Saddle Mountain 4/24/2014

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Bforman
Posts: 1
Joined: April 24th, 2014, 7:22 pm

Saddle Mountain 4/24/2014

Post by Bforman » April 24th, 2014, 7:55 pm

I was looking for a hike near the coast but off the beaten path. This was definitely what I was looking for. The weather seemed nice in the beginning but as I got further into the trail it became apparent this was going to be a difficult hike due to the weather alone. There was so much water on the trail and while I had the appropriate footwear it was still very slick from mile 1 onward. There were 3-4 waterfulls dumping right on the trail but since I had already made it this far I didn't want to give up. From mile 1.5 up it's a straight up climb on mostly chainlink fence covering the loose rock. The wind was also pretty strong today. I'm only about 110lbs and I was nearly knocked off my feet a few times and in some areas there is really nothing to hold onto other than getting down and holding the chainlink fencing. I find it impossible to think a kid could easily make it up this as I was scared of falling from the slippery conditions the entire second half of the trail. When I finally reached the top I spotted another soul which made me happy I was not alone. The view was pretty non-existant since the fog had rolled in. The views lower down were a lot better but still a bit foggy. I will definitely go back to try this on a summer day as I think it could be a "moderate" trail under good circumstances.
Here are some pics from my trek -
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Saddle-Mountain-Panorama.jpg
Panorama from 4/24/14

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Peder
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Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
Location: Lake Oswego

Re: Saddle Mountain 4/24/2014

Post by Peder » April 24th, 2014, 7:59 pm

Welcome Bforman! I always tell people to put rocks in their pockets before they blow away, it seems you survived without using this trick! Saddle Mountain is a great hike in clement conditions.
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…

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adamschneider
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Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
Location: SE Portland
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Re: Saddle Mountain 4/24/2014

Post by adamschneider » April 24th, 2014, 10:34 pm

On a summer day, you'll find that it's very much on the beaten path.

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Roy
Posts: 2824
Joined: January 25th, 2010, 6:35 pm

Re: Saddle Mountain 4/24/2014

Post by Roy » April 25th, 2014, 10:34 pm

Nice report and yea some times that trail is like walking up a river and once you leave the trees there is nothing between you and the latest front hitting the coast. Crazy kind of fun it is.

I was down at the South jetty Wednesday enjoying natures nasty side to.
The downhill of the mind is harder than the uphill of the body. - Yuichiro Miura

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