Took a 3 day / 2 night clockwise trip around Mt. Hood for the first time! Weather was perfect -- probably upper 70s each day, clear skies, not too windy.
The blowdowns from 2020 on Yocum Ridge are still very much in play. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going up to Ramona Falls on the Timberline Trail, then dropping down to the PCT to avoid the blowdowns and rejoining the Timberline Trail after the Muddy Fork crossing. I opted for this route and it was a pleasant stroll through the woods, while a group I camped by the first night stayed on the Timberline Trail and stated they were constantly going over / under / through blowdown and many times there was no sign of the trail at all.
River crossings: Zig Zag river wasn't too bad. Hit it late morning and probably could have kept my feet dry (though I did not). I didn't reach the Sandy until 3PM or so, and the crossing other hikers told me about was not in play. IF you are there earlier in the day, then head upstream a little ways and you will see a log and some rocks to rock hop marked with cairns. The log was mostly submerged when I reached it, so I spent a great deal of time looking for another option and nearly camped at the river to cross it the next day. Eventually I found a slightly slower flowing area that best I could tell from probing on shore seemed not to be too deep. Forded it with trekking poles, water was right around my knee and center of the river was a faster flow than I was expecting. This was right where the trail picks back up. Muddy Fork (lower crossing) had a log. Coe Creek was another ford. Eliot Creek had a few logs lashed together that made for a pleasant morning crossing, though I could see them being submerged later in the day. I reached Newton Creek around 6PM and needed to get to the other side to access water. This was another tricky ford with water above my knees. Day 3 with Clark Creek and White River were easy and my feet stayed dry.
Water: plentiful throughout *except* from Cloudcap to the other side of Newton Creek there were two meager snowmelt streams and no other water. I filled one bottle at the first stream, figuring there would be more water and I'd probably camp in the saddle. Obviously not the case (:
Bugs: present, but truly not bad. Dawn/dusk and wooded damp areas saw more of them, but I was expecting swarms and was pleasantly surprised they were more or less a non-issue.
Navigation: Trail was mostly snow-free and trail is mostly easy to see throughout. A few patches of snow coming along the east side, but generally you can see where the trail picks back up on the other side. I found my Gaia app most useful at a few of the river crossings, relocating the trail quickly after making it to the other side. Particularly at White River this was helpful to avoid wandering around looking for cairns / markers / just stumbling on the footpath.
Other: Also highly recommend taking the detour up through Paradise Park. The area is beautiful and I don't think it adds any mileage just a little extra elevation. Wildflowers throughout the trail were showing up. Tons of butterflies and even a hummingbird were enjoying the flowers alongside me! Found a few blueberries along the way, too.
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