Hike to Jefferson Park August 7-8, 2014

We took the Sentinel Hills trail from Whitewater Creek Rd., 5.5 miles of gentle trail for the most part. Our packs with food, tent, sleeping bags, etc. weighed a mere 20 pounds.

Scout Lake was surrounded by great campsites, all taken, so we stuck with our choice in the forest near Whitewater Creek

More or less glacier than two years ago? Sept. 2012 and August 2014 about the same look, but close examination would be needed to really tell.

Indian Paint Brush, Lupine and other flowers were in bloom.

 

Supper was a heat-in-bag couscous dinner augmented with fresh tomatoes and a potato.

The last of the Bear Grass

The  moon progressed into the night with this evening display of alpinglow on Mt. Jefferson

In the morning we breakfasted on oatmeal with nuts and raisins and feasted our eyes on the flowers hung with dew drops.

Long shadows of dawn

Morning sun catching the ridges as viewed from a couple miles along the trail back to the car.

And back down the trail, anticipating a coffee stop at The Cedars in Detroit and a return trip to Portland via the Clackamas River highway.