Highest Elevation: 7,350 ft. Timberline High Point
Lowest Elevation: 3,300 ft. Near Ramona Falls
Elevation Gain (approx.): 9,000 ft.
Best Time to Hike: July-September
Permits: Yes (May 15th to October 15th)
Difficulty: Challenging
Permits
Permits are required for overnight trips on the Timberline Trail from May 15th to October 15th, but they are free and can be found at trailheads around Mt. Hood. Simply fill one out before you hit the trail. Some trailheads do require a Northwest Forest Pass for parking.
Jon posted a detailed trip report on their August 2019 circuit of Oregon’s highest peak. It’s close to Portland.
This report is all you need to organize that adventure for yourself.
Plenty of climbs and descents. Quite a few creeks crossings. Not what we’d call an easy week.
They started and ended at Timberline Lodge. And hiked clockwise.
The report includes excellent photos so you really get a feel for what to expect.
Mount Hood (photo credit: Dan Nevill, CC 2.0)Ramona Falls (photo credit: Dan Nevill, CC 2.0)
Patagonia is massive and bleak. Yet we love the Patagonian Andes, 2000km (1243mi) in length, but averaging less than 100km (62mi) in width. You could take years exploring just the eastward (drier) side of the mountains.
Towering granite peaks, untouched lakes, massive glaciers, huge volcano trekking peaks. This land is phenomenal.
Trekkers target five areas:
The Araucania
Lakes District
Central Patagonia
Southern Patagonia
Tierra del Fuego
Start in Mendoza, Argentina and visit the highest mountain outside Asia, Aconcagua. Next bus to the Switzerland of South America (Lake District). Some of the highest volcanoes of the world are here. Finally, work your way south by air and ferry to the granite spires at the south tip of the continent.
Trekking season here is Nov-Apr. (Feb-Mar often the best weather) That said, the wind and weather in Patagonia is notorious. Independent hikers need be prepared for anything and everything.
Conversational Spanish highly recommended for those travelling independently.
These lists are far from definitive. They are more conversation starters to get you thinking where you might want to go next.
For example, the Tonquin Trail is a 4.0-km out-and-back trail near Tofino on Vancouver Island. I’m on the island right now and can name easily a dozen better hikes close by. 😀
When the construction of Kárahnjúkar Hydro Dam was finished 2009, Stuðlagil (Studlagil) Canyon became fully visible.
The water level in the river Jökla, that runs through the canyon, dropped and amazing basalt columns have since become one of the most popular tourist attractions in eastern Iceland.
The landowners were still building tourist infrastructure in 2024.
I stayed at the simple campground on the northern side of the river.
A German couple — world travellers — in a camper van, offered me lamb dinner with locally picked mushrooms. And wine! It was my best meal in Iceland. 😀
Once the tourists were gone in the evening, I climbed down a long set of stairs to have the northern viewing platform all to myself.
Next morning, I cycled over to the southern side of the river. It’s the better experience. Go to both sides, if you can.
It is known for its unusual amount of large columnar basalt rock formations and the turquoise coloured river that runs through it.
The canyon also has an interesting story as it became an unexpected tourist sensation in 2016 after Einar Páll Svavarsson published an article in August of that year on hiticeland.com with spectacular photos.
A year later Einar also wrote an article about Stuðlagil in WOW air magazine in June 2017 and after that the canyon became a popular tourist destination.
It’s an easy detour off the Highway 1 Ring Road. About a 19km/11.8mi sidetrip along road 923. Mostly paved in 2024.
besthike.com 