Scrambles for September: four rocky trails leading to breathtaking views

by Barbara I. Bond, special to The Oregonian

Saturday September 06, 2008, 10:00 AM

Barbara I. Bond / special to The OregonianMunra Point is a remote horn with incredible views of the Columbia River Gorge.

Great views, solitude and a sense of adventure off the beaten path -- literally. That's the allure of "scrambling," the bridge between rock climbing and hiking. With its usually glorious weather, September is prime time to follow disappearing footpaths and off-trail routes up to whatever inviting rocky crags await.

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The Oregonian's high five: Terry Richard picks Oregon's best mountain hikes

by The Oregonian

Wednesday September 26, 2007, 11:35 AM

Oregon's best mountain hikes have something in common: Each rewards the adventurous hiker with a spectacular view of a big mountain wall.

From Wizard Island, it's Llao Rock inside Crater Lake's rim. From Cooper Spur, it's the north face of Mount Hood, the most precipitous on the mountain.

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Crater Lake hike

by The Oregonian

Wednesday September 26, 2007, 11:29 AM

Terry RichardWizard Island.

The scene: The water of Crater Lake creates two islands. The lake's fleet of tour boats lands on Wizard Island, allowing passengers to debark and hike the trial to the summit. The Phantom Ship, the lake's other island, is off-limits to visitors, but the tour boats offer a close-up inspection on the way back to the dock. The Volcano Boat Tours operate daily, from early July through mid-September.

Terry RichardThe dock at Cleetwood Cove.

Terry RichardLlao Rock.

Terry RichardThe trail on Wizard Island's summit.

Tidbit: Wizard Island was named by William Steel in the 1880s because its shape reminded him of a magician's hat.

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Cooper Spur hike

by The Oregonian

Wednesday September 26, 2007, 11:28 AM

Terry RichardMount Hood's northeast face.

The route up Cooper Spur is the highest constructed trail on Mount Hood, reaching 8,514 feet in elevation. The ruggedness of the road to the start of the trail at Cloud Cap keeps the northeast side of the mountain from being overrun by visitors. This hike enters the Mount Hood Wilderness Area.

Terry RichardGrinding up the pumice slopes of Cooper Spur.

Terry RichardGetting a look at the Eliot Glacier.

Terry RichardCloud Cap Inn, oldest building on Mount Hood. It is used by the Crag Rats climbing club of Hood River and is not open to the public except for tours on summer Saturdays.

Tidbit: Look for the 10-foot-square warming shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps about 200 yards up the Cooper Spur Trail from its junction with the Timberline Trail.

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Strawberry Mountain hike

by The Oregonian

Wednesday September 26, 2007, 11:26 AM

Terry RichardStrawberry Mountain and the John Day River Valley.

Part of the Blue Mountains, the Strawberry Mountain subrange faces the John Day River to the north and the vast Great Basin to the south. The valleys that surround the Strawberry Range offer some quintessential Western scenery, with cattle ranches, irrigated hay fields and, in autumn, spectacular color from aspens, cottonwoods and larch (known locally as tamarack). Much of the upland is protected as the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness Area.

Terry RichardStrawberry Lake and a lower ridge of Strawberry Mountain.

Terry RichardStrawberry Falls.

Terry Richard The golden needles of the larch forest (locally known as tamarack).

Tidbit: The Strawberry Range was named by early pioneers because of an abundance of wild strawberries in one of its valleys.

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Broken Hand hike

by The Oregonian

Wednesday September 26, 2007, 11:25 AM

Terry RichardTam McArthur Rim (left) and North Sister.

A distinct peak atop the ridge that reaches east from much larger Broken Top, Broken Hand provides an awesome view of the most rugged scenery in the Oregon Cascades. The Three Sisters, each fully in view, make up the only cluster of 10,000-foot peaks in the entire range. This hike enters the Three Sisters Wilderness Area.

Terry RichardAn equestrian in front of Broken Top.

Terry RichardMiddle Sister and North Sister.

Terry RichardThree Creeks Lake.

Tidbit: Broken Hand was named for Thomas "Broken Hand" Fitzpatrick, a mountain man who passed through Oregon in 1843. He earned his nickname from the accidental explosion of a musket he was firing.

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Eagle Cap hike

by The Oregonian

Wednesday September 26, 2007, 11:25 AM

Terry RichardEagle Cap peak, namesake of the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area.

The Wallowa Mountains, Oregon's "Little Switzerland," are most often viewed from the surrounding valleys. For a bird's-eye view from the center of the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, make the 19.6-mile round-trip day hike to Eagle Cap's summit a goal for the summer.

Terry RichardEast Fork of the Lostine River Valley.

Terry RichardGlacier Lake.

Terry RichardFrom the summit of Eagle Cap, the East Fork Lostine River Valley and Mirror Lake.

Tidbit: Eight valleys fan out from the slopes of Eagle Cap, making it the most significant mountain in the Wallowas even though it's only eighth highest.

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