Posted by Laurie Wendt on December 25, 2008 at 7:56 PM
I'm from Minnesota I'm planning my first trip to Oregon in mid April. I'll be spending 2-3 days in the Hood River area. I would like to visit Lost Lake and Trillium Lake while there. What would be the snow conditions at these areas be like then? Would they be accessible by car at this time? I would also like to explore some forest roads around the valley. Would I need an 4WD SUV for this or would a car be ok?
Happy Holidays Everyone and Thanks for any help.
Posted by Erik Lundh on December 25, 2008 at 11:17 PM
Laurie
It's hard to say about Trillium lake. This year it was snowed in until sometime late June. They have a gate that's about two miles to the lake that they open when the conditions permit. You can ski or snow shoe there any time but it's uphill the whole way back. The Hood River area has Balsom Root flowering around the middle of April. That's usually a popular destination for photographers that time of year, especially around Rowena and The Dalles Mt. road. The gorge is just starting to get green around that time between Troutdale and just west of Hood River. A car probably would be fine. Hope this helps.
Posted by Jack Graham on December 26, 2008 at 1:37 AM
Laurie,
Tough I've been here many times I just moved here about a year and 1/2 ago. It seems to me that April might be a tad early for the Hood area. Eric is right about the snow. I'd pretty much forget Trillium, unless something happens to allow the gate to open.
There a few other photographers here that I bet once Xmas is over( like tomorrow) will chime in with lots of info.
It seems to me that sometime in Mid April the fruit trees in the Hood River Valley are all in blossom...
Lots of the waterfalls and things in the gorge, as Eric already indicated are photograph able.
The folks here in the PNWNP forum will help you. They sure have been fantastic to me.
Mark Hudon.... can you help Laurie? ( I'll be talking to him in a few days I think so I'll make sure he sees this post).
You'll love it here. You might just need a one way ticket.
JG
Posted by William Brozy on December 26, 2008 at 10:16 AM
And in April it's still raining. In May the rains let up some and at the lower elevations the flowers start to really kick in. So if you could wait another month, you may want to consider it. But if April is an immovable timeframe, i'd head for the coast for a couple of days as well. In early spring, the waterfalls will be churning and ulta-misty. There's actually too much water coming down the falls to capture some of the images you may have seen. Be sure to have a good pair of boots, all the trails will be real slick.
Posted by Bryan Spahr on December 26, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Laurie,
If you are willing to drive about 2 hrs from Hood River, Silver Falls State Park ( http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_211.php ) might make an excellent day trip. There are multiple falls to shoot all within a fairly easy looped hike. Like others have said, I wouldn't get your hopes up for trillium or lost lake. Both will be tough to get to in April.
-Bryan
Posted by David Cobb on December 26, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Lost Lake or Trillium won't be open in April Laurie, but there are so many flowers in the gorge at that time, it will keep you more than busy. I grew up in MN, and the difference between snow here and there are the hills, lack of salt, and few snow plows. I'd stay to the coast, gorge, and you'll be able to get up into the mountains on the main routes.
David M. Cobb
Posted by Laurie Wendt on December 26, 2008 at 5:46 PM
Thanks everyone for the info. I guess I will have to come back in summer or fall to make it to the lakes. When would the road to Lost Lake generally open?
Rowena and The Dalles Mountain Road sound like good alternatives. Not being familiar with these areas at all, I did find the directions to these locations posted in the PNW forum. Would good wildflowers locations be found along the roads or could you recommend a good hike?
Would anyone have any recommendations for an inexpensive motel in Hood River?
Thanks for your help.
Posted by Mark Hudon on December 26, 2008 at 10:17 PM
You won't be able to miss the flowers in your drive from Hood River to Rowena. Also, once you get to the Dalles Mtn Road and get past the old farm, there will be acres and acres of flowers on either side of the road.
The Best Western in Hood River as well as the Comfort Suites are nice, inexpensive but generic. Both are near the highway so you can get to where you want to go quickly. Although, you should understand that in Hood River, nothing is more than about 15 minutes from anything else.
Look me up at the Hood River Coffee Co. and I'll line you out with current conditions and directions.
Posted by Greg Vaughn on December 27, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Laurie,
Snow plows usually clear the road to Lost Lake by the end of May so the resort there can be open for Memorial Day weekend.
You may not be able to get to Trillium Lake, either, in April, but you could drive up to Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood for some beautiful winter scenics in the mountains. The historic lodge is worth seeing and I think one of the ski lifts allows sightseers without skis, so you could get a great view of the surrounding Cascade Mountains. Drive up and back from Hood River Valley or make the whole loop around Mount Hood on Hwy 35, Hwy 26 and the Gorge route.
Mid-April should be just right for catching the apple and pear orchards in Hood River Valley in bloom and with a bit of wandering around - or specific pointers from Mark Hudon - you'll be able to find a spot with blossoming trees and Mount Hood as a backdrop. Try Panorama Point for starters.
At Rowena, the parking areas and trailheads at Tom McCall Preserve and Rowena Crest will be obvious once you're up there. Being that this is the Columbia River Gorge, it can often be quite windy there, but early mornings are usually calm and it's a wonderful place to be at sunrise.
On the Washington side, in addition to Dalles Mountain Road, there are nice wildflower areas and easy trails at Catherine Creek. Last spring, on advice from Mark Hudon, I hiked the Dog Mountain Trail, and found great sloping meadows of balsamroot and lupine and spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge. Not an easy hike, but definitely worth the effort.
