The first mile is relatively flat taking us past Cabin Falls, Hole-in-the-Wall Falls, and Lancaster Falls as we walk a portion of the old Scenic Highway. The walk in the park only lasts a short while, however. Don’t let this section fool you. Suddenly, the path rockets upward, switch-backing mercilessly up 1500 feet to a densely forested ridge line. As you climb, putting one foot in front of the other, the thought of blue sky and a viewpoint becomes your motivation. Eventually, your dreams are realized. An excellent panoramic of Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams soothes your forest-weary eyes. Take a moment here to realize how high you have climbed.

The Panoramic of St. Helens, Rainier and Adams

Continue onward and upward. Just because the switchbacks are over for now doesn’t mean the climb is done. You’re not even halfway there! To quote Chantalle during this trying section, “Ever ounce of sweat is worth it!” Bless her heart, she is such a motivational spirit. So I keep panting away, pain shooting through my back as I lean forward, almost parallel to the 40 degree trail. But you must power through. There is a flat portion coming up! I don’t know exactly how long it was, but the level ground was a God-send. Water, water and more water. Breathe in, breathe out. Stretch and keep going. The switchbacks return! Only this time, Chantalle calls them intense! If Chantalle calls something intense, you know that we mortal humans will be dying. And sure enough, she powered through these tight, rocky, incredibly steep switchbacks with little trouble. For me, they were yet another nail in my coffin. For already exhausted legs, this part was killer.

By the time your next viewpoint comes around, you will be at about 4000ft. Don’t be fooled by the look of the trail, you still have 900 feet of elevation left. Continue along the trail until you come to a fork in the road. If you go left, the trail will take you to Warren Lake, then eventually the parking lot. To the right is your goal; the summit of Mount Defiance.

Boulder Fields on the Scenic Route

0.2 miles after the fork, you will see an unmarked trail to the right, which will look questionable at first, but it is a very unique and scenic trail to the top. That’s the way we went. After crossing several boulder fields and catching glimpses of the elusive Mount Hood, one last corner stands between you and the top.

The Summit View

Finally, after more than six miles and nearly 5000 feet in elevation gain, you stand proudly on the summit of the most merciless hike in all of Oregon. Officially the high point in the gorge, Mount Defiance is yours. Sadly, the peak is also home to a noisy and unsightly radio tower. Try to ignore the ugly interruption and look south instead. The plains and rolling hills of Eastern Oregon open up and Mount Hood dominates the horizon. We chose one of the hottest days of the year and Chantalle and I could both feel the sun beating down on us. Nevertheless, we were so tired and sore that we sat on top for about an hour before beginning our long journey home.

Warren Lake

But that isn’t the end of the story. Climbing up 5000 feet is difficult, but going down is far more frustrating. The first part, climbing down to Warren Lake (the left you didn’t take earlier) is actually quite pleasant. In fact, it was very relaxing. We of course stopped by the pretty lake and stayed for a few moments enjoying the variety of scenery. Shortly after, however, begins the plunge. From here on out, the trail drops a thousand feet a mile. With 620 feet in the last 0.3 miles. The trail isn’t very relaxing anymore and each step must be carefully planned so as to avoid any accidental falls. The dust and dirt quickly gives way and if your shoes don’t have much traction, it’s more of a slide than a trail.

Chantalle and I had to keep pushing each other to make it off of the mountain. It wasn’t enough to torture us on the way up, but you must fight your way home too. With more than a mile left, we ran out of water. (I myself brought more than two liters and Chantalle had even more water and yet we still ran dry!)

The last viewpoint on the trail is a point that overlooks the parking lot and stares Dog mountain right in the face. (Did I tell you that we looked DOWN on Dog Mountain for most of this hike?) From this point to the old highway is by far the most mentally challenging part. I was so broken down and worn out all I wanted was to sit down. The downhill was relentless and without any water, we stomped on through dry grass, boiling heat and dusty trails.

Looking down from the trail, we finally saw the old highway and flat ground. After all we had been through we jogged down the last bit and cried out in exhaustion.

