There are a lot of folks on trails out right now, and mask use while passing Is pretty good but maybe 75%. On this 11+ mile hike I saw a total of TWO people, so come get your isolation on. Overall a great hike with some beautiful views over a forested valley and into the gorge. You get a northern profile of Mt. Hood which is way more pointy than from other angles.
Some things I will note:
1. I think the elevation total is incorrect on some websites, I think. I have seen it noted as 2900+ft on some sites and considerably less than 2000 on others. My total elevation gain from the TH to Big Huckleberry Mountain and back according to my iphone was about 2000 (recording with Strava & Gaia GPS). I went for a conditioning hike, and still got a pretty good workout even if it was not as much gain as I expected. It's a nice mix of ups, downs, and flats over the length of the route in both directions.
2. There is a lot of underbrush encroaching on the trail. Not enough to make it hard to find the trail at all, but enough that I wished I had brought lightweight long pants instead of shorts. Silver lining: a fair number of the bushes scratching up your legs are huckleberry bushes. There are a few logs down but nothing major. It looks like we are past peak wildflower time.
3. As some have noted, all the really great views are on the initial 1/3 from the TH to Grassy Knoll. I did the long hike because I am trying to get myself back in shape. After grassy knoll you spend some time on exposed hillsides and then duck into a pleasant forest for a long time. There is a flattened campspot at Cold Spring (I could not see a spring there but I didn't look hard) and a smaller informal camp site a little further along. There were a couple muddy trickle streams but otherwise no water source on the trail.
4. I have seen old reports that the roads require high clearance vehicles. I went in my 2001 Honda Accord with no issues. Lots of gravel and minimal potholes, very even roads overall. No facilities at trailhead.
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