By John Sparks, Volunteer, Trailkeepers of Oregon

Distance: 13.8 miles / Elevation gain: 2,585 feet

This lower-level loop using the Pacific Crest and Timberline trails can be done early in the season before alpine trails on Mount Hood have melted out. The route takes in some of the more interesting features of Mount Hood’s west side, including Ramona Falls as well as a short side trip to the stunning view from the top of Bald Mountain. (more…)

By Susan Schen, Crew Leader, Trailkeepers of Oregon

Have you ever been hiking along and found yourself walking on what seems to be a metal fence embedded in the surface of the trail? If you have, you’ve encountered a gabion! A gabion is a rectangular metal mesh cage filled with rocks, forming a giant brick, to support the trail surface on steep hillsides. (more…)

By Cheryl Hill, Volunteer, Trailkeepers of Oregon

My husband, Greg, and I visited the Painted Hills unit of the John Day Fossil Beds on a brutally hot May day in 2017. After checking out all the short trails in the area, we hiked up the Carroll Rim Trail, which leads to a stunning viewpoint overlooking the most famous portion of the Painted Hills.

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