We walked slowly back to the car, still standing, still breathing, still living.

Mount Defiance truly is a monster.

Hunchback Mountain from West Zigzag

We started later in the day so it was already pretty warm as we pulled up at the station around 8:30am. Once in the parking lot, (no fee required!) we searched for the trailhead for about five minutes before asking a ranger who said to “look around”. Very reassured, we eventually found the trailhead and started our watches.

About a quater of a mile in, a giant rootball soars into the sky–the tree ripped all the dirt and roots off of the ground exposing a layer of rock one must navigate over. Obstacle number one.

The path is a steady climb upward, switchbacking as usual. By the end of the first mile and a half you have already climbed to 2700 feet. But it doesn’t stop there! The path now straightens but by no means does it level out. We continued climbing to 3150 feet at about 2.1 miles and the forest finally clears to an excellent viewpoint of the Salmon River Valley. Keeping with the newly founded tradition, we did push-ups on the rocks there and continued along the path as it reentered the forest.

After a third of a mile, we saw a sign for the “Rockpile”. A short detour takes you to a large boulder field with views of Mount Hood from the top. Watch your step though! The boulders have large drop-offs between them and there is no trail. I highly recommend the extra up hill.

After this detour, the trail resembles the high forests of the Benson Plateau. Less foliage and taller trees create an eery mood broken only by the occasional bird call. Here, Kris and I noticed the sourgrass and stopped for a taste. Sourgrass is a plant that looks like a big three-leafed clover and characterized by it’s sour aftertaste. (It tasted better than some sour candies I’ve had! I couldn’t get enough of it!) After grabbing a few handfuls for the road, we continued hiking through the forest.

Eventually, after fighting our way through the underbrush with little trail designation (we actually thought we had lost it a few times) we came across a fork in the road. To double the distance, one could go left and work your way to the old fire lookout at Devils Peak, or to end the journey and eat a nice, relaxing lunch, go right to the Great Pyramid. Now at first, we didn’t see what was so special about the Pyramid viewpoint. But then we began to duck under branches and climb downward, through red ants. The extra effort brought us to the actual Pyramid rock and an expansive view of the valley. Here we ate lunch and enjoyed the sound of the Salmon River below. A very beautiful spot with blooming columbine, bear grass, phantom orchid, and many more.

Unfortunately, because the trail oscillated between elevation gain and loss the whole way out, the way home was also uphill and several spots. By the end we were sweating bullets! It was a cool 85 degrees that day and we were hiking in the thick of it! After 5 hours of hiking, eating and talking, we made it back to the car and back to AC.

Then, in the last two miles, the trees begin to open up and eventually the entire Zigzag River Valley comes into view. Stop at a rock outcropping for photos, but know that they’re more to come!

Chantalle and the Zigzag Valley

Up next is a breathtaking view of Mount Hood. With the naked eye, one can see the ski lifts that go up from Timberline and the craggy top of the majestic mountain. More photos needed.

The Majestic Mount Hood

Lastly, as you come around one more corner to a fantastic display of nature in the form of a cliff face with a phenomenal 200 degree view. The Zigzag River far below–you’re initial starting point–the rocks you climbed over to see the view for the fist time, the rounded summit of West Zigzag to your right, and even a glimpse of Jefferson and the Three Sisters. We sat stayed up there for over an hour taking photos, exploring, joking around and eating lunch–even though it was only nine in the morning! While there, we saw our first hiker of the day–but he was no hiker at all! He was a runner who had just done everything we did in half the time! Chantalle deemed him “hero for the day”.

At the Summit

We regretfully left that beautiful viewpoint to hit the trail and begin the long journey home. After running down the mountain, Kyle and I stopped our watches at exactly 6:24:40. Six hours for 11 miles, 3100 feet, 39 switchbacks, a very lengthy lunch and a gorgeous view. We were back at the car before noon! What a whirlwind of a morning! Absolutely fantastic. Then Shari’s on the way back. Of course!

The Group