[pct-l] Condition of trail on Mt. Hood

[Nathan Miller]

> Hi - First time emailer here.  I'm hoping to hike from
> the Bridge of the Gods to Lolo Pass over the Labor Day
> weekend.  Can anyone inform me about the condition of
> the trail up there on Mt. Hood?  Snow?  High
> water?  Any help would be most appreciated!
> 
> Thanks very much!
> 
> Dave

While I haven't been up there recently, I do offer the following info:

Current webcams for Mt. Hood, as well as others, can be found here:
http://www.skimountaineer.com/MtnWebCams/OR-MtnWebCams.html?size=med

When I was there two autumns ago, I noted the following:
If you're only going as far as Lolo Pass, there will be very little of concern.  If you're taking Eagle Creek Trail from BotG to Waptum Lake, proceed with caution; the trail can be slick and treacherous in spots when it's wet.
If you're going further than Lolo, be aware of the following:
Muddy Fork ford:  shouldn't be difficult, but watch for holes; the large tree lying across the creek should still be there and would be a good bridge if you can navigate its ends.
Sandy River ford:  potentially dangerous; someone drowned there several years ago; there was a small improvised bridge over it made of three lodgepole saplings lashed together in three spots--it may still be there if the river hasn't washed the bank away or been high enough.
Zigzag Canyon ford:  this was a twitchy bolder-hop ford for me, but could be a wet ford for you; watch for holes.

-Nate the Trail Zombie
Newberg, OR