In a word, Wow. The "mother of all gorge hikes" moniker in the FG probably sums it up best!
My summit reward: Mt. Hood swirling in clouds.
I know that many, if not most, folks here have been up Defiance before. So this may be a pretty boring TR for them. (Just browse the photos, and smile, 'k?
) I think I'll end up portraying it from the newb perspective, and perhaps someone else who's never been up there might benefit? To me, just finding info like which direction to do the loop in (clockwise! opposite of FG description) was something I had to ask for/why. Seems a lot of folks favor just staying on Starvation Ridge (#414), but I do like to make a loop when possible. And I did find coming down the Mt. Defiance trail (#413) to be nicer than I imagined returning via my way up would've been. It just felt softer on the feet, and probably less slippery. I think it was a bit steeper, though. I'd been warned about blowdown, but it wasn't really much of an issue until the last mile or so of descent. Nor were a few washouts that simply called for momentary slow caution. These obstacles only would've been really problematic if I'd dawdled past dusk and was traveling by headlamp.
Overall, the GPS tells me it took a bit over three hours (3:17 moving) up, with over an hour (1:22) of stopped time. Obviously, I was taking far too many photos, eh?
Well, that and ran into Hayley and the Wolf, too, and we chatted a bit. She actually pulled into the Starvation Creek parking lot just as I was hitting the trail, and managed to catch-up and overtake me only about two miles up the ridge. (But she was extremely kind to the old guy, telling him what a good pace he was keeping!) I caught back up to her and Mattux once again, but only because she had stopped to recharge his batteries a bit. So yeah, that all explains why it took so long up! Oh, I also took a 20 minute detour, needlessly, but more on that below.
Trip Computer readings at summit and back at trailhead.
As it turned out, Hayley was the only other human I saw all day, other than in the parking lot. Hiking on weekdays is sweet! Well, on with some photos...
Capturing the slope is always tough. This one starts out steep, and then gets steeper!
The first bit is through a forest, with deep leaf accumulations on the trail.
In no time at all, you break out into a clearing under the powerlines, and many iconic views.
At 3/4 mile in, only half of it actually climbing, you're at 700' and getting nice shots.
Top of Wind Mountain in the clouds.
Last view of the Starvation Creek parking lot.
The powerlines give some sense of the slope.
It was fun trying to combine the manmade with the natural elements in the photos.
The tree I've seen so many photos of. Good a reason as any to take another shot.
End of Starvation Ridge, 1.2 miles in and 1200' up. Just about to the clouds.
The hike up Starvation Ridge is beautiful. It just goes straight up, with the ridge falling away on either side.
As I entered the clouds, an opportunity to capture the true slope made itself apparent.
Verticals make poor wallpaper, but this shows the challenge rather adequately.
Wanting to meet the Wolf, it was about here I paused to let him and his keeper overtake me.
Hayley, it was a pleasure to stop and chat for a few! And your companion was as nice as they come!
At about 3200', the landscape took on a frozen quality, and the sun was trying hard to emerge.
Seemed like frozen rain at first.
I was above the lowest layer of clouds, and rather suddenly the air felt 10° cooler.
The rime on the many stubby conifers was captivating. Wasted a lot of time here on photos!
Could've shot for quite awhile here. At every turn was beauty on display.
As I continued to climb, the air again warmed, and ice began falling off the trees.
Nearly three hours from the TH, I see the destination for the first (and only) time.
I need to add, here, that I should've been paying better attention to navigation on this segment. I never realized I had transitioned from the Starvation Ridge Trail (#414) onto the Mitchell Point Trail (#417), back around where all that rime was. So when I get to another junction with a sign pointing to the Warren Lake Trail (#417A), I stupidly take a left. As I'm cruising through the fallen ice accumulations, I wonder why I no longer see wolf prints. D'oh!
Twenty minutes wasted wandering out to the jeep trail that offers direct trail access.
Backtracking, I quickly make it to Warren Lake. Most of the ice is off the trees, now.
One last reminder of fall colors, stubbornly hanging on.
Pretty darn wet campsite.
Trudging on, I note the "escape route" is clearly marked! Waypoint saved.
Summit!!!
Hood had an eerie layer of clouds swirling about its summit the whole time I was up here.
Didn't stay long, though. Ate a PB&J and headed out on loop around SW side to a view that I imagine
would've been superb in better weather. Sun still trying to slip through.
Wasn't long before I could see a sea of clouds in the gorge again. (Three image panorama.)
Views to the north, coming down, were spectacular. For cloud shots, at least.
The descent was steep! But sure-footed and somewhat soft. Nice forest.
Example of washout that had been remediated fairly well.
One of two large blowdowns that also seen some nice attention.
Back to the powerlines and more views of Wind Mountain again.
Lancaster Falls
Hole-in-the-Wall Falls
Final section of trail parallels I-84. Headphones helped for the last hour or so.
So, in the end, it turned out to be about 14.7 miles horizontal, with almost exactly one vertical mile up and down. I gotta say, I have walked nearly twice as far with more EG, and didn't feel it as much I as I did the day after this time!
Took the clockwise loop. Click to zoom.
Because it's there!
I'm very happy to say that my feet survived just fine, though! None of those blister horror stories to share. The replacement Merrells are a treat. My new goal is to make this hike as breezy-easy as Hamilton Mountain is now (which just six months ago, was also a challenge!) for me. Once again, I over-share with the photos, but that's just something I tend (and like!) to do. Thanks to all here who helped me plan ahead for this. I had a wonderful time!
