Hike #3 (11/9/13) - Nesmith Point

I am in good shape, but not mountain climbing shape.  Nesmith Point is the type of hike I will use to change that by next spring.  The hike starts at the John B Yeon State Park (off exit 35 on I-84) parking lot.  I was the first one to the lot and the sun was just coming up, so I jammed all that I could from the front of my car to the trunk to help prevent the car window "smash and grab" that sometimes happens in Gorge areas like this.

The first mile is not that bad but then the switch backs started.  My first thought in heading up was, "don't think about how hard this is going to be."  Soon the wonder of it all took over my experience. The high cliffs, the salamanders slowly ascending, the fog rising up through the trees, and blood pulsing through my veins left me feeling great!  Some of these sections are very steep and there are a few rock slide areas to contend with which only adds to the experience of climbing.

About half way up I was quickly passed by a gentlemen who IS in mountain climbing shape and then at about 3.3 miles of climbing you top the ridge at around 3000 ft up.  The next section is an "easy" 1.3 miles along the ridge, though you are still moving UP and I encountered some left over snow from last weekend around 3200 ft.  

  Finally after the slog through the woods you reach the sign post directing you to the top of Nesmith Point.

Next time I would love to explore the other trails in the area but this day I would only make my way to the point itself.  A tree ate the sign at the summit 

but the views were amazing!

Its a great feeling knowing that you climbed all the way up from the river and earned these views at 4300 ft.  On the way back down I took it slow as the steep sections took their toll on my knees returning to the car a little over six hours from when I started.  What a climb!

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Hike #2 (11/2/2013) - Completed the Wildwood in a day challenge!

Got up before sunrise and was on the trail by 7 am.  Got to see the sunrise and sunset today.  33.8 miles (including extra to rendezvous with where my wife parked the car.)  11 hours and 9 minutes (approx. 3 MPH)  Weather outside was freight-full but the trail conditions were delightful.  TIME TO REST.

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Hike #1 - Ape Canyon (Last Hiked: 10/26/2013)

Ape Canyon plus hike onto Plains of Abraham
Walk up old growth ridge to plains of Abraham.  Continue on to the Plains of Abraham for as far as you like.
The Details
Miles:  16
Elevation Gain: 3930
To Trail-head: Drive to Cougar WA, then Rd 83 to the trail-head
Season: Summer through October
Link to route map and GPS
Link(s) to other trail descriptions:

• Paul Gerald (60 Hikes)
• Portland Hikers Field Guide

My Experience
Woke up at 5 am and drove up to Ape Canyon trail head before sunrise.  To my surprise there was a car in the parking lot and a pair of headlamps making their way up the ridge.  About a mile into my hike the sun came up creating a stunning alpenglow over St. Helens.  The fall color was amazing but the peak colors were probably 1 week ago.  I cursed all the downhills but was thrilled to be adding to my total elevation gain as I headed back up the ridge once more.  At about 6 miles you reach the Ape Canyon viewpoint itself and just a little further on you arrive at the junction with Loowit trail which travels all the way around the mountain.  Feeling good I decided to continue up onto the Plains of Abraham to the junction with Abraham trail.  Was so fascinated by the Pyroclastic "bombs" that dot the surface of the plain that I almost did not notice the mountain goat making a parallel hike to mine.  Enjoying the solace the mountain solitude was providing me; I felt I could have continued hiking all the way around the mountain if I had the time.  But ultimately my watch beeped and let me know that I had been hiking for nearly 3 hours and 8 miles and it was time to turn around.  I did a slow but heart rate elevating trail run back to the car (16 miles, 5 hours in total) greeting all the mountain bikers making their way up.  Feels good to have an epic hike completed by the noon hour.

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