Rebel Hike | Cape Horn & Nancy Russell Overlook, Sat Aug 27
Bryan Miller
SUNSET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
GREAT ADVENTURES
REBEL HIKES
Rebel hikes are not part of the church sponsored Great Adventures activities. They provide an opportunity for hikers to improve their conditioning, learn about what to wear, and become better acquainted with those of similar inclinations. Plus, the views are spectacular.
The leader for this series of hikes will be Howard Hansen, a former Mazama climb leader with international experience in hiking and climbing. Contact him to let him know if you are interested in any of these hikes or if you have questions:
Howard Hansen
16915 S W Theodore Way
Beaverton, OR 97006
Cell 971-270-7566 (day of hike only)
Email – howard...@comcast.net
Prepare for each hike by bringing a daypack large enough to carry clothing layers (NOT COTTON) appropriate for Oregon/Washington weather (cold/rain/wind), hat or cap, lunch/snack for along the trail, at least one liter of water or your favorite sports drink, and wearing comfortable, broken-in lug sole trail boots. Optional equipment would be trekking poles, packable umbrella, pack cover, etc. Please don’t bring pets.
While we encourage carpooling, you are welcome to travel on your own if you prefer. It is customary to contribute toward the driver’s fuel expense.
HIKE EIGHT – CAPE HORN
COLUMBIA GORGE – WASHINGTON SIDE
AUGUST 27, 2011
Meet on the west side of SPC parking lot at 8:00 am for carpooling. We will leave at 8:15 to caravan to the trailhead. If we are separated, take Hwy 26 east to the I-405 access to I-84 and take I-84 eastbound to the I-205 exit northbound toward Vancouver. From I-205 take the Hwy 14 exit eastbound and in about 20 miles (just beyond milepost 26) turn left onto Salmon Falls Road, and then look for the trailhead parking area immediately to the right.
This hike #8 was originally scheduled for McNeil Point Shelter on Mt. Hood, however, recent news articles reported the dedication on August 13 of an overlook dedicated to Nancy Russell, a longtime advocate for gorge protections who passed away in 2008.
The dedication of The Nancy Russell Overlook, in Skamania County on the northern side of the gorge, is the culmination of an effort dating back to the early 1980s, when Russell and the Trust for Public Land effectively halted a planned 16-lot Rim View Estates subdivision at Cape Horn, by securing the empty lots for conservation purposes.
The new overlook is on a site where Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust bought the one developed lot in the subdivision in 2006. The Friends group removed the 5,500-square-foot house and replaced it with native plants.
Ultimately, more than 1,000 acres of the Cape Horn were protected and an eight-mile trail was created.
Difficulty – Moderate
Distance – 7 mile loop
Elevation gain – 1300 feet
Seasons – Year round
Trailhead parking permit – Unknown
Group size – No limit
Comment – Excellent photo opportunities up and down the Columbia River, plus we walk underneath a small waterfall.