An Inversion on Mary’s Peak

Inversion (Wikipedia): “In meteorology, an inversion (or temperature inversion) is a phenomenon in which a layer of warmer air overlies cooler air. Normally, air temperature gradually decreases as altitude increases, but this relationship is reversed in an inversion”

After looking at the weather for a hike on the way to PDX, I decided that William Finley or Mary’s Peak would suffice – decide once temperatures and fog were a ‘known’ rather than a prediction (I also checked Finley website and failed to see a ‘closed’ notice). … It was 26 degrees when I was passing Finley, so I thought that would be the better place … After driving to parking lot, the closed for season to protect wildlife sunk in. … Off to Mary’s Peak.

— clicking on photos opens higher quality resolution version —

On the way across the valley (the lowest point) temperatures hit 25 degrees, and the sky looked like this:

I ended up at Conners Camp TH (East Ridge Trail) around 8:30 – leaving later than normal to avoid the frozen fog (Decker Road had ice as always with this weather) – and here’s the inversion: 31 degrees at the higher elevation TH. I hiked without fleece 3rd layer all day.

The Route

Not a recommended route / hike as I followed both what I wanted to avoid and what I thought were the better paths. Started at Conners Camp and went straight to top around the meadow and up the road; then back down the same way to the ‘cut over’ and went back to the East Rigde Summit trail; then down to the campground and back up to the top and then back to Conners Camp after going down and back on the cut off – the BEST part of the entire hike. The section of trail that goes from East Ridge Summit to North Ridge Trail; there is an old growth section as well as the wildest, coldest side of the hill – not to miss.

Trail conditions were near perfect. There were a couple of blowdowns to climb over and most had MTB routes too – one, though, would be tricky and probably require dismount. Human traffic was limited; I went to top and back down before seeing another on the trail. Hardly a bird and I can’t remember a squirrel … sigh.

From the Top

Temperatures increased with elevation except where the winds blew hard. Mary’s Peak forest is an odd one – silent. Wikipedia is oddly silent about its history too – article. After reading Finding the Mother Tree, an easy inference blames aggressive timber farming practices that rendered a sterile forest of 2x4s with needles, but few animals – neither birds nor mammals. Either a shrine or a mausoleum.

I was at the top several times and none at sunrise, but the inversion made some very strange vistas. Oddly with such muddy air, visibility was great – I could see all the cascades from Rainer to Diamond Peak, and a boat on the Pacific Ocean … ah, Oregon.

Favorite Resident – Nurse Log

Regardless of the forest’s sterility wrt animals, the trees carry on … a perfect example of a nurse log (that was shortened for the trail).

Data Geek Cellar

• Shoes: Altra Lone Peak WP low
• Pack: Yar.gear
• Upper Layers: 2 (base layer, med Patagonia tech)
• Upper shell: none
• Trekking Poles: Yes – Black Diamond Carbon
• Approximate Times: 08:15 to 14:00
• Carbon ratio: 1.25 driving, 5.5 actual – 22.25 hours banked YTD
  • Only debited 1/2 drive time as was going to PDX regardless
• Notes: Started slightly later than normal, avoided sections with challenging footing to limit knee impacts (one section to increase the hike is large ‘wash gravel’ and rough on my knees) – that shortened the hike without retracing irrationally