PCT miles 2087.9 - 2091.5, Twin Lakes, Mount Hood, Oregon

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
08/21/2018	10.5 miles	4 hours 52 minutes	1,610'	23:22

Map: National Geographic Mount Hood Wilderness
Parking: See book. Northwest Forest Pass required.
Directions: 100 Hikes / Travel Guide, Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington. Hike #79 Twin Lakes (modified to extend)


Today we headed to Barlow Pass. Part of our hike was on the Pacific Crest Trail - our first Oregon miles! During this trip, we learned more about AQI or the Air Quality Index. We started finding websites where you can actually look for AQI forecasts - though often we found they weren't accurate. Today, the Mount Hood area was less smoky and hazy than the Hood River area, though the forecast called for widespread smoke and haze. We drove to Barlow Pass and saw that we needed a Northwest Forest Pass for parking. We drove on to Government Center, went into the visitor information center there, and luckily they sell them. The pass lasts for a year. Back to Barlow Pass.

We hiked southbound on the PCT. This was easy hiking! The trail was level and so smooth - really nice! If you look at the photos - the trails look nothing like NY. No rocks, no roots!  We were hiking in a wooded area with old growth trees. We started today's hike by following a specific hike in our guide book - but we were making such good time for a while - 23 minute miles. So, we came up with a way to extend it. We passed by a few thru hikers heading northbound. I can't say they all looked happy.

We arrived at Lower Twin Lake, which has campsites right on the lake. There were logs next to the lake which made perfect seats for stopping and having lunch. There were camp robbers (probably grey jays) that kept trying to take my food as I ate. One came over and started pecking on my backpack. They were dive bombing both of us. Glen tried to trick them by holding out his hand with no food in it, to see if they'd land, but they didn't fall for it.

We did a loop around the lake, and then got back on the trail and headed to the northern Twin Lake. We stopped there and sat again to snack. More birds were dive bombing us again. The very top of Hood Mountain was visible from the lake. I wouldn't call this hike a place to enjoy a Mount Hood view though - this hike was more about enjoying the lakes. There was also a large patch of huckleberries by one of the lakes, so we snacked.

Huckleberries

Mount Hood, faint in the background

Hungry bird sitting next to us