It was a pretty windy day, the day after Christmas.  I wasn't even sure I was going to do the hike as it was raining in the late morning when I arrived.  The sun didn't come out to after 1:00pm but stayed out mostly, which made it a more enjoyable hike.  

I did a loop starting at Ranch Road to Military Road to Eightmile Loop and back to the main road.  Lots of nice views to be had.  The sun peaked in and out of clouds and provided for a dynamic sky.  

The trail was muddy and slippery in many places.  I ended up sliding on some mud and falling down on a somewhat flat part of the trail.  Overall though, I enjoyed the hike and look forward to coming back.  

Trail has some overgrown grassy parts, but otherwise is in good condition. Very few people out on the trail, but so far it remains an open trail during wildfire season in the Gorge.

All of the small creeks are dry, so bring water for your pups!

#HikeaThon

We started at the Crawford Oaks TH on the hiway, hiked up to the ranch, and all around the loops. Take a picture of the map before you get started. All intersections are marked. Don’t be discouraged by the start of the trail. The old road is the last thing you’ll remember about this hike. We coated ourselves in sunscreen and bug spray and so far, no ticks found.
What a day! Quite windy but not too cold. It’s true, the balsam root are past prime but they’re still very pretty. Lots of other flowers blooming and always something to look at.

Beautiful wildflowers blooming and great views! I found the hike a bit boring though and turned back after about a mile. Would be a great spot to watch a sunset.

We are camped at Maryhill SP and today we did a through hike starting at the Dalles Mountain Ranch TH and meandering to the Crawford Oaks TH. We parked our truck at the Crawford Oaks TH and our friends drove us to the Dalles Mountain Ranch TH so we could do a through hike. The balsamroot are past prime, but  still add color to the landscape. Lupine are fresh and their fragrance was very nice especially when there was a slight breeze which was much appreciated on this mostly windless but very warm day. Bare stem desert parsley, phlox, fiddleneck, brodiaea, and death camas were some of the other flowers seen. We saw a lady riding a horse, a few bikers and many other hikers. Meadowlarks were heard, but only one was seen. Many Lewis's woodpeckers were seen in an oak grove off trail just before crossing 8 mile Creek. A few poppies were seen near 8 Mile Falls as we neared the Crawford Oaks TH.