Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

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kepPNW
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Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

Post by kepPNW » June 18th, 2013, 3:54 pm

If you're one of those folks who live for really long walks in the woods, boy do I have a hike for you! Nearly 20 miles, with almost a mile of vertical, and hardly another soul likely to be encountered. Everyone should do it "someday." :)

Saturday, I slept in to the ungodly hour of about 7am, drove to Zigzag, hung a right and parked where the road crosses the Salmon River. Wandered down the old Salmon River Trail (#742) a bit to the Green Canyon Campground, where I could take the Green Canyon Way Trail (#793A) up to the Hunchback Trail (#793) which traverses the ridge by the same name and leads to Devil's Peak.

After enjoying over an hour at the lookout, including meeting an interesting fellow who regaled me with tales of racing around the Timberline Trail, I continued my clockwise loop again along the Hunchback Trail until forking off on the Kinzel Lake Trail (#665). I took a detour down to the "lake" (really, a pond by most standards), and met some nice folks camping there. Finally, continued on along until hitting the Salmon River Trail (#742) which took me back to where I started.

The hike ranged from about 1650'-5050', and I didn't see a lick of snow the entire way. It's not one for view-seekers, either. There were a total of three spots where photos of Mt Hood (or any other volcanoes) were possible. One was a scramble. But the flower show was fabulous, as was the solitude. I saw absolutely no one on the trail more than two miles from my jeep, and just a few folks at the "stopping points" along the way.

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One of the few webs I saw, of thousands, before walking through it! I definitely felt like the first one down the trail this day.


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The trail along the Salmon River was just idyllic, as always. Amazing old growth, but lots of campers within easy reach of their cars.


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Looked like it'd been quite awhile since this picnic table got any real use!


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Hard to get good forest shots with the sun out, but the woods were lovely on the climb up Green Canyon Way.


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Saw quite a few corralroot orchids in bloom.


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At about 2800', the rhododendrons kicked into peak bloom. They didn't let up until nearly 4500', at which point they were just budding.


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I took waaaaay too many rhodie photos!


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Passed through a little meadow that was just brimming with these clover-like things.


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And these guys were scattered all about the forest floor, too.


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On the way up to Hunchback, there was a section that was very ridgelike, and reminded me a bit of Ruckel which I'd just been up a week ago.


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The #793A trail up was just in fabulous shape!


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A little spur at one switchback, with sticks trying to divert you, leads to this nice overlook!


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Really, no signs at all of people, from here.


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Indian paintbrush at the edge of an abyss.


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There was a distinct change in "flavor" on the #793! Lots more trees down across the trail, and on the forest floor.


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In many places, the downed trees were cut away from the trail, but that appeared to have happened years ago. Fresher falls were still there.


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Devil's Club reaching for the sun!


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The rhodies were just glorious. At this elevation, the shaded ones hadn't opened up yet, but the sunny spots were in full bloom.


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Hard to keep moving...


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...


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Assuming this is more corralroot? Looks like red asparagus!


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Just an astounding amount of deadfall on the forest floor along Hunchback Ridge!


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Stopping to look up, it becomes obvious why. There's a huge proportion of standing dead too!


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Dunno what this is, either, but it looked pretty cool.


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This "fungal thing" was just erupting (in slo-mo, of course) out of the duff!


After many miles in the woods, the trail is following along and a bit below a very sharp ridge. Looking up, I see nothing but air on the other side, and decide to scramble up to see if there's a view. There is! :)

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First unobstructed view of Mount Hood that I'd had all day. Pretty nice!


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Zooming in a little, because I knew folks were interested in the Paradise Park area conditions.


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Summit area.


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Lots of intriguing rock formations along the ridgeline in the woods.


About 0.2 miles from Devil's Peak, there's a little spring flowing out the side of the ridge. Pretty hard to miss, as there's a tree with signs on both sides pointing towards it. Next to the sign, there's a small campsite with firering. The spring itself is about 100' down the far side of the ridge, at the bottom of a somewhat sketchy trail. Takes a bit of scrambling to get to.

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Hard to miss this spring. Both sides of this tree had signs and shredded Mylar balloon flagging!


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Despite no snow at all on the ridge, the spring was flowing. Slowly! Maybe 1/4 cup/second?


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Seemed like someone had also long ago blazed the tree with a large capital 'S' to mark the spring?


Finally, about 8.5 miles in, I made it up to Devil's Peak Lookout! I'd been here once before, and it was still just as much a treat as before.


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Obligatory "I was here!" shot on arrival at the Devil's Peak Lookout.


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Pretty nice view, right out the front door!


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I found a 2x6 to prop up one of the windows, so I could take advantage of the chair with a view for lunch. Note Mount Adams in slot on left.


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Mount Jefferson, along with Olallie Butte and Three-Finger Jack, were visible just a short stroll away from the lookout.


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The forest around the lookout has grown up since it served its primary purpose, but there are still "cutouts" for a few views.


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Tried out a new pair of summer gaiters on this hike, and loved them! No pebbles or other debris, at all. What a nice change.


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Parting shot.


Leaving Devil's Peak, it's very short distance to the Cool Creek cutoff. Sticking the right takes you to Kinzel Lake, and past one last viewpoint of Mount Hood.

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Paradise Park


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Dropping below 4800', the rhodies are once again flourishing.


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A foretaste of the storms to come!


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Just past this collapsed structure, the Kinzel Lake trail takes a sharp turn off to the right.


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This is, apparently :?, not the trail to Kinzel Lake. Walking a bit farther...


