20s and 30s Trekking on the Timberline Trail, Mt. Hood, Oregon

This trip has been heavily subsidized by the Young Adventurers Fund for younger travelers on a budget. Sign up right here or by calling us at 415-977-5522. No scholarship necessary! For a full list of 20s/30s and 30s/40s trips and other opportunities for young travelers, visit our trips for young participants page.

The Trip

Mount Hood is Oregon’s highest mountain and a chief destination for outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world. The 40-mile Timberline Trail circles the mountain, offering spectacular views of all sides of the 11,235-foot peak. Along the route are some of the most photogenic meadows the state has to offer plus many scenic streams, rivers, and waterfalls.

Hiking the entire Timberline Trail loop has been impossible for over a decade due to a washout of a large section of the trail. Now that the trail has been repaired it is once again possible to complete this milestone trip. Backpacking in the wilderness is always a rewarding activity, but there is an extra sense of fulfillment that comes from circling an entire mountain.

Day 1: We will meet and spend our first night at a campground just below Timberline Lodge. Here we will all introduce ourselves and discuss the plans for the trip. Our first meal of the trip will be dinner at the campground.

Day 2: In the morning we will drive the short distance to Timberline Lodge, park our cars there, and begin our clockwise trek around Mount Hood. Our 9.5-mile hike today takes us along the PCT past Paradise Park on our way down to the Sandy River (the lowest elevation of the trip). We cross the river shortly before arriving at our camp near Ramona Falls.

Day 3: On our 10.5 miles to Cairn Basin today we will hike along the side of Yocum Ridge and loop around Bald Mountain. Views of meadows, and of course Mount Hood, will accompany us along the way.

Day 4: Today we skirt the northern edge of Mount Hood for 7.5 miles before arriving at the excellent Cloud Cap Campground, which resides in a separate Historic District within Mount Hood National Forest.

Day 5: Our penultimate day of hiking brings us to the highest point of elevation for the trip. Lamberson Spur is at 7,300 feet and occurs about halfway along our 5.5 miles to Newton Creek camp.

Day 6: During the 7.5 miles back to Timberline Lodge, we will pass through Mount Hood Meadows Ski Area before rejoining the PCT for the final stretch. Lunch today will be the final meal of the trip.

Getting There

Timberline Lodge is easily accessed by US Highway 26, which is the primary road connecting Mount Hood to the Portland area. Shortly past Government Camp the Timberline Road branches from US 26 and leads directly to both our initial campground and to the lodge itself.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

All meals beginning with dinner on the first night and ending with lunch on the final day are included. Snacks for each day will also be provided as well as powdered beverages (e.g. coffee, tea, hot cocoa). The menu can accommodate a vegetarian diet.

Trip Difficulty

The trip difficulty is 3, on a scale of 1 to 5.

Equipment and Clothing

Trip members furnish their own backpack, sleeping bag, tent, and other personal gear, including eating utensils. The Club will provide commissary equipment, including pots, stoves, cooking utensils, and all food. We will share the carrying of commissary gear so leave about 10-12 pounds of allowance in your pack. We will have a group first-aid kit; you should bring personal supplies and medications (particularly blister supplies). You must bring mosquito repellent, sunscreen, water bottle(s), a hat with a brim, and clothing suitable for possible rain and cold along with well-broken-in hiking boots. We will bring water purification tablets and a group filter (for commissary).

References

• Green Trails Maps, Mount Hood Climbing Timberline Trail, No 462S.
• Lorain, Douglass, Backpacking Oregon. See page 63.

Conservation

As this is a popular trail among hikers from all over the world, we can discuss the impact such attention has on a trail and the surrounding wilderness.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.