Hamilton Mountain - Columbia River Gorge

Hamilton Mountain

6.4 miles round-trip | 2,000 ft elevation gain

Hikers en route to the Hamilton Mountain summit - Columbia River Gorge

Having felt really good last weekend after hiking up to Angel's Rest, which was a little under 5 miles round trip and a climb of about 1,500 ft., I decided to push myself a little harder this weekend. I looked through my guidebooks for a hike that was roughly 6-8 miles round trip with an elevation gain of over 2,000 ft. My eye caught Hamilton Mountain in the Columbia Gorge at Beacon Rock State Park: over 6 miles round trip with a 2,000 ft gain in elevation. That'll work.

Now there are hikes and there are hikes.

A walk down a flat, dirt path in a state park is considered a hike, but a hike is something much greater. A hike is an adventure. A hike is something that takes great effort to achieve. Most, if not all, of the hikes that I have covered in this blog up to this point have been just that: hikes. Winter is not a time to attempt serious hikes for numerous safety reasons. But Hamilton Mountain is the first hike that I have covered in this blog. You actually have to be in relatively good physical shape to do it; and it actually feels like an adventure rather than a mere pleasurable walk in the woods. A hike should have an element of danger to it (if not a liberal dose of danger), it should make you exhausted by the end of the day, it should intimidate you mentally and push you physically, it should be a journey grand enough that your friends and family beg you to at least tell someone where you're going in case you get lost or injured.

So what makes Hamilton Mountain a hike? Three things.

1. It will intimidate you mentally:

Decisions, decisions... - Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

2. It has an element of danger to it:

Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

3. It is a steep hike and will definitely push you physically:

Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

Quick Note:

My hike to the top of Hamilton Mountain marks my second time at Beacon Rock State Park. About a month ago I completed two hikes at Beacon Rock State Park:
1) I hiked to the top of Beacon Rock itself;
2) I hiked the first leg of the Hamilton Mountain trail to Rodney Falls, as well as took the side trip to Little Beacon Rock.

I did a separate blog entry on both of these hikes. Click on either of the links below to view those previous entries from Beacon Rock State Park.

To view my previous hike of Beacon Rock itself, please click here.

To view my previous hike to Rodney Falls and Little Beacon Rock, please click here.

Alright, let's talk about the hike.

The trailhead is very readily accessible, located just up the hill via a campground road from the main Beacon Rock parking area. There is adequate parking, restrooms, water, a playground, and a rather scenic picnicking shelter. There are also a few massive fell old-growth trees within this park-like trailhead area, one of which nearly comes up to my shoulders on its side, the other marking the start of the Hamilton Mountain trail.

What on earth plant is this? I love it?

The first leg of the hike connects the trailhead with Rodney Falls. From the trailhead, you will primarily walk through a beautiful forest with moderate elevation gain. This is also where you'll find a beautiful and diverse array of flora. At one point early on you will emerge from the shaded forest into a sunny, wide-open slope that was cleared to make room for power lines, which you'll notice directly above you. The power lines aren't very sightly, but at least this clearing gives you a glimpse of Hamilton Mountain itself high off in the distance. "I'm going to climb to the top of that!?!?!" you might say. But do not worry too much, you do not have to be an avid hiker or athlete to make it to the top, but you will need a little will and persistence at the very least. If you're totally out of shape, you might need a little more.

Bridge over Rodney Falls

After the power lines you'll again enter the forest with just a short distance remaining before Rodney Falls. Before you get to Rodney Falls, you will actually come across Hardy Falls (easier to hear than see), with a muddy side trail leading to a view point. Don't expect much from the viewpoint- Rodney Falls is much more exciting, as well as a mere a hop, skip, and jump ahead of you. Rodney Falls, while far from the most impressive waterfall in the Columbia Gorge, is very beautiful. The rustic bridge at the foot of the falls only adds to the aesthetics. For a truly unique, if not intimidating, experience, climb up to the ledge and peer over the railing into the Pool of Winds. What is Pool of WInds? Basically, the first half of the falls dumps into this big rocky teacup with a notch cut into it, and the second half of the falls thunderously gushes out of said notch. It has that sort of "wrathful side of mother nature" appeal to it.

Here are some photos of the first leg of the hike, from the trailhead to Rodney Falls.

Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

Hikers crossing at Rodney Falls - Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

The second leg of the hike begins at the far side of the bridge over Hardy Creek at the foot of Rodney Falls and ends at a gnarly lookout over the Columbia River.

The area around Rodney Falls, unsurprisingly, can get very muddy. The stairs leading up from the falls to Hamilton Mountain are no exception.

