Criterion Tract Above the Deschutes

Early Spring on the Criterion Tract above the Deschutes The Criterion Tract, managed by the BLM, sits on the high point bordering Highway 197 as it runs south to Redmond from the Columbia, extending down to the Deschutes River south of Maupin, an expanse of open, lonely terrain with far ranging views of the ColumbiaContinue reading “Criterion Tract Above the Deschutes”

Mapping the Timberline Trail

Mapping the Timberline Trail James Wilson An exploration of my personal journey leading to mapping the Timberline Trail around Mount Hood and forming Elevation Changes Cartographic Visit the Elevation Changes Cartographic Map Store follow /elevationchanges on instragram for updates and mountain photos My first encounter with the Timberline Trail was on a fall trip toContinue reading “Mapping the Timberline Trail”

To The Pinnacle

To The Pinnacle My goal for the the day was to trek up the Elk Cove Trail now that the road to access the trailhead has been reopened after having washed by the Eliot Branch and check on snow levels around the Timberline Trail. Starting near mid-day it was a warm slow trek up throughContinue reading “To The Pinnacle”

Coe Glacier as Winter Draws Near

Coe Glacier as Winter Draws Near With significant rain forecast for the northwest, I wanted to get back to the north side of Mt Hood to check out a few areas before more snow fell on the mountain. On this sunny morning at Cloud Cap Saddle, the outside temperatures were just a bit above freezingContinue reading “Coe Glacier as Winter Draws Near”

Stadter Buried Forest

Stadter Buried Forest and the Lost Creek Headwaters I learned a good lesson on this trip, and that is that my camera will pretend to take photos and only announce that the storage card is not there on the back view panel, which I never look through. So time to keep a spare SD cardContinue reading “Stadter Buried Forest”

To White River Glacier

To White River Glacier Wandering White River Pt II. After exploring the lower sections of the White River on Mt Hoods southern slopes, I was headed now up to its source- the White River Glacier that stretches from around 10,000 feet down to around 7000 feet in the valley east and above the Timberline LodgeContinue reading “To White River Glacier”

Wandering White River

Wandering White River on Mt Hood Part I. The White River begins on the south slope of Mt Hood from the terminus of the White River Glacier as two branches separated by a moraine that stretches down the mountain, widening and flattening at an area known as Mesa Terrace.  Ancient Trees from a forest buriedContinue reading “Wandering White River”

Seeking Water on the Dry Side of Mt Hood

Seeking Water on the Dry Side of Mount Hood For mapping the Timberline Trail route around Mt Hood as a summer hiking map, part of my process has involved ground truthing the hydrology to try and give a much better portrayal of where water may be found while hiking in summer than the current maps.Continue reading “Seeking Water on the Dry Side of Mt Hood”