Best backpacking in Oregon or Washington?

[John Nausieda]

Better than getting there and then getting the 4 feet of snow.Tonight the snow level is down to 3000 feet , at least as of this morning's forecast. Last summer we got out of trails around Broken Top and as we headed back to Sisters from Bend all the country we had been in was pure white. I thought about everbody I had seen going in the day before.

[Mary D]

With this week's weather forecast indicating that winter most definitely has not yet departed, I would second the advice about not doing the higher end of the loops! Instead, an out-and-back on Eagle Creek (stopping overnight at 7 1/2 Mile Camp) would be best. You could do a loop involving Herman Creek and Indian Point. Remember about leaving nothing of value in the car and parking it close to the campground host, not at the trailhead parking lot. Check http://www.portlandhikers.org for current trail conditions.

One of the above posters mentions small children! I didn't see anything on your post about that. If I missed it, though, Eagle Creek is not a safe place for them! Dayhike the Horesetail-Oneonta or Latourell Falls loops instead.

Check the Washington Dept. of Transportation website before attempting a dayhike on Dog Mountain. They are blasting to bring down loose rock to make things safer on WA highway 14. There are road closures right by Dog Mountain and the trail is also closed when they're going to blast. Hamilton Mountain (at Beacon Rock State Park, also a great place to car-camp) would be a better hike on the Washington side this year. It has waterfalls on the way up, which Dog doesn't.

EDITED LATER: Opal Creek near Salem (off OR 22) is a great place for an easy overnight. Awesome old growth forest (saving it from the chain saw was THE cause celebre of the early 1990's), amazingly clear water, emerald green pools, lots of small waterfalls. Check the Field Guide on portlandhikers.org for how to get there. Googling the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center (formerly the mining "town" of Jawbone Flats) will give you current conditions. You could reserve a place to stay at the Ancient Forest Center if you don't want to camp up at Cedar Flats.

LATER YET: The Eagle-Benson cutoff might be a possible loop, from Eagle Creek up to the PCT or Ruckel Creek trails for the return. A very steep and strenuous trail. Here's a recent trip report: http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4791

[Ryan Bowlby]

Thanks for the updates. No kids for a few more years! ;) According to the forecast it's likely to rain in that area through the weekend at least. It looks like we're going to camp at the 7.5 mile site, and then see what the Eagle Creek trail to Wahtum looks like the next morning. If it doesn't look good we'll backtrack on Eagle Creek to the Eagle-Benson junction and try taking the Benson Plateu portion of the PCT to Ruckle Creek and possibly doing a second night at hunters camp on the plateau. Then descending Ruckle to the trailhead (which I read as being all sorts of interesting). If none of the looping pans out we'll go back on Eagle Creek; no harm no foul.

We're going to try to park the car near the host and if we don't feel safe we may just purchase a couple nights at Eagle Creek Camp and leave our car in camp (make the camp site look inhabited). I practiced disassembling our bikes into the trunk and am going to purchase a decent cable lock and lock them to a portion of the trunk. I thought about buying a couple beaters off craigslist for the trip and then selling them when we get back (CL recycle). I am annoyed by the idea that I should have to do such a thing. What's the point of having two nice bikes if we're too afraid to take them.

Now I need to start planning the Washington(ONP) portion. I am going to re-read this thread, check forecasts and possibly post a follow-up thread in the coming days with more enlightened questions. Thanks again everyone!

[Author]

Posts