Well, this was the Washington Trails Association hike of the week, and it looked like a nice low-strain hike to get my Achilles back on board with the concept of going up, so I went for it.
This 3-4 mile roundtrip trail is one you want to hit as early as possible, as it is very popular. After leaving the large gravel road, which is the beginning of the hike, Iron Horse Trail I guess, you head off up a narrow dirt path just past Boxley Creek.
This dirt path does some gentle switch backs and meanders through a young forest, quietly stretching up over the mossy forest floor. Oregon grape and ferns were plentiful and as we got further up, salal could be found as well. I heard ravens, hummingbirds and frogs, but mostly heard people, and didn't see any of the wildlife.
At one point I had a view across Rattlesnake Lake and believe that this rock was Rattlesnake Ledge where I had stood just a few weeks ago.
To get to the summit we had to climb this tree. Haha. Adventure Dog wouldn't have gone for that.
Upon reaching the top, I heard what I thought was a small herd of teenagers, shrieking, but turned out to be just small group of adult hikers with their dogs. They were nice, but the noise was crazy. There isn't much of a clearing here, so I had to wait for them to go before snapping a shot of the view. I believe it would be a better view if the clouds hadn't been settled down on the top of the surrounding peaks.
Still it was a worthwhile trail, and Cedar liked it since it was his namesake.
Happy hiking!
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