Cape Horn

7 mile loop
http://www.strava.com/activities/217034620?fb_action_ids=10101091922795005&fb_action_types=stravainc%3Arecord

Cape Horn isn't really a cape, strictly speaking. It's more of a cliff side mountain/plateau. On the east side is a big flat farmland, then you hit the cliff, and on top of Cape Horn is more farmland. It's one of the first major landmarks in the Columbia Gorge on the Washington side and one of the closest hikes to the Portland/Vancouver area. It's fairly non-descript and if the signs for the trailhead weren't so obvious most people would probably drive right by it and never stop, outside the one road pullout on HW 14.

But It is very well advertised, and the locals have found it. Cape Horn is a unique sort of hike for the area. Slightly different vibe to it. For one thing, it's a new hike. 10 years ago this hike was illegal, all on private land. The Friends of the Columbia Gorge purchased most of the land, and now the area is open to hikers. It feels like a new trail. All the bridges over creeks are fresh with no decay. Twice the trail goes underneath the highway in elaborate tunnels. It's very well signed. At many points along the path you pass through or close to private land. To top it all off, half the hike is closed from December through July for nature preservation (Peregrine falcon nesting area).

The hike itself has a lot of variety to the scenery. Most hikes in the gorge have a theme. Woodsy, isolated hike, waterfall hike, perilous cliff hike, mega mountain climbing hike, etc. Cape Horn has a little bit of it all in a fairly easy package, so it's a good hike for beginners.

This is the second time we've hiked Cape Horn. We did it last spring early on during the "closed" season on a very misty day. The experience this time was a lot different. I was holding off writing this entry till I did the whole loop, and now that we finally did it (In what will likely be our final big hike of the year) I'm excited to write it up, because Cape Horn gave us something great for a final sendoff.

You start in a parking lot just off Washington State HW 14, well labled and the entire place was jammed with cars. Cars everywhere, very different from the last time we came here. We found a spot on the street up the hill slightly and began our journey. The day was bright and sunny, but cool. It's likely going to be our last non-rainy weekend of the year, and it's during the one or two weeks in fall when the Columbia Gorge is in peak color.

The hike starts as an uphill climb through the woods. Here there are few evergreen trees, and the leaves littered the ground in the best way possible. You go up switchbacks (at a reasonable incline, enough to work the legs but not destroy you) for about 1.2 miles. There isn't much to see and you just slowly climb through the woods while you are able to see faint hints of the progress you make through the trees.

After the first mile you've climbed 700 feet and are more or less at the top. Soon there comes a sign that directs horses one direction and says "viewpoint" at the other. This is one of two close together viewpoints on the trail and probably the best overlook on the path. One spot on the cliff faces east and you get a great view of the valley between Horn and nearby Archer Mountain. The second spot, the "Fallen tree" overlook, gives you a better view of the river and the Oregon side of the gorge. You can spot Multnomah falls, Devils rest, Larch Mountain, Angels rest, and on good days you can see all the way to Wauna point and Munra Point. Mt. Hood is blocked by Larch and Beacon Rock/the Dam is blocked by Archer. It's still the best view on the hike, so we took our time.

Early spring trip

View east, archer mountain on our side of river

Big Leaf

Multnomah Falls

Cows

Past the viewpoints back on the trail you soon start drifting downhill into less woodsy territory and into the backwoods of a farm. You take a brief detour on a fire access road and then end up walking uphill again, then it levels out on the upper plateau of Horn and you walk a straight line behind a line of firs and end up on Strunk road. At this point the woods is gone and you are walking across farmland on an old gravel road towards the edge of the cliff. Soon enough you head towards the edge, and there is a viewpoint that has been built up into a nice circular spot with a rock wall. A few big trees block the view, but you can still see a lot. I spotted a Bald Eagle flying around. During the nesting season this is where the hike stops as it's closed beyond here, but we could keep going this time.

Early Spring trip

One of the best pics of the day

Now the descent down the front of the cliff begins. We plunged back into the forest and started working our way down. Occasionally we'd come across a viewpoint. You follow the HW for a quarter mile then go under it, and continue down. At one spot you can eat above a waterfall, and then keep descending. Things eventually get rocky as you level out at the bottom of the cliff near the river and you have the classic "perilous gorge hike" part show up. One bad slide and into the river you go, 200 feet down. Then you climb back up through a talus slope, rest underneath the waterfall you passed earlier, and keep heading back towards the car. The final mile and a half is on a country road through the farms, not on a trail.

The HW 14 overlook

The fall colors were spectacular and it gave us enough of a workout without beating us into the ground. At this point i'd call it the definite gorge fall hike. Most of the Oregon side is evergreen trees and hidden in shadows because of the cliffs, but Cape Horn is very flat and gentle and gets a lot of sun, and the surplus of trees that have color gives it a special feel. It was nice to complete the loop and send the hiking season off with a good one. We may do shorter winter hikes, but nothing strenuous for a while as we enter the rainy season.