On rainy, cold December day my wife and I decided to explore Salmon River Trail #742 that leads into the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. The wilderness was established in 1984 and has over 62,000 acres. Our first stop was at Joe’s Donut for my maple bar fix. Joe’s Donut is a fixture in Sandy. It has been Joe’s since 1974 and is considered the “gateway to Mt. Hood.” The nice lady who waited on me didn’t know who Joe was but whoever he is, thank you.
We drove about 17 miles east on U.S. 26 to Welches and turned south on the Salmon River road for five miles to the trailhead. It’s a slow, scenic, gorgeous few miles. It follows the Salmon River through old growth fir and deciduous trees covered in moss. Steep rocky cliffs and cascading streams greet you on one side of the road with the river on the other. It has all the feel and look of a true rain forest. It reminded me of the Hoh rainforest in Washington’s Olympic National Park.
About three miles up the road the rain turned to snow. It was mid -December so it wasn’t a surprise but it was a nice pre-Christmas treat. Beware of the monster potholes along the way. There is an ample parking area at the trailhead. We had the place to ourselves.
Snow was beginning to cover the road and decorating the trees for the holiday season. After surveying the trail that was slick and muddy we decided that a summer hiking excursion would be smarter.
We are looking forward to different weather for a family hike to see the cliffs, volcanic dikes and pinnacles reportedly found along the trail.
Our little mini-trip out of the house didn’t go as planned but we have found a new favorite place to visit close to home.
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