Beacon Rock State Park - Hamilton Mountain, Beacon Rock State Park - Hardy Creek — Wednesday, Mar. 30, 2016

Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA

We hiked the popular loop over Hamilton Mountain, in Beacon Rock State Park, returning by way of the Lower Hardy Creek Trail. The loop is 8.2 miles, with 2,100 feet elevation gain, so it has traditionally been an annual spring conditioner hike. Even in the middle of the week, it is wise to arrive at the trailhead early to capture a parking space. The trail climbs steadily from the outset, with an intermediate descent to cross Hardy Creek on a "single lane" bridge. The ascent steepens beyond the bridge, which is a turnaround point for many hikers. When the trail begins switchbacking beneath and around steep ledges and cliffs, the wide tread gives way to a narrow path worn down to bedrock by thousands of boots. Switchback cutters have worsened the erosion and resist all efforts by the park staff to keep them on the trail. At a couple of points, I had to use scramble techniques to climb eroded steps. At each bald, eroding social trails lead off the designated path to climb to cliff tops. The trampling feet have relegated the famous flower displays of Hamilton Mountain to only persisting on the cliff faces where humans can't go. We climbed continuously, alternately in forest and across open slopes, until the trail broke out on Hamilton Mountain's summit at 3.4 miles. We paused for a look at the view, but the breeze was picking up and a pair of women hanging out there with three off-leash dogs convinced us to hike on to the saddle to find a lunch spot where we wouldn't have to guard our food or my dog's lunch from marauders. The saddle, where a fire road reaches the ridge crest from the west, offers opportunities for finding a sunny, wind-sheltered lunch spot. We continued onward on the fire road. We bypassed Don's Cutoff Trail since we didn't know whether it had been maintained yet this year -- It can be rough if it has a lot of blowdowns -- and continued to the junction with the Upper Hardy Creek Trail. We took a .25-mile side trip up it to visit the vault toilet, then headed back downstream to the Hardy Creek Trail. We followed it along the ridge side, with flashes of Hardy Creek often visible below us, to the junction with the Hamilton Mountain Trail at 6.6 miles. The return to the trailhead is another 1.6 miles. Spring bloom was just getting under way. We saw two species of violets, the first of the Fairy Slippers, two species of toothworts, the first bleeding hearts, Dutchman's breeches, many western trilliums, serviceberrry, osoberry and red flowering currant. The peak flower show probably is about a month away.