{"id":2276,"date":"2018-04-03T20:45:55","date_gmt":"2018-04-03T20:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/old.cherylhill.net\/blog\/?p=2276"},"modified":"2018-04-04T15:30:56","modified_gmt":"2018-04-04T15:30:56","slug":"tracy-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/2018\/04\/03\/tracy-hill\/","title":{"rendered":"Tracy Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Saturday, March 11, 2018<\/p>\n<p>What a gorgeous day! Greg was out of town so I did a solo hike at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.oregonhikers.org\/field_guide\/Tracy_Hill_Loop_Hike\">Tracy Hill<\/a>, which is in the Catherine Creek area in the Columbia River Gorge. My start point was just a short distance east down the road from the main Catherine Creek trailhead.<\/p>\n<p>The trail starts out on an old jeep track. On this crystal clear day I started getting views of Mt. Hood right away:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/873\/26205350787_5f7dcfe84a_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There were still a few grass widows around:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/821\/41033857292_6b025f9ae2_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I also saw plenty of gold stars:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/879\/26205344297_281278c16a_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I love the ponderosa pines here:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/899\/41033852222_9f780abefd_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"531\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/791\/26205337887_5d74438f5a_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At 0.8 mile there is a junction where I went straight. The jeep track from the left would bring me back here at the end of the hike. I continued hiking uphill, then the track turned into a trail and emerged into a huge sloping meadow:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/876\/26205331607_912a5309ec_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As I got higher, the views got better. The snowy bump at center is Lookout Mountain:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/901\/41076508551_2c4334f9bf_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And Mt. Hood was glorious!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/812\/26205374667_56e60c8c93_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>1.9 miles into the hike I reached the top of the meadow where someone has made a makeshift bench. It&#8217;s a great spot to stop and enjoy the views, which is exactly what I did.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/886\/26288560797_40f9703f9a_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/806\/27287184158_c8e9b23e3d_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I loved the gnarled branches on this old oak tree:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/796\/40265463555_40747e3ea6_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"531\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I spotted a lizard in this hole. See him?<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/895\/39354996880_a6d93f605b_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>How about now?<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/867\/40269502675_77a9aff77c_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The trail passes through an oak forest:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/817\/40269498055_0b2c239b0c_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And emerges into another meadow with yet another view of Mt. Hood:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/813\/39354986970_402fef2eb8_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I passed an old cattle pond that is fed by a spring:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/805\/39354982280_0c90edea62_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I wanted to get further up the hill and pick up another old jeep track so I left the trail and cut up through the meadow, although it turns out if I had stayed on the trail a bit further I would have intersected a path that headed uphill. I found said path as I got higher:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/888\/27291262678_09f439b98f_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The trail connected with another old jeep track:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/884\/27291258808_e665e81351_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Which entered a very pleasant forest:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/870\/39354971600_4a23d32e27_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At the three-mile mark I came to a more developed-looking road:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/896\/39354964260_4f12145623_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This spot was also the site of some logging:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/791\/27291249528_b7e72d7455_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I made this my turnaround point. Back out in the open meadows I put down my sit pad on the trail and sat down to enjoy the view for awhile:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/815\/39355007030_76f5349684_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/901\/26293063957_b996c94898_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I had a good view of the Columbia Hills to the east. Great place to see balsamroot in about six weeks!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/818\/40269581095_ce608b4392_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>After soaking up the sunshine for awhile I continued on. The trail descended down into the canyon of Catherine Creek:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/789\/39355099120_bdeb9198b4_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/902\/41165546211_f53301faf5_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A peek at the Columbia River as the trail descends:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/816\/40452908654_5f502b750c_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I picked up another jeep track:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/802\/40452904484_dddba79304_c.jpg\" alt=\"Tracy Hill Hike\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Which connected me back to the original trail where I returned to my car. It was a 6.5 mile loop with 1,700&#8242; elevation gain. Great hike!<\/p>\n<p>Here is my track:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/880\/27336445388_7d97d4bb35_c.jpg\" alt=\"TracyHillTrack\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And here is the video:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A beautiful day on Tracy Hill\" width=\"880\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/f49yUhG4byA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Saturday, March 11, 2018 What a gorgeous day! Greg was out of town so I did a solo hike at<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/2018\/04\/03\/tracy-hill\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Tracy Hill<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[182,187,161],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2276"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2276"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2284,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2276\/revisions\/2284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cherylhill.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}