It was a fantastic day for a fantastic hike. We parked at the gated area at the end of Strunk Road. We wanted to hike to the Nancy Russell overlook which is under construction to check out the progress. When we first arrived all was pretty quiet. We came to the overlook and with the clear day we had you could truly absorb the majesty that is the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Though this overlook is still under construction, you can still see what an amazing feature this addition will be to the Cape Horn Trail. We continued our hike on the trail which zig zagged through the forest. We slowly made our way, conditions were perfect. We took lunch under a large Doug Fir and enjoyed the warm weather. On our way out we encountered a WTA work party. They were cutting a brand new trail that leads from the gravel road to the future sight for the overlook. After some investigation we found out that this trail was to be wheel chair accessible when completed. It was amazing to see the path that they had cut through the meadow and forest. One can easily begin to picture the vision of the people of the Gorge, the Forest Service, and every agency who is involved. This is a remarkable place to hike and it seems it will only continue to become better and better. I would suggest this hike to anyone who wants to squeeze in a quick hike or to those who want to impress visitors with the grandeur of the Gorge. It will unveil itself to you as the unique and dynamic gem of a trail that it is.

Despite the damp weather we headed out to the Cape Horn Trail to take in the upper section. With clouds breaking we thought we might get a rainbow. But we just got muddy shoes. The trail was extremely muddy and the herbaceous vegetation growing up was damp leaving us wet from the waist down. The trail was also extremely slick; I fell down twice - should have brought my hiking poles. On the positive side the purple larkspur were still in bloom and the shifting clouds were beautiful to behold as they blew through the Gorge. Some sections were WTA volunteers have done maintenance were less muddy since the water could shed off, but with such a rainy spring even those areas were a bit slick.

This weekend the Cape Horn Trail served as the perfect field class room for the Columbia Cascades Trail Skills College. WTA volunteer leaders, Henry Panter and Barbara Chapman taught a class on tread reconstruction on the upper loop where it descends from the Cape Horn summit down to Hwy 14. Just beyond Pioneer Point, Roger Anderson (WTA ACL among other volunteer affiliations) taught a class on drain dip construction. Meanwhile Ryan Ojerio, SW Washington Regional Coordinator taught New Trail Construction on a reroute that is under construction halfway between the Salmon Falls Park and Ride and Pioneer Point. Another class worked on trail maintenance and yet another practiced trail design by flagging in a possible reroute on the super-steep section leading up to Pioneer Point. Although the Trillium are past their prime, other flowers are just opening up and the Alder are putting out brilliant green foliage. Its a great time to check out the upper segment of Trail. Note that there are still no signs on the route so if it is your first time, visit: http://www.hikingupward.com/WSP/CapeHorn/ or go with a friend who knows the way. Also the falcon closure on the lower segment begins just past the last really cool viewpoint before the trail descends. The whole lower segment will be open on July 1st. Look for info on joining the WTA trailwork party that will officially open the Trail on that date.

several folks from Portland as well as friends from upriver joined up to check out the Cape Horn loop. We were interested in seeing which sections might be affected by the Forest Service planning process that seeks to reduce impacts to flora and fauna and improve safety, particularly on the lower section. Despite wet weather the previous weekend, only a couple sections of the trail were muddy; winds were calm and the temperatures mild, in contrast to previous trips I've made to the area! We hiked counterclockwise from the Skamania County Park-n-Ride covering the loop in about 4.5 hours including stops to chat and have lunch. We noted flagging hung below Hwy 14 indicating where a potential re-route would bring the trail away from the cliff edges and seeping springs which are sensitive areas for riparian vegetation and flowers. The re-routes would also bypass the current trail location where it switches-back across moss covered talus slopes that are rare habitat for the Larch Mt. Salamander. Beyond the waterfall heading east we looked in vain for signs of the Peregrine falcon nesting area. A proposed season closure from the waterfall to the Cape Horn road is intended to protect the falcons during the critical nesting period, but would also prohibit hiking the full loop. We saw several white Trillium making an appearance along the trail!