I planned three hikes this summer and invited friends. This weekend's hike was supposed to be to Plains of Abraham at Mt St Helens. I've been wanting to do that trail for several years and have had schedule conflicts each time the opportunity presented itself. In recent years the road to the trailhead was washed out, thus requiring a much longer drive and using a different trail to reach the Plains. This year the road is open and I was psyched. Then I inquired with a friend who knows the trail well and got an unpleasant trip report from her. The black flies were menacing and intolerable. Shucks!

I changed the location for this weekend's hike to Pinnacle Ridge at Mt Hood. Again, I inquired with a few hiking contacts to get a bug and wildflower report. I wasn't able to secure any guarantees but opted to try the trail anyway. Jodi and Lin were joining me.

Most of the path is forested and that was good because it was very warm. The bugs were tolerable and I was relieved. There were a few very steep sections but the vast carpets of avalanche lilies distracted me as I ascended slowly. We encountered some confusion in a boggy area. In some places my boots sunk deeply, nearly to my ankle, and I was reminded of my unexpected sinking into the quaking bog in Ireland a few years ago. Jodi's tenacity found the trail on the other side of the bog. We made it through unscathed.

Large patches of snow still linger on the trail though not obscuring the path enough to lose it, thankfully. In a few weeks the heather will bloom and fill the area with more color. I'd love to see that! The indian paintbrush and shooting star were trying hard to lend a hand. An occasional breeze cooled us and kept the bugs at bay.

We had lunch at Wy'East Basin and enjoyed a relatively bug free zone. The basin has yet to bloom.

Our trek back to the car was full of conversation. At the car we enjoyed bubbly water, watermelon and cherries.