Hike 1 – Hellroaring Viewpoint

Depart BCM park lot at 10:10am, Hellroaring VP at 12:25, return BCM park lot 2:27pm.

 

Ten attendees (as planned) plus Jurgen and Ray as trip leaders for 12 total. Everyone was on time and enthusiastic. Several people documented the trip with photos, Gary Fields is creating a collection of everyone’s photos for attendees and for our FOMA website posting. Botanist Heidi Venture was an expert on wildflowers. We really took our time, stopped a lot for discussions, photos and plant ID. A few people saw mountain goats from HRVpt.

 

When we arrived at Hellroaring Viewpoint I was temporarily confused and thought it was Multnomah Falls Plaza. There were so many people, constantly 20-30 people milling about the whole time we were there with a constant stream of people coming and going. There were dog fights, litter, people dangling legs over the main cliff edge, a lost 9 year old boy (Julio). Three backpackers stopping on their way around the mountain asked me, “what’s the best route through the snow fields and talus slopes up there (pointing to the top)?” The last trail section to HRVpt. was a flow of up and down people…”excuse me, excuse me”. Very much like Multnomah Falls trail. But all were having a very good time, enjoying the view and being “out in nature”. But it wasn’t a wild/wilderness experience. Thirty cars in the BCM parking lot when we left…and we met more cars on the road coming up as we were driving out.

 

The attached photos are taken by me; Gary and others will have many more. Photo #7147 shows the group all over the Falls grass setting….I apologize for losing control, it is a very fragile area.

 

As we drove home, I thought to myself that we don’t need to advertise this area anymore, it’s been discovered….the word is out.  I worry about this area and it’s fragile environment being impacted and damaged. The meadows, flowers, lichens etc. 

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