Owl Point

Mt. Hood from Owl Point.

Owl Point is an easy, family friendly hike on Mt. Hood with superb views. On a hot day it seemed like a great idea to head for some elevation, and we found it very pleasant indeed. The trailhead is small, and must have been quite congested a bit earlier in the day, but we missed it by arriving later in the afternoon. About a third of a mile from the trailhead, the trail to Owl Point separates from the main trail, and from that point on we found ourselves alone in the beautiful forest. Ripe huckleberries    were there in profusion. It's the season for a couple of interesting plants that we found in abundance along the trail- gnome plant and pinesap. These plants do not have leaves or photosynthesize, but instead feed on fungi which in turn feed on the roots of trees.  Most of the year, you would have no clue these plants were even there. That changes in the late summer when their strange and beautiful blooms emerge from the ground.  When we were very close to our destination, we took a spur trail to The Rockpile, which has its own gorgeous view.  At Owl Point itself, we discovered the most sweeping views yet of Mt. Hood.  While much of the forest directly below us was lush and green, a vast brown swath stretched across the base of Mt. Hood.  This area was burned in the Dollar Lake Fire of 2011 which started with a lighting strike and burned 6,300 acres from late August until early October.  We discovered a "Register" at Owl Point where visitors can sign their names and read messages from other hikers. The most recent entry in the register was from two days prior.  Within the box containing the register was a nice photo of the view with landmarks noted, and a small photo album with some terrific pictures.  There was a photo taken two weeks before the Dollar Lake Fire began, and a photo taken the following summer after the snow had melted and hikers could again return to Owl Point.  We had a snack and listened to the calls of pika on the talus just below us.  Pika are very cute critters related to rabbits that live in the talus.  We are seeking out some of their haunts to confirm their presence for the Cascades Pika Watch, a citizen science project, and we heard at least three calling to each other across the rocks.  

Gnome plant. Photo by Jasper. 

Gnome plants.

Rattlesnake plantain orchid.

Gnome plants.

Pinesap.

Mt. Hood from the first viewpoint. 

Pinesap.

Bear grass.

What is this rusty stuff?  A mystery!

A meadow along the way which is a wetland much of the year.

At The Rockpile.

Mt. Hood from The Rockpile.

Jasper was very excited to find the register box.

A cool photo album in the register box showed pictures of the damage from the Dollar Fire.

Slime mold.

A section of the burned forest approaches the trail.

Fireweed.

We stopped so Jasper could take this photo on the way home.