If your thing is almost no effort for huge reward, consider checking out Umbrella Falls…read more Right now you can park at Meadows and you'll see the trail sign. A narrow, (worn out) paved, and very short trail will take you right down to the falls in a minute. The setting is gorgeous and the falls are stunning. From the top when you see the little stream it's hard to believe that small amount of water can make such a beautiful and wide display. You can also add Umbrella into other hikes should you crave more of an adventure...adding in Sahalie Falls makes a great trip. But almost anyone can take the short trip down to Umbrella right now...highly recommend.

Hiking around a ski bowl in the off season is definitely cool. Something kinda creepy about those…read morechair lifts just sitting there above the abundant foliage and creeks. This hike also has some amazing waterfalls. I took the "Umbrella Falls, Sahalie Falls and Timberline Trail Loop" as it is described in AllTrails. It's a 10.7 mile loop with a good combination of easy, tree covered strolling and uphill pushes that are strenuous but not hard. I started at Hood Meadows, at the Umbrella Falls trailhead, but you can start many places. I recommend either downloading g or printing a map - there are many cross trails and it would be easy to take an unintentional detour. I went counterclockwise, so Umbrella Falls was literally the first thing I saw. Steps from the parking area. So beautiful, just picture ready. A couple miles along I came to Sahalie Falls. The scramble down to the base was super sketchy, so be careful! It's truly one of the prettiest waterfalls in the Mt. Hood Forest. Remember I said be careful? Ya, I took a hard fall at a small creek crossing. Don't be like me, test that footing and log before you put your weight on it. I fell sideways into the creek, then several more times trying to get out of it. I'm pretty bruised but okay - it's a reminder how the simplest thing can still be dangerous. Nature don't care about you, so be cautious out there. I know I'll be a lot more wary of where I place my feet. It was a warm day and nothing was broken, so I dried out and carried on. Hey, can I just say - my phone was in a Unicorn Beetle Supcase and it survived the ordeal without a scratch. Sexy and functional, I'll never put my phone in any other case (I'm a former Otterbox user. Go Unicorn Beetle or bust!) This hike is one of those you can only do when the snow is gone, and right now the weather is perfect. Enjoy!

ICONIC. I'll be coming back to do this one again for sure…read more Trailhead parking is pretty packed and had to park along the road even on a weekday. The trail itself is pretty uneventful until about 3 miles or so in. After that you are surrounded by Mountain View's, streams, and gorgeous meadows. I'm pretty sure this is what heaven is gonna look like. Totally totally worth the climb. FYI: It's documented that this can be done as a loop, but the "shortcut" portion of the loop is massively overgrown and felt unsafe. I opted to do this as an out and back.

Excellent 8 mile in and out. A few water spots to cross, a little mud but absolutely worth it…read more Great hike!!! No bathrooms, limited parking. Not many bugs, still a bit of snow - end of May.

Another great PNW hike. Soft pine needle floor, lush ferns and abundant fungi. And the canopy!…read moreGorgeous. The mountain never really got out of bed today, but Wy'east did pull the covers back a couple of times. The hike up was strenuous buy not terrible, with many creek crossings. The lake itself was still and green, disturbed only by a hawk that flew low over it. I got a late start and by the time I got to the lake I was the only one there. The quiet was incomplete - many bees were still hard at work. I stayed there for a while, then dark clouds rolled in and the wind picked up. I realized I had 3.5 miles to go and was completely alone with night falling. I hurried back with looks over my shoulder the whole way. It was beautiful, but also kinda unsettling. I won't lie, I loved it. Great hike. Next time I'll go up to Zig Zag point.

This 4.5 mile round trip hike is totally worth the crowds and effort for this beautiful vista. The…read moretrailhead is the pacific crest trail at Timberline, so mentally prepare for crowds and slow moving. My eight and five year olds loved the fact that there were some snowy patches to cross on July 5.

