hiking in Indian Heaven

Hello everyone

I had a wonderful weekend up in Trout Lake. I left straight from work Friday afternoon and drove to Hood River where Wampler was going to hang out with some friends and have dinner. I had met one of the girls, Amy, several years before during my very first trip up to Trout Lake. She now lives in Bend, Oregon but was in the midst of a cross-country bicycle trip with her boyfriend. They had flown back from Buffalo, NY for a wedding in Hood River and would fly back in a few days to finish their trip to the Atlantic. They told great stories about the people they met and the places they stayed. There favorite place was the north shore in Minnesota along Lake Superior.

We decided not to bbq as it was rather cool and rainy. Instead we walked the few blocks to downtown Hood River and had dinner at the Oak Street Brassiere, a lovely little Italian place. There were 7 of us so we shared some wine and talked and talked. It was a nice dinner and it was fun to meet some new people. After walking back to the house Wampler and I each drove the last 30 minutes to Trout Lake. I took my spot on the sofa and read my book for a while before crashing out early.

Saturday was a very relaxing day. I read huge chunks of my book (The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey), listened to music on my headphones and generally lounged around. Wampler fed me very well: eggs and sausage for breakfast and tostados for lunch. In the afternoon I went with him to run some errands. We walked to the post office and the store then drove out to stop by some friends’ houses to invite them to dinner that night. We hung out at Damon’s cabin for a bit and made plans to have a fire later that evening. Back at Wamp’s house he worked in the garden while we chatted. Jason stopped by and we had a beer on the porch and talked.

Wampler and I began preparing dinner: kung pao chicken and a huge salad. Once everything was ready we packed up Wamp’s truck and headed over to Jason’s house where we were meeting. We cracked open some nice bottles of red wine (Oregon Pinot Noir and Washington Cabernet Sauvignon). Damon & Amanda showed up with some yummy salsa and chips and Damon started the fire. Jason came home but announced that he and his girlfriend Sara were going to head down to Stevenson for the Hops Festival. They ate dinner with us then headed off. It was a cool evening out but it was toasty warm by the fire. Later we made hot chocolate and added a little bit of peppermint schnapps. So yummy! It was really nice to hang out with Damon and Amanda who I’ve known for years in Trout Lake but have never really gotten to know that well. I learned that they moved to Trout Lake together from Ohio. We talked about siblings and first concerts and firewood and wine making. It was a lovely evening and I slept very well.

Sunday I woke up and showered and packed up my stuff. Wampler tackled his garden and greenhouse some more while I headed off to the woods. I’d been wanting to hike in the Indian Heaven Wilderness for quite some time. There really is small window when this is feasible. The area is under snow for much of the year. Once the snow begins melting and the trails are clear (July) the area is swarmed with mosquitoes through August. September is the ideal time for hiking here because then in October the snow begins falling again. I drove about 15 miles out of Trout Lake then 9 miles down a gravel road to the Cultus Creek campground. My trail began here. It was a steady incline up up up. It was a cloudy day but comfortable in the high 60’s or low 70’s. Along the trail I picked the last season’s huckleberries, knowing that it would be many, many months until I saw them again. Along the ridge of the Cascades (I was at 5200 feet elevation) views opened up across the forest. Indian Heaven Wilderness is part of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Designated “wilderness” areas are protected from logging unlike the national forest which is scarred with clear cuts. I was directly between Mt Adams and Mt St Helens but the mountains were stuck in the clouds.

I crossed over the Pacific Crest Trail and passed a few couples that seemed to be backpacking along the PCT. From there it was just a half a mile on to Wood Lake. I sat along the lakeshore on a big log and ate my lunch. It was cloudy out but the mossy dampness was welcome after the scorching, dry summer. After I was done eating I walked around the lake for a while then returned to the trail back towards Cultus Creek. The total hike was only 4.5 miles so I was done relatively quickly. I drove back to Wampler’s house where we hung out in his garden for a bit before I hit the road for Portland.

So that was my weekend. Please let me know how you are and what you’ve been up to. Hope all is well!

Xoxox,
carolyn