Kayaking and Hiking Adventures

  Sahalie Falls and Umbrella Falls Trail Starting Location:   Trailhead at Mt. Hood Meadows parking lot, SE corner Point of Interest  :  Mt. Hood, Sahalie Falls, Umbrella Falls, wildflowers Length of hike:  4.4 Mile loop (can be shorter out and back. Level :  Moderate Bathrooms :  Yes, at Mt. Hood Meadows, and at Elk Meadows trailhead (on the loop) Parking :  Huge parking lot at Mt. Hood Meadows, smaller gravel lot at Elk Meadows ($5 fee or NW Forest Pass) EV Chargers : Yes, at Mt. Hood Meadows We parked near the Ski Lodge at Mt. Hood Meadows to use the restroom, and then walked across the parking lot to the trailhead. Wildflowers greeted us here, and gave a preview of views to come. Umbrella Falls is very close to the parking lot, maybe 1/2 mile at most. A nice wooded bridge crosses the creek, with lots of places for photos. The trail is in good shape, even after some rain. We can't see the mountain today due to clouds and the trees. Sahalie Falls is about a mile away, or a bit mo

  Elk Lake Starting Location:   Little Fawn CG Point of Interest :  Elk Lake Bathrooms:  Yes Parking : gravel, lots of room EV Chargers : No Even though we were camping at Elk Lake Resort, we decided to go to Little Fawn campground across the lake to put our boats in. We walked through Little Fawn on the Elk Creek Trail earlier in the day, and it seemed a nice, quieter place to put in, since the resort was hosting a music concert, which would have made their boat ramp very congested. Little Fawn has a small inlet, or bay, so the water is calm, and the wind is minimal. Once we got onto the lake proper, the wind picked up and the waves got a bit choppy, but not bad. There was some haze from fires, but we could still see Mt. Bachelor and the 3 Sisters. The lake is nice and big, with forest coming up to the edge in places, and lots of places you can put ashore to rest or swim. I got out and took a nice swim. The water was clear and the temperature very comfortable.  The only real issue we

  Elk Lake Trail Starting Location:   Beach Day use Area (hard to find) or Little Fawn CG Point of Interest  :  Elk Lake, forest scenery Length of hike:  Just under 5 miles out and back Level :  Moderate Bathrooms :  yes, at campground, day use areas Parking : gravel lots at Beach Day Use, Little Fawn CG EV Chargers : No We went to the Beach Day use area just south of Elk Lake Resort to start this trail. It is a bit hard to find, with no signage at all. There is a lone picnic table on the south side, on a small rise with the forest behind it. This is where the trail begins. It wanders through the forest, but mostly keeps the lake in sight. You will also pass through the Point CG, with a swimming area, easy to find the trail again. In less than a mile, there was a small creek, a few inches deep that we had to cross. We used these small logs to help keep from getting our feet wet. This is just at the edge of Little Fawn CG. There is a bathroom here (although the latch was broken.) The be

 Benson -Tenas Lake Trail trail map Starting Location:  parking lot of Scott Lake Campground  (end of road) Point of Interest  :  forest, and smallish lakes Length of hike: 5 miles roundtrip Level :  Moderate. Trail in good condition Bathrooms :  at main parking lot in campground Parking :  Decent gravel parking EV Chargers :  No We were camping at Scott Lake, so this hike made sense. The trailhead starts at the campground parking lot. However, you need a Central Cascade Wilderness Permit ($1), and the rangers were out and checking. The Trailhead is easy to find, with pit toilet nearby. The trail is well maintained, and mostly dirt with the occasional tree root. Not very steep, but gently inclines most of the way.  The trail is well marked and easy to follow. We did not see much in the way of wildlife, but it's a pretty hike, and the huckleberries were ripe. Mosquitoes were around, but with our spray, and steady pace, they weren't really an issue. There are a few small lakes o

Scott Lake  Campground Starting Location:   Makeshift boat ramp about 1/4 mile from entrance to campground. Point of Interest :  Scott Lake, 3 Sisters Mountains Bathrooms:  Yes, several throughout campground Parking : Some along road, gravel parking lot at end of road. EV Chargers : No Scott Lake is just off the Old McKenzie Hwy 242. There is a restriction on vehicles and trailers over 35 feet about 10 miles from where it starts on Hwy 126, right where Camp White Branch is. We were in our truck, pulling our small Malone kayak trailer, which is (I measured after we got home) just about 35 feet long. Our trailer is very narrow, so we went anyway. We did okay, but that road is so narrow and winding, that bigger trailers or vehicles would not do well. The boat ramp starts out gravel, then grass, then mud. There was a small drop to the water, about a foot. Not difficult, but squishy. That said, the thing about Scott Lake is the view. The water is very shallow, or was when we were there in