Bonney Meadows to Boulder Lake a great way to spend the morning

Thick clouds whip through the forest canopy

Situated on the east side of Mt. Hood for the week, I decided to get up early this morning and do some hiking near the Badger Creek Wilderness - destination Bonney Meadows.



Mountain winds howled and clouds cloaked the canyons and high ridges. I could barely make out a few nearby islands of trees situated on the outer fringe of the meadows. Trees whipped along the ridgetop above Boulder Lake, collecting moisture from the clouds and occassionally letting loose with a big drop.

As I crested the nearby ridge between the meadows and Boulder Lake the skies lightened a bit, but the canyon below was completely hidden.



Boulder strewn ridge on the way to Boulder Lake



 By time I reached the lake the sky was opening. White clouds gave way to blue. Roughly 1 1/2 miles from Bonney Meadows, where clouds had dominated views, the lake shined.

Unfortunately, I lost the couple of pictures I took of Boulder Lake. Another time. Here is one from Wikipedia.


Boulder Lake in the Barlow District of the Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon

After trudging back up the ridge and to Bonney Meadows, the heaviest of the clouds had lifted, allowing me to get a few pics.

All roads leading to this area are rough and bouncy, lending to speeds of anywhere from 1 to 10 miles per hour. I tried to get to Gumjuwac Saddle after the hike, but lingering snows over the road stopped my advance. After turning around, which was an adventure in itself on the narrow road, I took the road to Bennett Pass and on to Highway 35.

Road 3550 near Bennett Pass