Ridgeline Trail Between Storms

After yesterday’s good hard rain, all the weather peeps said that Tuesday, Sept 30 would be clear until 2pm when the rains come again. A perfect time to hike Ridgeline between storms – an often occurrence in fall and winter. My objective was to get a good set of miles and elevation gain, too.

Sunrise was timed to 7:11 which made it hard catch the sunrise from an open meadow without starting too early or late. Leaving home at 6:00, stars were in the sky and the eastern sky lightening up, and with a 10 minute drive door to TH, I was hiking by 6:15 with headlamp on. I returned to the car before 1:30, just as the rain started.

The Route

Spring TH to Spencer Top; down to S. Willamette TH and back to Spencer Top; down to Blanton TH and back to Spencer top; down / back to Spring Blvd TH.

Along the way, birds were quiet – mostly crows and jays with an absence of song birds. Human traffic was light until between 9-12 when Spencer was mobbed with people and dogs – too many off-leash. Between N. Willamatte and Blanton, I was talking to myself about no deer at all, not even footprints, when up on the ridge 2 ‘this year’ deer bounced through the undergrowth; I was wrong.

At Blanton TH, volunteer police peeps were patrolling the parking lot, and I talked to them. First, I expressed my appreciation for their monitoring the TH, and secondly, I complained about how unsafe these THs are. They laughed and said, ‘we call the Willamette and 52nd Ave the diamond triangle’ – because of all the break-ins.

Early Morning

Around 6:30 the photo on the left shows what sunrise looked like, and the to the right, 30 minutes later at Fox Hollow.

Getting to the top was easy, but the wind up there felt very, very cold. From Spencer’s top early, the fog, the mist and the clouds put on quite a show.

Late Morning

By the second time atop Spencer around 9:30, the clouds were moving in, the fog was lessening … but it was still very windy cool.

Noon

Around noon, the fog was gone, the clouds had moved in. Looking east to 3 Sisters, new snow!

Just as I got back to the car, the rain and wind arrived with strength … perfect ending.

Data Geek Cellar

• Shoes: Altra WP boots
• Pack: Yar Gear Ultra 38L Drifter
• Upper Layers: 2 – long-sleeve baselayer, and Patagonia Mid-weight Capilene
• Upper shell: none
• Trekking Poles: Gossamer Gear
• Approximate Times: 06:00 – 1:30
• Carbon ratio: 5.5 hours (.5 hours driving: 7 hours hiking); YTD = 149 hours banked
• Notes:
  • Photos: medium
  • Speed: fast
  • Difficulty: moderate – distance & 3x up Spencer

All Trails Data – different again on both distance and elevation gain