I recently stayed one night at Alpine Campground on my way back from California…read more Alpine Campground is a Forest Service Campground, which means that the rules are pretty lax as compared to a state park or national park. There is a camp host, but they were away on vacation while I was there. This campground has 16 sites, which are currently all first come first serve. The way this typically works is that you occupy an open site that hasn't been reserved by anyone else, and then fill out the self registration envelope by the sign board within 30 minutes. When I arrived on Sunday evening, I noticed that most of the sites had tags on the sign posts, and other people who were looking for sites were passing them up. But I also noticed that the camp host was off duty, and upon inspecting the tags closer, I found that most of them had expired. So, I was easily able to snag my first choice site, which I think was site 15. It was close to the camp host site, and plenty big enough to set up my tent far away from the campfire ring. There is a vault toilet in the campground, but I didn't use it, because Timberline Lodge is literally within walking distance of the campground. So, I just brushed my teeth and used the restroom over there before bed and before leaving the next morning. The fee was $25/night, which you can get half off with a qualifying pass. This fee only includes one vehicle, because the campsites aren't really even big enough for two. Extra vehicles are $10, and that fee does not qualify for a discount. My campsite was really pretty. There were all kinds of flowers in bloom around the campground, in mid-August. Driving to and from the campground, I saw several random waterfalls cascading down the sides of the highway. There are so many opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and mountaineering in this area. The Zig Zag Ranger district website has a list of all of the trails and recreation areas managed by them, along with fees and season dates. Since I came on a Monday night, it was pretty peaceful. As far as I could tell, only one or two other campsites were occupied on my side of the campground. I was close enough to the road to hear some cars coming and going throughout the night, but it wasn't too bad. Not anywhere near as bad as Camp 4 Yosemite, for example. Overall this campground was pretty and peaceful, and I would definitely camp here again.

I am a fan of Ranger stations, for they are open early, clean and usually are very helpful, and…read moreinformative. They have one page leafletes for hikes too which are helpful. However, yesterday I went in to get a leaflet for the Burnt Lake/Zig Zag peak hike. The 60 hikes book said the hike was 9.4 miles ,but the Ranger Station sheet said 14 miles. I just wanted to know why the big discrepancy in miles. So, I thought I would ask the ranger there, and she was quite rude. Said that the books aren't always accurate. She asked in a snotty way "If that answered my question?" I didn't know what else to say but yes, but "No, it didn't answer my questions, and do you treat all people this way??!!". I wanted to say that but didn't. Well, it turns out the book was correct after all. The hike was 9.4 miles from the the trailhead to the Zig Zag peak and back. I just was so annoyed and surprised by the rudeness of this one ranger. It was an atypical experience.

Very close access to the lake and super quiet and clean campsite. Not rv or trailer friendly due to…read moreno hookups. Perfect for tent camping!

Had a great camping trip to Gone Creek last weekend. Not sure why they call it Gone Creek since…read moreit's on Timothy Lake, but whatevs. Located just under 2 hours from Portland at the feet of Mount Hood, Gone Creek is a perfect weekend camping destination. Upon arrival we found our site we had reserved. Only about a quarter of the site is reservable with the rest of it being first-come first-served. The park host said that you really need to get there mid-week to get a non-reserved spot. The sites here are great. They are large and you don't feel crowded in the campground. Our site had a driveway to fit 3 cars and 3 tents for our group. You have your standard picnic table and firepit available as well. This campground does not have showers, so be prepared to have grungy hair by the time you leave. They also use vaulted toilets. There are water spigots within a few steps of all the campsites for fresh water too. During our trip, we fished along the shore and got our haul of a dozen rainbow trout. I saw a bunch of boats out on the lake, but we were the only ones I saw reeling them in! The lake is great for an afternoon swim. It's the right temperature and felt really good on an 88 degree day at the campground. Definitely worth checking out if you're a camper.

Mountain biking here is poetry in motion. MTBer's gonna get it!…read more discovered I holy ground upon Sandy Ridge where hands hath made a paradise for knobby treads there's a map with instruction just Follow the Leader and discover a whirlwind of thrills zigging and zagging through the forest rolling on some gnarly scree fields and blessed be your thrill ride not lead into self destruction so stay upright roll steadfast in the zone through curves extreme curves banked low curves banked high beware all curves play Hide and Seek climb up Homestead take that trail off the hairy Rock Drop feel adrenaline rushing the heart hammering climb back up Communication Breakdown pedaling insanely 'round Quid Pro Flow modulate the brakes and go jumping roots tied deep into earth snaking through the evergreen jungle heavenly dense northwest shade hyperventilating whoop-de-do's oops there goes an endo another downhiller bites the dust roll the fat tires on Three Thirty Eight drop into Two Turntables and a Microwave feel heat whipping through booming berms hold tight, spin out of sight keep your head attached it gets faster, looser and tighter berms bigger, dips wilder along these glorious single tracks only the righteous know for you must surrender your body heart and soul breath by breath, pedal by pedal climb Homestead again and again gotta climb to the mountain top before you are blessed to blast like the wind on fire and descend once again immersed in Oregonian green deliciousness along Sandy Ridge, there call out my name from the hallowed fat tire scroll when I saddled up my Salsa for a holy roller ride in Fat Tire Paradise

Killer trail system with lots of volunteers keeping the place up without wasting tax dollars since…read moreit's on BLM land. Snow on the upper trails during the winter. A good spot to head after is to the Ivy Bear for wings.