Conditions for Hikes Near Portland as of July 12, 2013

If you are headed out for a hike near Portland this weekend, you might want to know where the snow is melting, the flowers are blooming, and the bugs are biting. And you might want some folks to go hiking with. So here’s your news and conditions for hikes near Portland as of July 12, 2013.

To quickly check last week’s conditions, here’s that post.

Trail Conditions as of July 12, 2013

Full disclosure: Much of this comes from the wonderful site PortlandHikers.org, where I post as OneSpeed. They also have a great Field Guide where you can look for hike descriptions. Other sources are my own experiences, reports from friends, and maybe you.

Saddle Mountain is one of the best hikes near Portland, especially in July, when the summer wildflowers are blooming.
The flowers are out on Saddle Mountain!

Hikes Close to Portland:

  • As I reported this week in my hiking section, it is “go time” for the flowers on the Saddle Mountain hike.
  • The lower Cape Horn Trail will open Monday, and so will the road to Cascade Head on the coast. Yay July 15!
  • The road to Cloud Cap — like to do the Cooper Spur hike on Hood — is closed but there’s another way to do that hike.
  • I-84 Eastbound is closing from Friday night to Monday morning; that’s I-5 to I-205. So if you’re headed for the Gorge or Mount Hood, seek another way.
  • Despite earlier reports, there’s totally a crossing (via rock-hopping) of Newton Creek on the Timberline Trail above Elk Meadows. And the flowers are starting to rock there.
  • Jefferson Park was melting out but buggy on July 5-6. The same was said last week of hikes like Vista Ridge, McNeil Point, and Elk Meadows.
  • Somebody found rhodies, beargrass, and a canoe on the Serene Lake (Roaring River Wilderness) loop!
  • There was a 150-acre fire at Catherine Creek last week, but I don’t know how that will affect the hiking there, if at all.
  • The Loowit Trail around Mount Saint Helens appeared to be snow-free as of this July 4 trip report.
  • PCT from Timberline through White Canyon and down to Timothy is clear.
  • Lookout Mountain is snow-free, and I’m leading it July 20 for the Mazamas. (Here’s the whole list of my upcoming hikes.)

Random Bits of News:

Love a Trail

The fine folks at Trailkeepers of Oregon will be maintaing a local favorite, the Mirror Lake Trail, on July 13. Sign up here to show some love and affection for the trails we all love so much.

Siouxon Creek is one of several old-growth hikes near Portland.
I’m going to Siouxon Creek on Wednesday

Join a Hiking Group

Maybe you want to go hiking but either don’t know where to go, don’t have a car, or don’t have a crowd of hiking friends? Check out one of these groups for weekend, and the occasional weekday, outings. For some of these you might want to look ahead a couple weeks on the links, to get a spot.

Anything else I should know about? Leave a comment or get in touch!

Follow me on Twitter (@60HikesPortland) or like the “60 Hikes” page on Facebook.

I don’t just hike, though: I’m also the Portland Breakfast Guy. Check out BreakfastinBridgetown.com.