Another good weekend to get outside and hike. I didn’t give it much thought besides knowing I wanted to hike with Jenny. The easiest thing was to just hike Elk Mountain that we talked about the week before. We knew where to go, it was close, and Kings Mountain had a good view from the top. As Jenny pointed out this was a much more extreme hike. It was 1.5 miles and a 1900′ elevation change.
We got a super early start. Some coffee from Coava and we arrived at the trailhead by 8:30am. The deeper into the forest we got the worse the weather looked. For half the hike it was raining. It wasn’t hard and what got us soaked was the narrow trail and all the water on the leaves.
This trail had many good spots on the way up to stop and look across the valley. With all the rain clouds you would see it following the wind patterns down the valley and up mountain sides. As we got higher up the mountain the weather cleared up. Near the summit the tree cover never really clear up but it was still a decent view. Here we cracked open a beer and toasted our victory. The extra weight was worth it. This hike was shorter and I thought not as difficult getting to the summit compared to Kings Mountain. Even coming down wasn’t that bad on my knees.
With the early start and short hike we again stopped at Cornelius Pass Roadhouse for a drink. Way more crowded this time but we found a secluded spot on the lawn to enjoy the sun, nice weather and a beer.
Another good hike in the Tillamook State Forest. Still thinking about that full loop. Its doable I think. Just need to see if we can camp and plan out a visit. The summit trail head starts at the Elk Mountain campsite so if we can’t camp on the mountain we can at least camp at the base. A sunrise or sunset from this area would be pretty cool.
McMenamins Tropic Heat After hiking we got a well deserved beer.
A holiday weekend and after many months of quarantine it was time to get outside. Among many other activities this long weekend Jenny and I went for a hike. We decided to hike up Kings Mountain in the Tillamook State Forest. We found this from a hiking book I have. It talked about the summit and the view and we both where in before even really understanding what it was we where getting ourselves into.
summit of Kings Mt.
We then saw just how challenging this hike was going to be. It is a only 2.5 miles but in that distance you cover 2500′ by the time you get to the peak which is 3226′. You spend most of your time climbing. There are very few flat sections on the trail. What you find is that you’re constantly climbing up the hill. The trail doesn’t have many switchbacks like some other trail because you just climb up the hill.
It took us just over 2 hours to get the to top. Thankfully the weather was cool that morning because I needed it. I was sweating my ass off the entire way up and if it was hot and humid it would have been a brutal hike. Its just shows how out of shape I am not necessarily how extreme it is. As we walked up a guy passed us running down the trail. Later as we started our hike down he passed us hiking up the mounting. Before we returned to the trail head he ran past us down the trail. That guy was crazy fit.
several other trails can start from here
We hung out at the summit for a good bit to relax and take in the view. The pictures don’t do it justice. Even thought it was cloudy we could see pretty damn far across the valley. We also ate lunch to regain some energy. After about 20 minutes of relaxing we started making our way back down the mountain. While it only took 1:20 minutes to get down I feel it was much harder. As steep as it was it was hard on my knees. Weird as it sounds running down the mountain helped. We could use the momentum we already had which would help carry us down the mountain.
On the way back we stopped for a well deserved drink at McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. I think next time I might just bring a bottle with us to the top of the mountain. I know the glass is heavy but after a long hike up a mountain like that a beer is well deserved. This location has a huge grass area you can lounge at along with several areas with picnic benches. Considering the circumstances we decided to drink outside. Nice place on a good day to be outside.
One thing I realized was the deforestation you can see. When you are at the summit you can see well manicured cleared patches of forest dotting the valley. It is such a shame to see this broken and disjointed patch work of forest. Only the valleys are left with trees as everything else is cleared. It seemed like half where not replanted either. As we walked down I noticed all the uniform trees and a single tree section that must have been 5′ across. It was then I realized this was a reforested patch of land. I was glad to see it have trees again but sad knowing all the old growth had been cut down.
We talked about continuing the hike around to Elk Mountain. If we did that we would camp and catch the sunrise/sunset across the valley which I bet is pretty amazing. At least hike up that mountain as a single hike. Initially I didn’t read the description closely but it is 1.5 mile and 1900′ elevation change. So it is shorter but sounds like it is a steeper grade. I just need to pack plenty of water and snacks and I will be able to make it.
Kings Mountain certainly is a challenge but if you are determined you will make it up. Just take breaks as you go but you will make it. There is a larger loop if you are interested in completely in. Several other trails from this central location which is also nice.
Tillamook State Forest Kings Mountain Trailhead
Kings Mountain and Elk Mountain trail map.
Even when you get to 2500′ you still have to climb another 700′.
Almost near the top the trees start to open up and you can see across the valley.
