We spent a beautiful weekend strolling along the Highline trail on Klickitat (also know as Mt Adams). We headed up to the trailhead on a Thursday night, and parked Jaxson a few hundred yards down from the main trail in an area that burned for several weeks last summer. The road to the trailhead wound through the burn, and it was both sad and hopeful to see the plants and wildlife in their early stages of recovery and transformation. We parked at a pull off just as the sun was setting, and must have been near a den because for the next hour or two deer in couplets kept sauntering past us, and we listened to the tromp of their hooves in the still-ashy soil.

We were at the climbers trailhead, so for our first mile or two of trail, we were mostly passing climbers on their way to the summit, or coming down from it. We ascended for a bit and then turned left while they continued their steady climb up. Once on the highline trail, the people thinned out and the terrain changed more into wildflower meadows and stream crossings. The highline trail circumnavigates the mountain, but one needs tribal permission to pass through the eastern portion of this sacred mountain. So for this weekend, we planned to spend a couple nights on the on the north and western slopes. This was our first time on this trail and we couldn’t get over how beautiful and easy it was, mostly following a level course through wildflowers, and sometimes along and across gently flowing streams.

For our first night, we made camp in a small clearing beside a stream. The stream formed two deep pools right by our site, allowing us to cool off and take a dip. It was a very beautiful spot that we found just by happenstance, but later discovered was referenced in various trail descriptions. Folks kept sauntering into the clearing and letting out a sad sigh that it was occupied before sulking away. We felt like real royalty.

At dusk the mosquitos came out and we spent a fair amount of time in the tent to escape the hoards, which took away from the royalty feeling a bit. So it goes.

But we were still having a blast. The next day we passed fields of lupines and beautiful vistas. We also intersected with the PCT for a handful of miles and got to chat with some PCT hikers heading north. At this latitude and time, they were the faster of the bunch. Since we are contemplating a thru or section hike at some point, it was fun to oogle their gear and their deep, deep tans, and the speed with which they are barrelling towards the Canadian border. One day.

lupine party, trident crown of adams, and snags from the fire last summer on the butte

At the end of this trip, we marveled at what a fun and gentle walk-about this trail proved to be, while also being quite accessible from the city, with many delights including a deer parade at the entrance. We can’t wait to come back next summer. We hope to snag our renowned camp spot, and perhaps we’ll head out a bit earlier in the season to beat the mosquitos to it. Thank you, Klickitat.

The Highline Trail

The Loowit Trail