Starving for Lower Starvation Ridge

The weather was meh this weekend, so instead of hunting down some wildflowers that are still somewhat behind schedule, we did a loop we haven't done for 3 years: the Lower Starvation Loop.

It's a really great little hike. It gives you a great little bit of everything you need in a Gorge hike. You get a great workout from the first mile. You get multiple great waterfalls. You get sections of solitude. You get wildflowers. You get great views. You get fun creek crossings and interesting diversions. You even get power lines and everything that offers (views). It's really underrated.

At the parking lot a quick diversion to the left gives you a view of the gigantic (and somewhat obscured) Starvation Creek Falls. Walk back on the newly paved bike trail a bit and you hit the Starvation cutoff shortcut, which is about 1/4th of a mile long and up with the toughest climbs step for step anywhere. Thankfully it's not long. The hike gains roughly 1300 feet of elevation, and most of it comes in this backbreaking section.

Starvation Creek Falls

Luckily, it's short! Then you hit the Starvation Ridge junction (you can walk left 50 yards for a quick view, but a better one is coming). You cross Cabin Creek, climb up some more to a power line clearing, where a nice bare rock ledge offers a spectacular view. Dog Mountain dominates the view directly north.

Central Viewpoint on the lower Starvation Ridge

Pano from the central viewpoint

From here the hike descends on a bare grassy meadow under the power lines. Little wildflowers speckle the hill. Large raptors fly around overhead. This section feels mildly perilous with a steep drop into some witch trees far below.

The meadow section

Once back into the woods, you have to get creative to cross a wide, deep creek. Then you quickly reach the Mt. Defiance junction. A quick walk along the Defiance trail gives you a view of lower Lancaster Falls.

Lower Lancaster Falls

A short walk back down to the bottom of the cliff takes you to the very cool Hole in the Wall falls. In 1938 construction crews cut out a hole in the rock to divert the creek so now the waterfall tumbles out a tunnel.

Hole in the wall falls

Dave for scale

Caption included in photo!

A quick walk back along the paved bike trail drops you next to Cabin Creek Falls, and then the parking lot. Because we are now much cooler, sexier hikers than we used to be, we decided to walk along the bike trail to Viento State Park to add a couple easy miles to our total and bring us close to 6 on the day.

Cabin Creek Falls