ski lift
No on to explore the next trail
More great views of wildflowers and Mt. Hood
Indian Paint brush
Nice stone steps as part of the new trail system
A view across to a Newton Clark lateral moraine
A hiker on the Timberline Trail
One of many alpine streams I crossed
A close up view of Mt. Hood and the last of a glacier
Moving to the Lower Wizard Way trail and more up hill
Mt. Jefferson and thickening haze
Trail climbs up through a flower meadow
Golden Rod and Pearly Everlasting
A flower meadow in summer and a ski run in winter
Under one of the new chair lifts
View done the lift to the lodge and parking lot
A new Ski Patrol hut
A quick return route on the road
I had to watch my step on the loose gravel
Clouds started to swallow the mountain
False Heliborne on return section of the Umbrella Falls trail