saddle mountain

date hiked: June 25, 2006
distance (planned): 6.1 miles
distance (actual): 6.8 miles
highest elevation: 3283 feet
elevation gain: 1633 feet
time: 5 hours

kelli and i are sitting here trying to decide which hike has been our favorite. we have no answers or decisions…so we’re taking a poll. we are quite famous for polls. and…as kelli says…most people don’t cooperate…so we’re hoping this will make you comment and take pity on us. here are some previous polls we’ve attempted (in case you’d like to offer a dissertation in the comments section):

1. at what time (exactly) should you turn around when on a hike? please take into account that we chicks don’t like to turn around and we like loops. for example, if it is 10 pm, should you start heading back to the car…or should you keep hoping it is around the corner?

2. at what mileage should you turn around when on a hike? again, consider that whole liking loops thing before you throw out a number. and remember, i (annie) suck at hiking.

3. what equipment should you take while hiking (and for a real twist…in what circumstances)? for example, is it mandatory to have a compass? many of our colleagues seem to think so. of course, our theory is…what good is knowing which direction you’re going if you don’t know which direction you’re supposed to go? (please refer to our disclaimer after reading this sentence.)

so here’s a poll for today:

which of our hikes do you think you would enjoy the most?
1. hidden falls
2. ape cave
3. indian point loop
4. hamilton mountain
5. saddle mountain

speaking of saddle mountain (did you like the segue?)…this was a beautiful view. the mountain is about 14 miles east of the pacific ocean. you can view the columbia river delta from the top of the mountain.

while at the top of the mountain you can also see mt. rainier, mt. st. helens, mt. adams, mt. hood, and (with binoculars) the astoria column. on this hike you need shoes with good traction. sneakers are not a good choice. we saw people sliding on rocks…and for once it wasn’t me (annie). it also helps if you have a “fearless leader”. the fearless leader (kelli) directs steps much better and makes falling optional. you want a clear day for this hike…so weather forecasters unite. we actually hiked on a day that was extremely hot and hazy…so although we had spectacular views of the mountains they were not as clear as the ideal.

This entry was posted on July 3, 2006 at 10:58 pm and is filed under hikes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.