Saturday, 23 May 2009 09:33

On May 16, 2009 the adventurous group, led by Penny and Phil, drove to Hood River to see the vast views provided by walking to the top of Hood River Mountain.  The vista provides views of Mt. Hood, the Hood River Valley, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainer.  We caught the tail end of the wild flower bloom to highlight the trip.  The day was beautiful and clear which really enhanced the walk.  A stop at Betty's Cafe to re-fuel the body capped off a great trip. 

Hood River Mountain, just E of Hood River, peaks at 2100', giving amazing views of Mt Hood, Mt Adams & a just a peek at Mt Rainier. The great thing about the hike is that it starts at almost 1600' leaving only a 500' elevation gain. To reach the top you hike about 1 mile through the forest. It is nicely graded & coming out of the shade of the trees you see literally acres of wildflowers throughout much of the spring & summer. Wonderful rocks at the top are great places to sit while to take in the views.

From this spot you have 2 options: return the way you came or continue the loop, walking south on the crest of the hill stopping to take in the sites over & over. Eventually you join a gravel road, then the road on which you parked. On private land, Hood River Mountain  is less used than better known National Forest hikes & appreciated by all. This is one of my "best bang for the buck" hikes: Short hike for a tremendous payoff.