GOING SOLO by Jonathan Shaver
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ometimes, things don’t go as planned. And that is OK! One of my 2020 goals was to complete a solo backpack around Mt. Hood. I spend a lot of time on or around the mountain doing different things. It just seemed a bit silly that I didn’t have the loop under my belt. While such a trip would not be a big deal for many of you, I am not any form of distance hiker. Rather, a day hiker and very occasional backpacker. The 40-ish miles of the Timberline Trail (and its significant elevation changes) would be an accomplishment. I set aside several possible windows of time over a period of six weeks. This gave me multiple opportunities to try and time a mid-week hike with good weather.
It turns out that COVID wasn’t all 2020 had to offer the Pacific Northwest. There were also massive fires and windstorms. My pack sat ready to go for weeks. Several times I came to within a day of leaving, only to cancel. There was iffy weather, then the air was filled with heavy, unhealthy smoke. Just as things were improving, I watched the White River fire announce itself on the Mt. Hood Meadows webcam. Soon all of the Mt. Hood National Forest was closed to the public. September largely came and went, leaving a trail of destruction across much of the state. Then, in the waning days of the month, the north side of the Mt. Hood National Forest reopened. The weather was looking good and I was a go! That is until I heard from rangers that the trail was largely impassable due to miles of downed trees. It was time for a back-up plan. Much of the state was still obscured in smoke and some areas remained closed to travel. I began tracking the wildfires and air quality online. I found a window of clear sky surrounding Broken Top and South Sister. Forecasts suggested that it would hold for a few days. I quickly plotted out a track in Gaia GPS and printed a Above: Three Sisters from Golden Lake Camp. Photo: Jonathan Shaver
24 MAZAMAS
copy to leave with my wife. My patiently waiting pack and I were gone in the morning. It was October 1. In trips of years past, I had hiked Broken Top to No Name Lake, summited South Sister and packed into other nearby lakes. Those earlier trips had left me with an idea for a good loop. With a bit of digging, I found reassuring reports from others that had made a similar trip. I got an early start from home, arriving at Three Creeks Lake mid-morning. There were few vehicles at the Tam McArthur Rim Trailhead. The sky was blue, quite fantastic weather actually. The exception was the somewhat distressing layers of smoke that hovered in several directions. I set out quickly - Before the smoke could convince me otherwise. I enjoyed great views while ascending to the top of the rim. This is a popular trail and for good reason. The upper rim also marks the end of the Forest Service maintained trail. A sign offers caution to those who venture beyond. A well-worn path continues past, and so did I. The vistas somehow improved as I gained more elevation. The geography shifted from greens to reds and became more “volcanic.” It was going to be a good day.
