2013 Edition
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We did
Saddle Mountain in 2011
GETTING THERE: From Portland, take the Sunset Highway (US 26) West. Turn right
into the well marked Saddle Mountain State Park entrance. If you pass Highway 53 on
your left, you went about a 1/2 mile past the entrance. Follow the Saddle Mountain
State Park Road (it was newly repaved in 2011) for quite a few miles until you come
to the well marked trailhead and parking area. This is a popular hike and most of
the people you will see are NOT experienced hikers and have no clue concerning hiker
etiquette. That is to say that they and their stupid dogs are morons.
Not a terribly difficult hike. Close to three miles one way with 1,700 feet of
elevation. In 2011 it took around four hours round trip and we dawdled most of the
way. The Saddle Mountain Natural Area State Park has a fee for camping but no fee
for day use. Nice, warm (high 70s), sunny day. Great visibility! Able to see
Mount Rainier, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson.
And the Pacific Ocean (for a change).
A perfect day with a nice breeze at the summit. You'll definitely want to leave
the tralhead by around 07:00 unless you want to be surrounded by wall-to-wall Obama
lovers. It was a conga line coming up by the time we got about 1/2 way back down at
~ 09:30
BTW, the Obama loving Liberal fucktards are easy to spot. They are the ones who can't
read the "keep dogs on leash" sign... or think that the rules don't apply to them.
The last half mile, after you get above the forest offers some nice panoramic views.
There were a gazillion varieties of colorful weeds up here.
View of the summit from the saddle
Humbug Mountain.
I generally avoid hikes that have handrails. Handrails = mobs of idiots who know
nothing about hiking the wilderness. Because we headed out early, we had the summit
all to ourselves. But the herd was only about 1/2 mile behind us so we headed back
down while the getting was good.
There were views of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and Mount Saint Helens today.
But it was too hazy to get decent pictures of them. The coast was completely socked in.
Salmonberries (left). Julie says they are ready to eat. I wouldn't touch them unless
I was starving.
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