Hood on the Rocks Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This is a rugged hike on an un-maintained trail to lovely meadows and a spectacular Mt Hood vista, from which you see from Cooper Spur on the east to Yocum Ridge on the west. If you like to hike relatively unknown trails and have solitude, this is a hike for you!
Hike is approx 4 miles RT, but can be slow going. You will need some trail-finding skills. There are occasional pink ribbons (and a few blue ones) marking the trail. Please stay with the ribbons and DO NOT bushwhack! At cache placement, there were 80+ blow downs over the trail. Most are small and can be stepped over. Some are large requiring you to hop over or go around them. There are three areas where huckleberry and mountain ash are grown over the trail. You will want to wear pants!
Parking: Vista Ridge trailhead. From Hwy 26, take Lolo Pass Road to Road 16 to 1650. Trailhead is at road’s end. Take the Vista Ridge spur trail from parking approx 1/3 mile, then turn left on the un-maintained trail. If you pass the Wilderness map and registration, you have gone too far!
Shortly, you will encounter the first (and worst) tangle of blow downs. As the trail traverses this east side of Vista Ridge, you will encounter more blow downs and brush. Keep heart—you will be greatly rewarded! The first view looks into the Clear Branch Valley. See photo #1 for a sample.
After making it over the blow downs and through the brush, you’ll pass through open forest, and then at about 1.67 miles, will drop into a pretty little meadow (pic #2). To your right you will see a hunter’s blind up in the trees; it overlooks a small watering hole. Walk directly across the meadow and pick up the flags signaling the path back into the forest. When you get to a tree with a pink ribbon tied around the trunk (pic #3), veer to the right to the second meadow (pic #4) at about 1.9 miles. 1/2 way across the 2nd meadow, look for double flags on a hemlock (pic #5) and follow more flags to the right a few hundred feet up a small rise to the viewpoint (pic #6) and cache.
This rocky viewpoint is a fine place for a rest, lunch, and lots of picture taking! The cache is NOT amongst the rocks! Look for a lone tree whose lower boughs are alive and green, but the rest appears dead and lichen-covered. You will find the cache (a large ammo can) there.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre ybjre obhtuf bs ybar gerr naq fheebhaqrq ol ebpxf.
Treasures
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