Time to visit the HOOD!

Lo an behold I have 3 bars of internet tonight! Ill try to get a post in my laptop battery life is about an hr...I left the painted hills and the John Day River behind....and headed north for Mt Hood going on Hwy 26 (West)  I could see what I believe was Mt. Jefferson off to my southwest..if Im wrong please correct me..

Mt Hood was also visible to the north of my location quite a distance away...11,239 ft tall the tallest point in Oregon, its in the Cascade range and last erupted in 1866! Only 20 miles from Portland...so it was crowded in this area.  

near by is Mt Jefferson 

Along the way I intersected the Pacific Crest trail I've crossed this trail before in my travels down around Mohave, California..years back, I have not seen the movie but I did read the book, Wild. 

Flickr ate my photos

Some nice color up in this area...

I wanted to camp at Trillium Lake CG but it was full when I arrived on Saturday the 19th of Sept...So I camped in Still Creek a Forest Service FREE CG about 3/4 a mile away that night and the next day I moved to the lake when every had to go back to work..*GRIN* I got a $10 discount with my National Pass card.

Sunday was sunny and warm and the clouds played with the mountain top...I sat in my chair almost all day and watched clouds and people around the lake..

with Multnomah as the natives call it in the background...

Like I said I people watched...

and bird watched some too...

cormorant 
Missing Photos

Some of the lake trail was boardwalked  makes it nice n easy to walk..

there was no bad view..... all good ones!!

I met some very nice ladies who called themselves the Trail Trekkers...a group of about 10 of them get together every year in a different spot and this yr they chose Portland and they were down at the "hood" for the day No Photos of these great gals all over 60 but trust me they glowed with life!!

Next morning I got up and the Mountain  was shrouded in the low hanging clouds so time to go...

I knew the fog would burn off but didn't want to wait around I could be 50 miles away by then...so I packed up and headed out...my route took me right through the Fruit Loop of Mt Hood...I saw vineyards, orchards, and lots of home grown good things..

.I stopped at this unique market called the Draper Girls Country Farm...

You name it and they had it!! I was especially drawn to the FLOWERS,,cut your own $1 a stem...

And what a beautiful backdrop they have on their little piece of Heaven...

And in the side yard even better this gal offered to take my photo I said only If I can leave my hat ON...my hair is having a hard time with hats on hats off these days...

Soon I was up alongside the Columbia Gorge again, 

and branched  onto Historic Hwy 30 the old gorge road....for access to some great waterfalls. 

There was a combo hike to Elowah and Upper McCord Falls I opted to do it but man it was hard!!

Historic Oneonta Tunnel

The trail to the falls, combined round trip was 3.8? and mostly uphill---must have had 7 switchbacks on that Upper McCord trail...here is the Elowah Falls

And the Upper McCord I stopped at this view point about 1/8 mile away...I had just had it by then..

Both are stunning!!  Here is part of the Upper trail...

By then it was late and I was dead tired so I went back to the main highway...This was the only night I got caught after dark and had to settle on a Motel..I was lucky and got one in Cascade Locks...right across from the Bridge of the Gods and the little motel had the same name...

from their website 

The other end of the Bridge takes you into Washington State.

NEXT DAY which was Tuesday, Jen, LoL

I had 2 more waterfalls to see and I wanted to see the Bonneville Dam which was right there!!

But that's in the next post!!...I have more photos to upload...I did buy myself a 12 volt battery and a 410 Schumacher  410 Converter...I have no idea how long it will last...SO I will try and get 2 posts done!!

Next UP what day is it really?

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.