Five of us (all 60 years old) get together each Labor Day week for a four day / three night reunion hike in the northwest. We come from various parts of the country (I am from Louisiana) and Shanghai as well. We are all experienced hikers, having started hiking together over forty years ago. However, three of us are usually in pretty good shape (lightweight gear) and two pull up the rear (traditional weight packs and slow). Hence we have to plan our hikes somewhat around their capabilities, which usually doesn’t exceed 10 – 12 miles per day, depending on the terrain.
We have done parts of the PCT, the Olympics, and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. I want to offer the group a couple of options for a 30 to 40 mile loop in either Washington or Oregon but preferably in an area we have not hiked in yet. Two places I have begun to research is the Timberline Trail around Mount Hood and Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowas. I particularly like the Wallowas since the chance of extended rain is somewhat less than in the Olympics or Cascades.
We usually start on Labor Day or the day after. Ideally we don’t want an area that is overly crowded. I would appreciate any advice regarding these areas as well as any other loop options that would fit our criteria.
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