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Yeah, for real. Quite the signage, huh?


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The rhodies, and now beargrass too, are just exploding along the Kinzel Lake trail!


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Something about this beargrass bloom caught my farsighted eye. See what I saw?


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Ferocious!!! :lol:


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Lots more views of the wilderness on this trail. No cell signal, though, as Mount Hood is behind a ridge now.


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Saw my first penstemon of the season on the way down.


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Trail down was not steep, just prolonged downhill, and through a forest with much denser undergrowth.


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By the time I got to Goat Creek, which was flowing well, the light was getting difficult to continue shooting in.


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As I hiked far above the Salmon River, I saw several side trails, and could hear the roar of distant falls. Here, I caught a tiny glimpse.


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The hanging meadows above Salmon River are only just starting to come into bloom.


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About two miles from the trailhead, I left the wilderness and saw this. $100 fine??? Since when?


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Darkness descends in the Salmon River valley earlier than the clock might suggest!


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The lower two miles are luxurious by most standards, suitable for moccasins.


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Stealing romann's technique to show scale of old growth - quite a pair, here!


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8:05pm, I drag my sorry self out of the forest. This loop whooped me better than most. Not that there's anything wrong with that!


So, all in all, the trip was somewhere between 17.5 and 19.5 miles, or so, and nearly 5000' of EG.

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Complete loop, color coded for elevation.


http://gpsfly.org/gps_map.php?gps_id=2526&w=645&h=440


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The hike according to Garmin...


Truly I tell you, it was yet another great day in the woods! :D
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

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mayhem
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Re: Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

Post by mayhem » June 18th, 2013, 4:29 pm

Great TR :)
I watched one of those tiny white spiders. I was trying to figure out if they were pollen eaters or waiting for something else to eat? Nothing ever did come by but it would be cool to set up a timelapse to watch.
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kepPNW
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Re: Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

Post by kepPNW » June 18th, 2013, 4:34 pm

mayhem wrote:Great TR :)
I watched one of those tiny white spiders. I was trying to figure out if they were pollen eaters or waiting for something else to eat? Nothing ever did come by but it would be cool to set up a timelapse to watch.
Thanks! Yeah, he never budged while I was watching him. Even when I stuck the camera right in his face. I mean, I suppose by his sense of scale, it was still a couple body lengths away, so maybe not as intrusive as it seemed to me, but still...

My sad eyes really didn't appreciate what I was seeing until I downloaded the photos later, though. Man, what a pose that guy strikes, huh? If he's not a predator, well, that's a bet missed. :)
Karl
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Re: Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

Post by pdxgene » June 18th, 2013, 4:46 pm

Nice! Looks like an exceptional year for the rhody/beargrass combo after a crummy year for both last year. The green plant with the cool leaves looks like false hellebore/corn lily. If so, don't eat it. At least one book I have calls it 'one of the most poisonous plants in the Northwest'. And says 'eating just a small amount of it could be fatal'. :o

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Guy
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Re: Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

Post by Guy » June 18th, 2013, 4:49 pm

Great TR Karl, I haven't been up there since June 2010. Back then there was incredible blow down on the final section of the Hunchback trail just before the Spring. Since you don't mention it I'm guessing it doesn't look like this anymore :^)..

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hiking log & photos.
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kepPNW
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Re: Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

Post by kepPNW » June 18th, 2013, 4:57 pm

Guy wrote:Great TR Karl, I haven't been up there since June 2010. Back then there was incredible blow down on the final section of the Hunchback trail just before the Spring. Since you don't mention it I'm guessing it doesn't look like this anymore :^).
HA! Well, yes and no. It does, just not on the trail so much. That stuff is still everywhere, and mostly cleared from the trail. I kept thinking, a fire here wouldn't just whip through the floor leaving the tall stuff standing. Lots of fuel on the floor!!!

I probably climbed over that many logs -- a couple/few dozen? -- but over several miles, not in just that short distance pictured. ;)
Karl
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Crusak
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Re: Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

Post by Crusak » June 18th, 2013, 5:27 pm

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Really regretting that I wasn't able to join you on this one. But also very glad one of us got up there! :D What a gorgeous day!


I love the opening shot with the spider, mainly 'cause I can't ever seem to get a camera to focus on a spider (it always wants to focus on the stuff behind the web).

Nice pics and TR Karl.
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retired jerry
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Re: Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

Post by retired jerry » June 18th, 2013, 5:41 pm

"I love the opening shot with the spider, mainly 'cause I can't ever seem to get a camera to focus on a spider (it always wants to focus on the stuff behind the web)."

Focus on some solid object that's about the same brightness as the web at about the same distance from camera, half pushing down shutter button, shift camera over to web and push shutter button the rest of the way down.

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Re: Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

Post by mayhem » June 18th, 2013, 5:51 pm

retired jerry wrote:"I love the opening shot with the spider, mainly 'cause I can't ever seem to get a camera to focus on a spider (it always wants to focus on the stuff behind the web)."

Focus on some solid object that's about the same brightness as the web at about the same distance from camera, half pushing down shutter button, shift camera over to web and push shutter button the rest of the way down.
Some cameras have a focus lock so you just move the camera :) All Iphones have this too but I never use it...hmmm not sure why? :)
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retired jerry
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Re: Hunchback Mtn Loop, 15-June-2013

Post by retired jerry » June 18th, 2013, 6:04 pm

yeah, that's what I mean, focus lock, also exposure

I've had a couple cheap point and shoots that have this

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