For quite a while, well over a year, I've been wanting to drive up to High Rock in the Cascades, west of Timothy lake. I decided that I'd make a trip out of it, traveling East on Hwy 26 from Portland to the turn-off to Timothy Lake (rd 42) then onto rd 58.
We stopped at Little Crater Lake. If you're ever in the area, Little Crater Lake is really impressive place to stop. Just a short 5 minute walk on a paved trail brings you to the lake, a 60ft wide, 45ft deep lake that was caused by an artesian spring and for that reason, its only 34 degrees. And its deep blue.
As we climbed up the hill from Little Crater Lake up the High Rock the air got colder and colder and we started seeing snow on the road shoulders. We were fortunate enough that the road never got snowy all the way up to the 4950 ft elevation. The last half-mile up to the top is pretty rough, definitely a high-clearance or 4x4 road. The view from the top is great, if you aren't fogged in
After finding a
Geocache at the top of High Rock, we headed back down to rd 58 and followed it down along Shellrock creek till it comes out along the Oak Fork of the Clackamas River.
We followed rd 57 down to Ripplebrook and the Clackamas, via 224, down river all the way back into civilization, stopping a few times for Geocaches and to stretch our legs near one of the bridges over the river.
All these pictures are viewable on my
FLICKR 
09-30-2007, 09:35 PM
Mt Hood South Loop 
