Sampling the hazards of driving mountain roads near Badger Creek Wilderness



Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams standing over the fog of the valley from Divide Trail

 

 It was fall and the Divide Trail in the Badger Creek Wilderness was my destination. As I drove to the trailhead, the sun appeared and began its daily climb in the sky. Cruising along road 4410, two does popped their heads out of a cluster of trees hugging the road. A mile further, two more does bounced out of a thicket and bounded directly toward the front of my pickup. While tapping my breaks, they quickly detoured and bounding parallel with the road as if they wanted to race me. It was another reminder of the need to remain vigilant while traveling the network of roads in these mountains.

 

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.