Decided today that I would go poke around on Silver Star Mountain and try to get up top despite the recent reports of snow and impassable trail.  Got up there about 9:00am (I couldn't pass IHOP without stopping in, now could I?), grabbed the pack and poles and started on my way.

I suppose the snow AT the trailhead should have been my first clue.

I'd only gone about half mile before it started looking like this...but I could see several snowshoe tracks leading up and figured I would just follow those.  Which set to follow was an entirely different question, as they all went in entirely different directions!

About another quarter mile in and a good 900 - 1000 feet of vertical and I still hadn't broken out onto the ridge that Jerry made it too in his report.  Through the combination of very rainy, very cold, very low visibility and some very soaked boots I decided to meander back down.

But upon reaching the trailhead, I simply couldn't drive back down that 18 miles of rocky road wihtout having something to show for it.  "I know! I'll go up Larch Mountain instead!"  Across to the other trailhead and I was on my way up...again.  Funny thing; about a mile into it and I was right back where I started...lost int he snow, unable to see above or ahead of me and now colder and wetter than before.  Huh.  Only difference was that this time I had gotten seperated from the faint prints and was just cruising solo without a map or a clue. 

So back down I went, to start the gravelly drive back with my head hung in shame.  But I was cheered up a little by this very appealing roadside stream on the way down!

It was shortly after arriving back in Washougal that I realized I was very close to the Gorge, and decided to save some face by heading for Hamilton Mountain.  Things were getting even wetter by this point, but I figured I was approaching maximum absorbancy anyway.  At least the trail wasn't under 3 feet of snow!

Rodney Falls was beautiful and raging.  The trail however, was not doing as well.  Turns out the only thing that could make my feet any more waterlogged was this mile stretch of trail.

I took the more moderate route up, saving the steeper route for my descent.  One thing I love about the cloudy/drizzle days is that things usually seem more peaceful.  Less people, less distractions, and a sense of calm in the woods...it was one of those days.

Once up top, it was apparent there would be no views; so down the switchbacks I went. 

With nothing to look out at, I couldn't help but snap shots of some of the braver flowers...standing against the elements.

So all in all: two failed attempts, wet weather, a significant climb with no view, waterlogged feet, pants so muddy they are soaking in the bathtub, 4 hours of driving (caught in rush hour on the way back), and a tweaked knee.  It is days like these, when the drive just to be OUT is so great and when nothing keeps the smile off your face that I remember why I love hiking!

-aaron

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"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." -Lao Tzu

Hey Zombie nice hike most people cringe at the thought of getting wet. They just won`t go better for us   I like feeling like I own the woods sometimes, its hard to get that on nice days. I had to hang kitchen cabinets allday so all I get to do right now is read about other peoples hikes at night. But not for long.

Nice report Aaron.  Good to see another report on Silver Star.  This is almost JUNE isn't it?  Wow it's amazing how much snow is still out there.   That one photo of the mudprints up Hamilton tells the whole story.  I do love days like those where you have the forest to yourself....and having no view gives you an excuse to go back to the same spot another weekend.

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Jeff - Site Admin

Someday you'll take me home to live forever....up on the mountain
S. Chapman

Nice work salvaging the day.  I think you made out a lot better than I did at work!  Thanks for sharing.

Nice work, Aaron - you did a great job salvaging the day and I liked your photos, too.

- Don

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"If I had known I was going to live this long I'd have taken better care of myself" - anon

Great attitude Aaron, and smart man following your instincts on questionable trails, or lack of :) There's often the need for plan B's or C's when hiking, and you  made and were rewarded with superb lemonade for the lemons handed you ;)

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Jane Garbisch - Site Sherpa

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"We are here on the planet only once.... might as well get a feel for the place."
- Annie Dillard

Was this the Grouse Vista Trailhead to Silver Star? I have never been there, only to the trailhead by Sunset Falls. What was the road like to the trailhead?

What a trooper! I don;t care for those rainy, drizzly, warmish days. I run way too hot to not sweat quite a  bit.

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"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."
- Will Rogers

Petrarch1603:

Was this the Grouse Vista Trailhead to Silver Star? I have never been there, only to the trailhead by Sunset Falls. What was the road like to the trailhead?

The road is fine up until it turns dirt for about the last 7 miles, which varied from kinda-bumpy to teeth-chattering.  I have a Forester and the extra ride height made it no problem, and I would even guess that most stock passenger vehicles could do it, but you'd have to be crawling at a snail's pace.

This is from the Washougal side...but there is a route from the North that is farther from the Portland Metro, but only about 4 miles of dirt.  The field guide has a great write up on both routes here: http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Grouse_Vista_Trailhead

-aaron

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"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." -Lao Tzu

I agree with you Aaron -- the cloudy/drizzly days are the best. I always enjoy the trip more when I'm solo and there's just a bit of chill and mist in the air, and barely another person around.

And of course, you can't possibly know what you'll find until you go up there and look. Those who have never turned back probably haven't ventured all that far in.

Thanks for the photos.

-Robert

Great report, fanastic pictures. A fun read even if I could not get out.

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“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.”
~John Hope Franklin

Petrarch1603:

Was this the Grouse Vista Trailhead to Silver Star? I have never been there, only to the trailhead by Sunset Falls. What was the road like to the trailhead?

The road to Grouse Vista (either from Battleground or Washougal) isn't too bad, just go slow to negotiate potholes.

The road to the trailhead by Sunset Falls that goes up to Silverstar from the North is horrible.  There are stream channels in the road.  It's steep.  Marginal for regular passenger vehicles, better to have a 4 wheel drive high clearance vehicle. 

You may be pleased to know that on Saturday a group from the Chinook Trail Association cleaned this mud off the trail, trimmed back the Salmon Berry bushes along Hardy Creek, build some water bars, and logged out the stump and deadfall on Don's Cutoff. We did it for National Trails Day.

I missed the part where the group rolled the big root ball off the trail and filled in the hole. You can't even tell the trail was totally blocked. We didn't make it to the upper slopes to brush that out but you can say goodbye to the muddy spots for this year and thank Jerry for clearing out the deadfall on Don's Cutoff trail.

Try Hamilton Mountain on a sunny day. There are some great viewpoints, though I wouldn't take young children to them.

Steve Jones

Where, exactly,  is Don's Cutoff Trail?