Yocum Ridge Backpack
This is one of Deb’s favorite places, she shared with me first back in 2018. Since then, we come up here at least once or twice a year, sometimes for a night or two. It really is a beautiful place. And you are sure to see plenty of wildlife.
On this trip we spent two nights at a spot we found on a previous trip. Lovely spot with great views of the mountain and west at the sunset. We did have to wait about two hours for the sun to rise over the mountain, but this spot was worth it.
We had a day to wander the area, so we climbed a fun scramble back up to the ridge crest then wandered the glacier carved landscape watching for wildlife. We had a great aerobatic show from several Kestrels and a Bald Eagle fly-by. All day the smoke from the wildfires drifted our way and by the end of the day we were in it. Later that evening, while we were watching a movie, a Sooty Grouse wandered into camp and foraged for food within 10’ of us…pretty cool to watch. The smoke made for a nice sunset…
On the morning of the third day, when we got up, we could barely see the mountain through the smoke. We filtered some water, packed up camp and headed down the mountain.
Another nice weekend spent with my love, Deb. Thanks for sharing this special place. I always look forward to coming back.
Waiting for a large group to cross the Sandy River…
Typical view of Mount Hood from the Sandy River Crossing…
Passing by Toad Lake…
Still Lots of wild flowers at higher elevation…
Looking at what’s left of the Reid Glacier melting into the Sandy River…
Mount Hood from Yocum Ridge at about 6100′
Mount Hood from Camp 6640’…
We were in Clark’s Nutcracker territory. Fun watching them at camp…
Smoky Mountains below…
Evening alpenglow…
Alpenglow over on McNeil Point…
Sun setting…
Sun finally rising over Mt Hood two hours after sunrise…
Our water source was amongst the flowers…
We spent the day wandering, which started with this huff back up to the ridge, from camp.
Back on the ridge crest…
Looking down at camp…
Smoke in the distance is getting thicker…
Beautiful…
Watching the smoke getting closer…
Our views are disappearing
We climbed up and sat on this rock for a while, and watched several Kestrel’s perform aerobatics…
Back to camp… The smoke is thickening…
From camp, we watched these knuckleheads knocking rocks over the edge of the face we used to scramble up to the ridge several hours before…
This one wandered into camp and proceeded to forage on insects, seeds, and whatever else it could find, while we just sat and watched…
Pretty sure it’s a Sooty Grouse…
A view from camp. Smoky sunset tonight…
The sun shining through smoke layers at sunset…
Sunrise over the mountain was a bit smokier than the previous morning.
Leaving camp, looking back at a smoky view of the mountain…
We stopped, sat, looked, and listened for Pika…and saw two.
Usually there is a fantastic view of Mount Hood here…
BOO!!
The Weekends Route…
Those grouse can seem pretty tame sometimes.