February 2

Slick muddy conditions on the scramble area of the upper trail.  Areas of snow drift creeping across entire trail and mud on the lower sections of the trail especially near the falls and steps leading out of the falls to the other side of the creek ravine.   Damage to the edge of some of the trails is occurring due to foot traffic dropping below the trail to avoid the snow banks. The snow is hard pack so footing can be slippery and caution was advised on the steeps and exposed edges.  As of this writing conditions have improved with the snow melt but muddy areas remain

Went out here on a whim with a friend and ended up finding stunning views of the gorge and surrounding area getting to the top of the mountain was an interesting challenge as the last .3 miles is covered in snow and branches. Definitely plan on starting earlier in the day as it was well dark by the time we got down from the mountain 

Hello Hikers, if you done the Hamilton Mountain trail before and gone past Rodney Falls on your way to that first spectacular viewpoint you probably encounter the rugged steep switchbacks that are just shy of a fourth class scramble.

It turns out that is a very common place for Hikers to get injured and have to be carried out by volunteer search and rescue.

I visited a location with a couple SAR volunteers and they said the common denominator is shoes with smooth tread, like street runners. Of course, anybody wearing even the best equipment and hiking poles can get unlucky and break an ankle up there or even on the sidewalk if your luck is bad enough!

But it’s good to stack the odds in your favor. Tell your friends and take it easy and slow if you’re hiking that section.

Also noticed that you can volunteer for Silver Star search rescue or help them out by purchasing some of the stuff that they’re moving sale in a couple weeks.

At WTA, we have worked with State Park staff and applied twice unsuccessfully for grant funds to reroute the stacked switchback section to make it a lot safer, but still visit the best views. We’ve been up there doing a lot of maintenance work over the years, but there’s so many tree roots and bedrock that there’s just no easy options to rebench the tread short of helicoptering in treated lumber or other types of materials to shore up the decaying switch back corners.

Hiked the loop counterclockwise from the campground (and was very glad I did it in that direction for the reasons mentioned above, plus there were places on the way up that were near-scrambles that would've been even dicier coming down). It might've been just as well that I didn't realize going in how narrow, eroded, and scrambly the trail was in places near the top, but I and my dog both managed. Midweek traffic was quite light beyond the falls. Sadly, it was too fire-smoke hazy to see the distant mountains, but the views were fabulous anyway. And a foot-soak hike in the creek on the way back down, shared with rainbow trout, crayfish, and a frog, was delicious. Not an easy hike, but a great one overall.

Hamilton Mountain/Phlox Point

Start: Hamilton Mountain Trailhead

Parking: Medium, paved lot. Discover Pass ($10 day pass pay station available).

Distance: 14 miles

Gain: 3,000'+

Summits: 2,900' and 2,400'

Directions: We went from the Hamilton Mountain Trailhead for about 3/4 mile to a junction with the Equestrian Trail under the power towers, where we went right. Came to Hardy Falls, Rodney Falls, and Pool of the Winds after 1/2 mile. Very cool bridge! At the next intersection, we went straight (East), up to the summit, passing by the exposed rocky spires on the way. At the summit we turned left and went down to the saddle. Here we went left on the forest road, then almost immediately went right onto Don's Cutoff Trail. Meandered downwards through the woods to another forest road, where we went right (upstream). Followed PAST the bridge that we ended up crossing, before we came to the next junction, taking a left down a footpath that doubled back to the bridge. Followed this trail to the Hardy Ridge Trail, where we went right (uphill, upstream). Switchbacked up to a 5 way intersection at 2,500'. We took the somewhat hidden trail going up the ridge to Phlox Point. Backtracked down to the Hardy Trail all the way until we reached a junction with another forest road, where we went left. Soon after, we crossed Hardy Creek and went right at the next trail junction. The next junction reunited us with the original trail, just after the falls. Backtracked from there.

Conditions: The trail was mostly wide and even with easy to moderate steepness. One exception was a short stretch at the summit of Hamilton mountain where the trail was thinner; surrounded by tall brush. The biggest exception was the highest ridge above 2,500' to Phlox Point. This trail involved a little bit of bushwhacking and rocky terrain.

Worth it?: Yes

(Phlox Point looking South, with Hood)