Although the Timberline Trail was just a short ~40-mile loop around Mt. Hood, this three-day backpacking trip was quite an adventure. And so, as with many of my other longer hikes, I’ve decided to put together a “by the numbers” roll-up of my recent trip around Mt. Hood.
Overview
- Official distance of my Timberline Trail hike: 38.7 miles
- Miles of trail traditionally shared with the Pacific Crest Trail: 11.4
- Extra miles I got to hike on the PCT due to a trail closure: 2
- Where I began/ended the trail: Timberline Lodge (south side of Mt. Hood)
- Number of days spent hiking: 3
- Number of permits required: 1 – Use the self-issue stations on the trail
- Cost of Mt. Hood Wilderness Permit: Free
- Wilderness areas: 2 – Mt. Hood Wilderness Area & Richard. L Kohnstamm Wilderness Area
- Closest town to the trailhead: Government Camp, OR (6.2 miles away)
- Distance from my home to the trailhead: 157 miles
Trail Stats
- Average trail elevation: 5,300′ – approximately one mile above sea level
- Highest elevation on the Timberline Trail: 7,280′ (near Lamberson Spur)
- Lowest elevation on the trail: 2,890′ (Muddy Fork)
- Elevation of Mt. Hood: 11,249′ at the summit
- Number of named glaciers and snowfields on Mt. Hood: 12
- Indigenous name of Mt. Hood: Wy’east
- Other PNW mountains spotted: 3 (Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Jefferson)
- Trail Closures: 1 – an impassable section near Yocum Ridge
- Bypass used: 2-mile PCT section (from Muddy Fork to Bald Mountain)
- Times I got off track during my hike: 1 – I accidentally turned onto the Mazama Trail
- Hikers or trail runners who made the same wrong turn that day: At least 3
Water Crossings
- Number of water crossings required: 11
- Deepest river/stream forded: Eliot Branch – which was still thigh deep in mid-September
- Estimated water temperature: 40°F (it’s fed by a glacier!)
- Number of times I threw my backpack across a water crossing: 1 (Newton Creek)
- Times I had to jump into Newton Creek to save my backpack: 1 (read why HERE)
- Items lost during said backpack recovery: 2 (1L water bottle and a chunk of my dignity)
Trail Highlights
- Number of waterfalls seen on trail: 20+
- Prettiest waterfall: Ramona Falls
- Loudest waterfall: Falls dropping from Newton Glacier
- Most challenging section of trail: The 1/2 mile of blowdowns near Bald Mountain
- Number of trail runners seen on the Timberline Trail: 10
- Number of backpackers spotted on trail: 16
- Most scenic part of the trail: North side of Mt. Hood (from Mazama Trail to Cloud Cap Saddle)
- Best late summer wildflowers: Pasqueflowers
- Bear sightings: 0 – none expected
- Snake encounters: 0 (yessss!)
ODDS & ENDS
- Number of breweries I stopped at on the way to the trail: 1 (Mt. Hood Brewing Co)
- Number of beers I brought out on trail: 1
- Critical items I accidentally forgot at home: 1 – my stove!
- Hikers who startled me awake with their headlamp shining at my tent: 1
- Number of fellow military veterans I met and hiked with: 1
- Number of ski lifts I walked under: 8
- Primitive USFS campgrounds directly on the trail: 1 – Cloud Cap Saddle
- Cost to stay there: $13/night
- Miles from the trail’s end when I unexpectedly ‘bonked’: 7
- Time it took to complete those final 7 miles: 5.5 hours!
- Versus the time it took to complete the prior 7 miles that day: 2.5 hours
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, a quick roll-up of the Timberline Trail and all the important (and not-so-important) metrics about my hike. I really enjoyed this loop trail and would love to visit it again when all the wildflowers are in bloom. However, there was also something quite nice about venturing out onto this trail in mid-September, when the crowds are lower and so are the water crossings!
Heading clockwise from Timberline Lodge – as I did – is the most common route, but it leaves you with an exhausting two-mile slog through sandy, glacial silt at the very end of the trail. Thus, if I were to re-hike this trail again, I would consider two alternatives. I’d either: (1) begin at a different trailhead (perhaps near Ramona Falls or Cloud Cap Saddle); or (2) hike the trail counter-clockwise.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS POST? THEN CHECK OUT SOME OF MY OTHER “BY THE NUMBERS” OVERVIEWS FROM SOME OF THE OTHER LONGER TRAILS I HIKED: