37 MIRROR LAKE

DISTANCE & CONFIGURATION: 2.8-mile out-and-back to lake, 6-mile out-and-back to ridge

DIFFICULTY: Easy to lake, strenuous to ridge

SCENERY: Rhododendrons; deep forest; small, placid lake; big view

EXPOSURE: Shady on the way up, open at lake, wide-open atop ridge

TRAFFIC: Heavy all summer, insane on weekends

TRAIL SURFACE: Packed dirt, rocks

HIKING TIME: 2 hours to lake, 4 hours to ridge

ELEVATION CHANGE: 780' to lake, 1,520 to ridge

SEASON: Late June–October

BEST TIME: August and September

BACKPACKING OPTIONS: A few sites at lake

DRIVING DISTANCE: 54 miles (1 hour, 15 minutes) from Pioneer Courthouse Square

ACCESS: Northwest Forest Pass required May 15–October 1

MAPS: Green Trails Map 461 (Government Camp), USFS Mount Hood Wilderness, USGS Government Camp

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: No

FACILITIES: Portable restroom at trailhead

CONTACT: Zigzag Ranger District, 503-622-3191, www.fs.usda.gov/mthood

LOCATION: Mirror Lake Trailhead on US 26, 2 miles west of Government Camp, OR

COMMENTS: Though this trail is popular as a snowshoe destination, parking at the trailhead November 1–April 30 is prohibited; your car will be towed. Even in summer, parking outside the signs marking the lot will get you towed. When this book was written, a project was under way to create an entirely new trailhead for this hike, off US 26 in a new parking area near Skibowl. Projected completion was October of 2018; see tinyurl.com/mirrorth for the latest.

View of Mount Hood from the aptly named Mirror Lake

YOU CAN GO a short way on this hike and join the weekend throngs at a lovely little lake with a great view of Mount Hood. Or you can put in a little more effort and leave most of the crowds behind to claim an even better view at the top of—believe it or not—Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain.

DESCRIPTION

When you come around the corner on US 26 and see 75 cars parked on the side of the road, know that it’s not a fair; it’s the Mirror Lake Trailhead. The interest in this trail is well justified, so think about starting early or going on a weekday to have a decent chance for some quiet time (and keep an eye out for that new trailhead; see Comments, above right).

The lower portions of Mirror Lake Trail #664 have rhododendrons that bloom pink in late June, and the upper portions are cool and shady, keeping you from warming up too much as you head up the hill. But it isn’t even much of a hill, gaining less than 800 feet in 1.4 well-graded miles. Just below the lake, you’ll come to the outlet creek and a trail junction. You can go either way to loop 0.4 mile around the lake, but if you’re headed up the ridge, bear right.

The lake itself is a beauty. The beaches are on the right side, the (unimpressive) campsites are on the left, and the view of Mount Hood you’re looking for is at the far end, on the boardwalk in a marshy area.

To get to the top of Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain, walk to the far right side of the lake (as you face it when you arrive), and follow a trail that goes right and steadily climbs the face of the ridge. Your destination is actually right above you, but you have to walk almost 2 miles to get there. As for the mountain’s name, it indicates the three peaks on the ridge—not, as some would suggest, the fact that every Tom, Dick, and Harry hikes this trail.

The trail is really just two lengthy switchbacks, each almost a mile long. It’s time to turn left when you get to some serious rock cairns. The forest opens a little more here, and as you approach the summit the trail gets a smidgen steeper. When you reach a rocky area (neither steep nor dangerous), you’re almost there.

The view from atop this ridge is really something, considering how close you still are to your car. For starters, look at how pitifully small—and how far down—Mirror Lake is. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly you gain elevation when hiking. Right across the highway is Mount Hood, in all its glory. It’s actually blocking Mount Adams. To the left is Mount St. Helens. What looks like a shoulder on St. Helens is in fact Mount Rainier, some 100 miles north of you.

If you’re still feeling energetic, resist the temptation to explore the other two peaks on this ridge—Tom and Dick, as it were. They’re off-limits because they’re home to protected peregrine falcons. A random historical note: In the opening scene of the film Wild, Reese Witherspoon (as Cheryl Strayed) tossed a boot off a cliff. Though it was set on the PCT, that scene was filmed up here somewhere (they used the chairlift at Skibowl, the cheaters). Some two years later, a hiker found (and kept) the boot way down in the rocks below.

NEARBY ACTIVITIES

The easternmost peak of Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain is the summit of Mt. Hood Skibowl, which, in the summer, is like a constant carnival. You can bungee-jump, ride the alpine slide, play minigolf, drive go-carts, take a trip in a helicopter, or ride the chairlift to the top of the hill and hike or mountain-bike down. The entrance is 1 mile east of the Mirror Lake Trailhead on US 26. Call 503-222-BOWL (2695) or visit skibowl.com for details.

GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES N45° 18.410' W121° 47.534'

DIRECTIONS Take US 26 from Portland, driving 45 miles east of I-205. Park at the trailhead, on the right. It’s 0.5 mile past the historical marker for the Laurel Hill Chute, also on the right. And take note of the new trailhead coming, at least in theory, in the fall of 2018. See Comments.