Hiking the Paradise Park Loop Trail on Wy'east (Mt. Hood)

July 29, 2021

Most people hike the iconic Paradise Park Loop from Timberline Lodge. Since we backpacked to Ramona Falls for our weekend base camp, we start from Ramona Falls.

After a breakfast of oatmeal and coffee, we pack our daypacks and hit the Timberline Trail/PCT by a little after 8:30 am. My legs are a little tired from yesterday’s adventure to Yocum Ridge but overall, I feel great. Our plan is to hike the Paradise Park Loop Trail and return to our campsite at Ramona Falls, pack up, and hike out to get back to Portland by evening. Overall, it’ll be about a 17 mile day to wrap up a 32 mile weekend.

Hiking Yocum Ridge on Wy'east (Mt. Hood)

July 29, 2021

For our seventh wedding anniversary we decide to spend a few days hiking in the Mt. Hood Wilderness. Ever since we backpacked the entire 41 mile Timberline Trail around Mt. Hood last August, I’ve been wanting to return.

We get an early start from the Ramona Falls Trailhead on Friday morning with our packs on. After about a mile, we cross the Sandy River easily on some logs. After about 3.5 miles and under an hour and a half, we arrive at Ramona Falls and find a nice secluded site a minute walk from the falls. This will be our basecamp for the next two days. We set up camp quickly and pack our day packs.

Weekend on the Salmon River

June 5, 2019

Is this thing still on?

A short while ago, Lindsay and I moped to each other that we had not had a vacation since Christmas. Poor planning on our part. So, as you can imagine, we were thrilled to spend the long weekend with our brothers Myles and DJ and DJ’s girlfriend Olivia in a beautiful cabin nestled in the woods near the lush Salmon River just off of Mount Hood and only about an hour drive from home.

We leave after work on Friday and are pleasantly surprised that in less than an hour we arrive at the cabin. I can hear the Salmon River nearby and am grateful that the house is surrounded by trees. What a perfect spot to spend a long weekend.

A Weekend at Paradise Park

August 18, 2016

I've lived in Oregon now for almost 5 years but somehow have never visited Paradise Park on Mt. Hood. Lindsay and I started backpacking two summers ago and have been to national forests and wilderness areas all over the Pacific Northwest - Olympic, Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, Bull of the Woods, McKenzie Recreation Area. Mt. Hood's Paradise Park has always been on our list.

Paradise Park is a beautiful alpine meadow area above timberline on the south west side of the mountain. It is best known for wildflowers in July and August. Our original plan was to do a one nighter but once we read the Perseid meteor shower was supposed to still peak on Friday night we decided to set out on the Pacific Crest Trail Friday after work and find a site with an open view of the sky. We hoped to get lucky. We did.

Ramona Falls

May 20, 2016

Last weekend's forecast projected typical Pacific Northwest spring weather for Saturday - showers and lots of clouds - so we thought we would check out a waterfall we had never been to: Ramona Falls in the Mt. Hood Wilderness.