You could easily spend 2-3 days just hiking the trails to waterfalls between Troutdale and Hood River. With rain and snowmelt, some may have too much flow for the best photos and surrounding vegetation won't be in full leaf yet, but you'll still have plenty of good photo ops. Don't miss Multnomah Falls, of course, and for a really nice hike try Eagle Creek Trail to Metlako and Punchbowl Falls.
April is a month of very changeable weather in the Pacific Northwest and you'll definitely need to be prepared for rain. If you don't have Gore-tex type jacket and rain pants, pick up one of those cheap emergency ponchos to carry in your backpack, as well as some plastic bags for your camera gear.
If the weather around Hood River and the Gorge is nothing but constant rain and wind, as others have mentioned the coast is a good option. Another possibility is to head southeast to John Day Fossil Beds or Smith Rock State Park.
April is a great month to visit Oregon and I'm sure you'll find plenty to keep you busy.
Discussion
8 repliesHappy Holidays Everyone and Thanks for any help.
It's hard to say about Trillium lake. This year it was snowed in until sometime late June. They have a gate that's about two miles to the lake that they open when the conditions permit. You can ski or snow shoe there any time but it's uphill the whole way back. The Hood River area has Balsom Root flowering around the middle of April. That's usually a popular destination for photographers that time of year, especially around Rowena and The Dalles Mt. road. The gorge is just starting to get green around that time between Troutdale and just west of Hood River. A car probably would be fine. Hope this helps.
Tough I've been here many times I just moved here about a year and 1/2 ago. It seems to me that April might be a tad early for the Hood area. Eric is right about the snow. I'd pretty much forget Trillium, unless something happens to allow the gate to open.
There a few other photographers here that I bet once Xmas is over( like tomorrow) will chime in with lots of info.
It seems to me that sometime in Mid April the fruit trees in the Hood River Valley are all in blossom...
Lots of the waterfalls and things in the gorge, as Eric already indicated are photograph able.
The folks here in the PNWNP forum will help you. They sure have been fantastic to me.
Mark Hudon.... can you help Laurie? ( I'll be talking to him in a few days I think so I'll make sure he sees this post).
You'll love it here. You might just need a one way ticket.
JG
If you are willing to drive about 2 hrs from Hood River, Silver Falls State Park ( http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_211.php ) might make an excellent day trip. There are multiple falls to shoot all within a fairly easy looped hike. Like others have said, I wouldn't get your hopes up for trillium or lost lake. Both will be tough to get to in April.
-Bryan
David M. Cobb
Rowena and The Dalles Mountain Road sound like good alternatives. Not being familiar with these areas at all, I did find the directions to these locations posted in the PNW forum. Would good wildflowers locations be found along the roads or could you recommend a good hike?
Would anyone have any recommendations for an inexpensive motel in Hood River?
Thanks for your help.
The Best Western in Hood River as well as the Comfort Suites are nice, inexpensive but generic. Both are near the highway so you can get to where you want to go quickly. Although, you should understand that in Hood River, nothing is more than about 15 minutes from anything else.
Look me up at the Hood River Coffee Co. and I'll line you out with current conditions and directions.
Snow plows usually clear the road to Lost Lake by the end of May so the resort there can be open for Memorial Day weekend.
You may not be able to get to Trillium Lake, either, in April, but you could drive up to Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood for some beautiful winter scenics in the mountains. The historic lodge is worth seeing and I think one of the ski lifts allows sightseers without skis, so you could get a great view of the surrounding Cascade Mountains. Drive up and back from Hood River Valley or make the whole loop around Mount Hood on Hwy 35, Hwy 26 and the Gorge route.
Mid-April should be just right for catching the apple and pear orchards in Hood River Valley in bloom and with a bit of wandering around - or specific pointers from Mark Hudon - you'll be able to find a spot with blossoming trees and Mount Hood as a backdrop. Try Panorama Point for starters.
At Rowena, the parking areas and trailheads at Tom McCall Preserve and Rowena Crest will be obvious once you're up there. Being that this is the Columbia River Gorge, it can often be quite windy there, but early mornings are usually calm and it's a wonderful place to be at sunrise.
On the Washington side, in addition to Dalles Mountain Road, there are nice wildflower areas and easy trails at Catherine Creek. Last spring, on advice from Mark Hudon, I hiked the Dog Mountain Trail, and found great sloping meadows of balsamroot and lupine and spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge. Not an easy hike, but definitely worth the effort.
You could easily spend 2-3 days just hiking the trails to waterfalls between Troutdale and Hood River. With rain and snowmelt, some may have too much flow for the best photos and surrounding vegetation won't be in full leaf yet, but you'll still have plenty of good photo ops. Don't miss Multnomah Falls, of course, and for a really nice hike try Eagle Creek Trail to Metlako and Punchbowl Falls.
April is a month of very changeable weather in the Pacific Northwest and you'll definitely need to be prepared for rain. If you don't have Gore-tex type jacket and rain pants, pick up one of those cheap emergency ponchos to carry in your backpack, as well as some plastic bags for your camera gear.
If the weather around Hood River and the Gorge is nothing but constant rain and wind, as others have mentioned the coast is a good option. Another possibility is to head southeast to John Day Fossil Beds or Smith Rock State Park.
April is a great month to visit Oregon and I'm sure you'll find plenty to keep you busy.
- Greg