{"id":5138,"date":"2024-05-27T16:56:08","date_gmt":"2024-05-27T16:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/?p=5138"},"modified":"2024-07-07T18:30:06","modified_gmt":"2024-07-07T18:30:06","slug":"little-bald-mountain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/2024\/05\/27\/little-bald-mountain\/","title":{"rendered":"Little Bald Mountain"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Monday, May 27, 2024<\/p>\n<p>Our last hike of Labor Day Weekend was up Little Bald Mountain.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>We started at the Coalmine Hill Trailhead. Little Bald Mountain is part of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oregonhikers.org\/field_guide\/Bald_Mountain_Loop_Hike\">longer loop hike<\/a>, but we didn&#8217;t do that whole loop.<\/p>\n<p>We started out on an old roadbed:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764195788_6d1fd27f8b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764413310_3139a48de6_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764195068_28ca518d27_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then we crossed Smith Ditch on a footbridge. This ditch was a 1930s CCC project that diverted water from Ditch Creek to Willow Creek for irrigation water:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764195058_d6cd003597_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764413365_99817c065a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We skirted the edge of Herren Meadow. I didn&#8217;t get a photo of them, but we saw several elk out there:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53763123702_401001b5d0_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764228758_20cc5b7995_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Standing water and flowers:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764027621_daa51c3c21_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We hiked through pretty forest:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764358279_7b727220a3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then we reached the side trail for Gibson Cave:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764362264_e947215fa2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At the cave are the broken remains of a long-gone interpretive panel:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764442025_2d0d46eb3f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This cave got its name when a man named Gibson lived here during the Great depression. He even built a door with a wall and a window. All evidence of that is gone now:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53763123197_c412ddfa8f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764027256_5c4cd7451a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764441520_d862ce5645_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53763122867_27f91f5f5b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>View from the cave mouth:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764357394_6e5f4be498_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We headed back to the main trail and continued on. We were too early for most wildflowers, but we saw some:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764026846_ab75bf0363_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764441340_5df913acdd_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53763122437_7646f4a436_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764446480_367a8b8c35_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764031486_908da05d17_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Unlike Madison Butte the day before this trail had not yet seen any maintenance:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53763122562_f0d71186c5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764223423_f3e3fe2737_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Greg stayed behind taking photos and I kept hiking. I reached an open meadow area below the summit where balsamroot and other flowers were starting to bloom:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764378804_61e59abd52_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764047296_d8c84be30e_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764377504_a25bf5423c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764048051_49601b674d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764244688_705d07825a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764474825_64dc3f600f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking up towards the false summit (the true summit is just beyond):<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764048661_b1fc2cc15f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking back behind me:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764463420_bc05722807_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the distance I could see Mt. Hood:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764048111_e6ab1a2fab_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And Mt. Adams:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764047911_ca0be2feed_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Almost to the summit:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764047236_4e84bfa279_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Made it!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53763142707_85c5d3e4ed_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a wide open area with one lone tree:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764461930_7199f7cfbe_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The tree has a mailbox on it which contains a bunch of old logbooks, most of which were in very poor condition:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764243793_c60028b87a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764461695_7cb8896466_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking over to Bald Mountain:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53763142597_b646f78897_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Black Mountain in the distance:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764243618_0779d99596_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53763142387_9c287c4a7e_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We decided to head back down to the false summit and have a break there. The view to the west is actually better from there:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764474820_effc4844c0_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p>After our break we headed back down:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/53764257348_e16f539658_b.jpg\" alt=\"Little Bald Mountain Hike\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Nice hike! It will probably be quite pretty in a few weeks when more wildflowers get going. I&#8217;d like to do the whole loop sometime.<\/p>\n<p>Gaia stats: 4 miles, 840&#8242; elevation tain<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Monday, May 27, 2024 Our last hike of Labor Day Weekend was up Little Bald Mountain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5184,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[159,218],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5138"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5138"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5200,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5138\/revisions\/5200"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}