A few of Mt. Hood's many looks

Mt. Hood and Mirror Lake from Tom, Dick and Harry Mt.

As a wee pup I used to wonder why all the vehicles were parked along highway just west of the summit of the pass leading to Government Camp along highway 26. Anymore, there is barely a summer or fall weekend when the two parking lots right along the South side of the highway are not full of cars. Later, I learned it was the trailhead to a popular hiking destination – Mirror Lake.

A little history along the Plaza Trail and a rock resembling a sheep's head?

Mt. Hood from Sheepshead Rock

Like so many trails in the old Cascades, this one is heavy on forest and light on views - until you reach the destination. Years ago, while hiking with a novice to trails on the western slopes of the Cascades, I was asked how I could enjoy a trail surrounded by forest, without the same views the higher Cascades offer. I told him it was like wine. You have to grow to appreciate a fine wine, just like you have to grow to appreciate a hike through the woods, with few or no views. Any likeness between wine and a trail is probably a stretch, but it must have worked. I didn't hear anymore of what the trail was missing for the remainder of the hike.