Decided to avoid the crowds today and hike towards the top of Ranger Creek trail. Saw some reports on Noble knob and wanted to see if it was reachable from Ranger Creek Trail. My wife and I usually stay between 8 to 12 miles. I knew this would exceed our distance, so we went up with an open mind to try and reach the summit.
Parked along 410 around 1145 and headed up the Ranger Creek Trail. All the blowdowns had been cleared, especially after the Little Ranger Peak viewpoint. We continued for about 4.5 miles before reaching the split with Palisades trail. We stayed to the right where you enter into a completely different environment. Lots of burnt forest. Lots of green growing up around the old trees. In less than a mile you will see another split with the Dalles Ridge trail. We stayed to the right for another 1.25 miles until we reached the fork with Lost lake trail to the right and Noble knob to the left. We stayed in the middle and the peak is about .75 miles up. We did encounter a few patches of snow but easy to walk over or around. Peak is around 6,000 feet and snow free. View was still incredible even with some heavy clouds. You could see George Lake and Lost lake in the distance. Looks like you can drive within a few miles of Noble Knob instead of the route we went, but why when you can enjoy all of nature.
Hike down was a little grueling after we started hitting our wall of 12 miles. We made it down around 1830. Total miles was over 15 and our furthest. Garmin said about 4,700 in total gain but it wasn't that bad since it was gradual. If you want a long summer hike and away from the crowds, this is the one. Maybe saw a total of about 6 other hikers and one bike. Remember to bring lots of water because the forest opens up and lots of exposure on top. There are a few water sources on the Ranger Creek trail. We also saw lots of Coral Mushroom along with signs of bear grass starting to bloom.
Be safe and Happy Hiking!
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