Elevation gain: 4,961 ft.
I showed up at Starvation Creek rest area later than anticipated but nonetheless gained quick traction up Starvation Ridge. I am training for a Mt. Hood climb next spring and felt this was my last shot at Mt. Defiance whilst weather and clear views would be plausible. I carried extra weight in my pack which soon proved to be questionable the further I climbed as the temp increased :) at approximately 2000 ft. Up the trail, I came across cougar scat and an elaborately engineered bear den at another 1500 ft. It is hyperphagia season, so I was prepared for this sight. I came across only a few other solo hikers (incredibly friendly), and exchanged quick “tips” while proceeding toward the cutoff. I decided to head up the Mt. Defiance trail for all of the beautiful views on both west and east sides.. Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood were 100% visible and I felt so blessed to see these mountain vistas. Key takeaways: take plenty of water (at least 2 liters depending on the weather and pace), GPS with satellite device. Without those cairns some might get quite turned around without a live GPS system. I was truly grateful to the awesome hiker who walked with me back down with excellent conversation and provided generosity after I’d run out of water (never doing that again). Trails were in excellent shape, fall foliage beginning, lots of sounds of cute pikas, and overall great mojo on the trails :)
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