Hiking Reports

Travel using primarily feet only. Hands might be used with hiking poles for balance or uphill travel.

Glacier Mountain, Oregon, July 2026

July 22, 2026 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Thursday, July 16, I visited Glacier Mountain and Lookout Mountain on the east side of the Strawberry Mountains southeast of Prairie City, Oregon. That morning it was thunderstorming in the Elkhorn and Greenhorn Mountains. In spite of the rain, lightning, and thunder I hoped to at least explore forest road access to Vinegar Hill in the Greenhorn Mountains. But the road I needed was closed due to the nearby Olive Butte Fire.

Glacier Mountain from the Sunshine Flat Trailhead

However, the weather forecast was much better for the nearby Strawberry Mountains to the south. In 2009 I had hiked Lookout Mountain on the east side of the Strawberry Mountains. I had shared this hike with Rudi, our long deceased canine. Since then I determined that nearby Glacier Mountain had some significance to me, and I took the opportunity to visit it this day.

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Baldy Mountain, Oregon, June 2026

June 30, 2026 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Thursday, June 25, I visited Baldy Mountain in the Blue Mountains southeast of Prairie City, Oregon. Linda and I were returning to Bend from Baker City but I took a detour on the way while Linda drove on to Bend with our dogs. I expected a quick detour, but it proved otherwise.

Baldy Mountain from my parking spot on abandoned FR 312

A quick search on a peak database I use reveals there are 80 peaks in Oregon with “Bald” in their name, and 6 named “Baldy Mountain”. This Baldy Mountain has 7618 feet of elevation and 958 feet of topographic prominence. It has been on my “wish list” of Blue Mountain peaks to visit for several years.

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Fish Creek Mountain, Oregon, July 2025

August 13, 2025 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Sunday, July 27, I left my secluded and primitive campsite south of Timothy Lake and drove to the Fish Creek Trailhead in the Mount Hood National Forest of Oregon. My goal was to hike Fish Creek Mountain, a peak in the Mount Hood National Forest with 1432 feet of topographic prominence.

Climbing the Fish Creek Mountain Trail up steep slopes towards the Fish Creek Divide

I followed Forest Road 57 west, then turned north on Oregon Highway 224 past Ripplebrook Campground. Immediately after crossing the Clackamas River I turned sharply south and climbed Forest Road 4620 to the Fish Creek Trailhead. This road climbs through an extensive burn from the Riverside Fire of 2020. The road was in good shape in spite of the fire, with a few spots of recent rockfall and timber debris that were easy to drive around.

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Childs Mountain, Arizona, March 2025

April 11, 2025 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Thursday, March 27, Linda and I found a somewhat secluded campsite off Darby Spring Road south of Ajo, Arizona. Here we spend the next three nights with our dogs. I hiked my first peak, Childs Mountain, on Friday. Meanwhile, Linda explored the Sonoran Desert near our camp on foot with our dogs.

Childs Mountain to the west from near AZ Hwy 85

Childs Mountain has 1240 feet of topographic prominence and is the site of a FAA radar facility. To reach it, I drove north from Ajo on Arizona highway 85, then west on Childs Mountain Road. The road was gated about four miles short of the facility. I parked nearby and hiked the road upwards.

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