Going Solo

by Jonathan Shaver

Sometimes, 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 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.

Above: Three Sisters from Golden Lake Camp. Photo: Jonathan Shaver

Looking up toward Broken Hand. Photo: Jonathan Shaver

The trail petered out near the raised butte of Broken Hand. Some light scrambling got me over and around, bringing new views. Standing on a narrow spine, Bend Glacier and the Three Ladies were off the north side, while Broken Top was literally right in my face. Mt Bachelor rose to the south. The rest of the Cascades were smears in the smoky haze. I was surprised to see No Name Lake was a series of melding browns, greens and yellows. I mean, a really nasty-looking bit of water. Strange, and a far cry from the gorgeous ice-blue scenes I have known.

Curious, I walked down to the edge of the lake. Finding no reason to linger, I descended the flank below, looking for a home. I found a nice creekside spot tucked into a small scrabble of trees. Once set up for the night, I settled in for a comfortable dinner. Seven miles hiked, with 2,087 ft. of elevation gained and 1,030 ft. descended. The bubble of clear sky held, treating me to a nice showing of Big Dipper and company. It was a picturebook spot and I had it to myself.

After a hot breakfast, morning found me following the creek downhill to the popular Broken Top Trail. I worked around the southern and then western sides of Broken Top itself. Soon my Solomon trail shoes began to balk at the effort. I have a good and comfortable history with these shoes. But now they were biting both of my feet and I could feel blisters forming. I took a break and discovered that the edges of both insoles had buckled and started to tear. Right where the arches meet the body of the shoe. This had also caused a bit of fraying to the internal material. I did my best to trim the offending areas of the shoe and insoles with Micro Leatherman scissors. I slapped Leukotape on my feet and got back to it.

South Sister made a bold appearance, prompting fond memories. I quickly forgot about my dying shoes. A meandering creek made for a good opportunity to filter and top off on water. Moments later, I couldn’t resist taking another break to eat in the shade alongside Green Lakes. While I only crossed a handful of people yesterday, this area was flush with day hikers, trail runners and backpackers. Not so much though that it detracted from the experience.

I pushed on, northward and east. Climbing again, as the route continued to twist around Broken Top. Golden Lake would be my second home. A nice spot of water and meadow that backs into the steep scree slopes of the mountain’s northern shoulder. Nine miles hiked for the day, 758 ft. gained, 1,732 ft. descended. With camp tucked into a ledge of large boulders, I marveled at the smoke that continued to blanket the near horizon. Somehow my air remained fresh. I was treated to a nice sunset, then more stars and

Big Dipper from below Broken Top. Photo: Jonathan Shaver

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Broken Top. Photo: Jonathan Shaver

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a moonrise. Suddenly quite chilled, I headed for the tent. I would never get warm that night, though I was sweating at times.

I had eaten well for dinner, had a cup of hot tea, and my gear was more than adequate for the barely frosting temps. I suspect now that I was a bit dehydrated. It certainly had been a warm and sunny couple of days on the trail. Whatever the reason, it was a long, uncomfortable night.

Coffee and the morning sun felt great. Though seeing fresh bear tracks in the meadow, mere yards from my tent gave me a moment of pause. I had an otherwise leisurely morning. Packing up a bit at a time, in between cups of coffee, filtering water and breakfast. I shouldered my ever lighter pack and found myself on the trail again. Weaving my way east and then south. Down and up. This was the first time I had been through the Pole Creek burn. It was both devastating and beautiful. I enjoyed more good views of the Sisters, though now from fresh angles. And soon I finished drawing a circle around Broken Top.

I exited the woods, mere feet from where I started 48 hours prior. Unlike when I arrived, Three Creeks Lake was now very busy. It was a Saturday and it appeared that everyone in Central Oregon had arrived to escape the smoke with a swim or paddle. I too had a quick swim and enjoyed a very cold, celebratory IPA that had been waiting for me in the truck. Eight miles had wrapped up the trip, with a seesaw 1,037 ft. up and 1,145 ft. down.

It was not a circumnavigation of Mt. Hood, but I did go around a mountain. And it was great.