Golden Moments
It was an epic fall day on Mt. Hood. Andrew and I hiked and scrambled up to 7000 feet on the west slope of the mountain. October grey stayed away, and it was a beautiful day.
Heading up the Top Spur Trail, we joined the Timberline Trail and went up to McNeil Point. The higher we went, the better the view. Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Adams popped above the horizon. The Dollar Lake burn from this past summer showed its extent on the mountain's west flank.
The Dollar Lake burn and three snowy cascade peaks (above).
A big bird circled overhead, feathers gleaming in the long fall light. A metallic glow off of a really, really big bird. It was a golden eagle, and sharing the mountain with it made for a memorable golden moment.
There was a little fresh snow above 6000 feet. Just a few inches in the shadows. But high above on the summit's peak, cliffs gleamed white.
The way back down went fast. We paused to snack on a few lingering huckleberries, and then we were racing the setting sun to get back to the car. But then we were caught in the alpen glow. Tree trunks blazed orange-red all around us. Another golden moment to end a golden day.
