{"id":39352,"date":"2026-11-11T04:58:27","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T12:58:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?p=39352"},"modified":"2026-11-11T04:58:31","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T12:58:31","slug":"tough-going-up-eula-ridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?p=39352","title":{"rendered":"Tough Going Up Eula Ridge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I debated for hours about which long hike given that the first big snows are predicted to arrive this weekend leaving snow until spring … I just couldn’t drive far with short autumn days, so I headed to Hardesty Mt intending the full Eula Ridge and Mt June Loop. – silly plan!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the night before rain system (bigger than predicted) trail-side vegetation was going to be very wet … I left TH with headlamp around 6:30 and within an hour my pants were wet up to the knees and my WP boots unable to keep my feet dry … But Eula Ridge kicked my butt – 3,000 ft elevation gain in 4 miles – a very steep walk up to Hardesty,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the first section on South Willamette Tr several bridges cross small streams, and this is the robust one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By the time I got to Hardesty (the clearing past the summit) I was tired, and decided to eat lunch and just go straight down to the car – forgoing Mt June. I met one human going down, and his comment made the day – his first time on Hardesty, “This hill is relentless!” … I told him the Eula Ridge way was even harder – steeper, but both sides relentless!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Off in the distance, 2×4 farming <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That was the only vista all day and the wind was raging up the hill from SE … so lunch was short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the day was walking in ecosystems like this<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wild flowers looked more like this too<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Route<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Left the Hardesty TH on Hwy58 around 6:30 and went east on South Willamette Trail to Eula Ridge. Then up Eula Ridge to Hardesty trail and around the summit to the clearing. Back to the TH was straight down Hardesty Mt Tr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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