JUMBO PEAK (DARK DIVIDE)
WHERE: From Portland take I 84 east to Hood River. Cross the toll bridge ($.75 as of 07/2009) then go west on hwy 14 to hwy 141. Take 141 just past Trout Lake (you can get a trail map at the Ranger station if you go left on a fork just before a gas station in town). Just past Trout lake there is a junction with forest road 23 which you will stay on for close to 30 miles. Be aware as the road meets a junction with forest road 90 where you will stay right. The road is all gravel from here and continues over Babyshoe pass and continue a few more miles to the well marked trailhead which is the Dark Meadows trail.
The trail: The trail begins at about 2500 feet at a mild incline for about 1 1/2 miles of Douglass fir Western Hemlock, Red Cedar and Silver fir before crossing Dark creek then going on a steep incline which is somehow navigated and rutted out by motor bikes. I think it would be a lot more difficult motoring up the trail then walking it. From here you quickly elevate to pure stands of silver fir with some Alaska Cedar and mountain hemlock as you approach the junction with the Juniper Ridge trail where you will go right (about 4500 feet elevation and 3.2 miles from the trailhead). From here it is another quick steep climb which gets you to a beautiful ridge which was filled with beargrass and some lupine and scattered paintbrush (at least in mid July of 2009). I also saw some scatter Lilly which where either "glacier" Lilly or "Columbia" Lilly but most likely the former. In a couple of weeks the late coming flowers will be in full bloom allowing the full spectrum to be seen as the bear grass is in its final days. The views here where amazing as you can see Hood, Adams, St. Helens, Goat Rocks and Rainier at certain spots (Mount Rainier is hidden behind Jumbo peak (5801 feet elevation). Once on the ridge one can witness the rugged terrain that makes this one a suitable habitat to support a herd of Mountain Goats. It is probably the lowest "high elevation" in the range of any Mountain Goat herd in Washington.
As you go around the west side of Jumbo peaks cliff face you will encounter a boot/goat trail on the northwest side which takes you up to a brushy section which have to bushwhack through to get to the top. It is steep here but the trail is not to long. Views are outstanding from the top and you can even see the beds on which local goats sleep at night on an accessible plateau just below the top. If you continue along the juniper ridge trail you will drop about 600 feet to a saddle which then goes back up to Sunshine peak which is about 2 miles from Jumbo peak. This whole section of trail has lot of goat signs and is a refreshing reminder that there is an accessible bridge between the populations of goat in St. Helens and Mount Adams.
Beware of motor bikes especially on the ridge where most access the trail from the northern end where there is less elevation gain although they still have very rough riding even from there. Although I am not a fan of motorbikes in this beautiful alpine country I guess a compromise of lifestyles has to be met in some locations.