The stairs leading from Rodney Falls to Hamilton Mtn Trail

Shortly after climbing the stairs and wandering through some more beautiful forest, you'll come to a fork in the road and a sign that gives you two options: Difficult and More Difficult (see above) Take the more difficult path to the left. It is way more scenic. At this point you'll notice the hike get steeper, your layers coming off one by one, your lungs working hard, and your legs working harder. You're about to get a work out, yes, but don't worry, you're not about to climb Mt. Everest or anything. It isn't that bad.

"The Rocky Thumb"

After climbing steep switchbacks you'll emerge out into the open at what I think is the highlight of the whole hike (yes, even more so than the summit itself)- a large rocky "thumb" poking out into the gorge. The views from here are great and the "thumb" itself has a few short paths on it that lead to even better views. There is a huge, jagged crevasse with vertical drops here, so use extra caution and do not get too close to the edge. There is already one little gravestone placed upon these rocks here, and a fall in this area would be very bad. Enjoy the views but use caution.

Here are some photos of the second leg of the hike, from Rodney Falls to the rocky "thumb."

Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

Beacon Rock  in the distance - Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

"The rocky Thumb" - Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

View from "the Rocky Thumb" - Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

The third and final leg takes you from what I have dubbed "the rocky thumb" to Hamilton Mtn's summit 2,438 ft above the Columbia River.A short ways after the rocky thumb you will find yourself out in the wide-open switching-back steeply with a wonderful view of Beacon Rock off in the distance (from here it looks tiny... really makes you realize just how high up you are). Use caution in this area too- there is a straight-drop off a cliff in this switchback area and the ground upon which you walk is gravely and can be slippery. This wide-open space with the switchbacks is one of my favorite parts of the hike.

Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

After leaving the wide-open space and re-entering the shady forest, you'll be glad to know that you're nearly there. The remaining climb is steep (see below) but there isn't much climb left.

The view from Hamilton Mountain's summit is grand. On a clear day you'll see Mt. Adams looming out in the distance, Bonneville Dam and Cascade Locks far down below, and the much taller Table Mountain just a "stone's throw" to the east. After climbing Hamilton Mountain  -standing at the summit, huffing and puffing and tired- it is hard to fathom climbing Table Mountain, which doesn't exactly dwarf Hamilton but is, imposingly, much taller.

After having hiked to Angel's Rest last weekend, I came to the conclusion that Hamilton Mountain's summit has a great view, but that's about it. Do not climb up here expecting Angel's Rest: boulders to climb on, a variety of places to pop a squat and have a picnic, hell, even room to lay a blanket down without getting in other people's way.

The summit area itself is very small and narrow- sort of like a T-intersection that is surrounded on all sides by thick brush. The area in which to take a load off is really no wider than a hiking trail, so be respectful when you're up here- share this area with the others who've made the trek. Have a snack, take a few liberal swigs from your water bottle, savor the view for a while, and then try to convince your tired, wobbly legs that it's time to head back down.

Here are some photos of the third leg of the hike, from  "the rocky thumb" to the 2,438 ft summit.

Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

Beacon Rock a dwarf in the Distance - Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

The view from the Hamilton Mountain trail - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

A hiker taking a photo from the cliff- Hamilton Mountain - Beacon Rock State Park - Columbia River Gorge

Table Mtn. and Mt. Adams (both summits covered by cloud-cover) - view from Hamilton Mtn. summit

View from Hamilton Mtn. summit

Bonneville Dam from Hamilton Mtn summit 2,438 ft above (full zoom on camera)

Needless to say, after hiking Hamilton Mountain I was exhausted. I wanted a burger and an IPA like it was nobody's business. I remembered passing by a restaurant called the Pacific Crest Trail Pub in Cascade Locks, so I made that my next destination shortly after returning to my automobile..

Burger with Tillamook cheddar and a Walking Man I.P.A. at Pacific Crest Trail Pub in Cascade Locks, Oregon

McMenamins Greater Trumps - Hawthorne District - Portland, Oregon

Ok, ok. I'm not going to lie. Hamilton Mountain has been my most strenuous hike since starting this blog. I wanted to chill afterwards. I drove home, showered, changed, and quickly ended up at one of my favorite cigar bars in Portland: McMenamin's Greater Trumps.  Next door to the legendary Bagdad Theater in the Hawthorne District, Greater Trumps is what you would probably call a "hole in the wall" (because that is essentially what it is) but it is a philosophical, literary, aficionado, jazzy, port-wine-or-fine-whisky-lover's-den if there ever was one in Portland. I frankly love it here. An hour at Greater Trumps, with a Perdomo and a glass of homemade I.P.A., served as a most relaxing end to a tiring day.

McMenamins Greater Trumps - Hawthorne District - Portland, Oregon

McMenamins Greater Trumps, a Perdomo Lot 23 torpedo, A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes, and a cold glass of McMenamins own I.P.A.:

McMenamins Greater Trumps | Perdomo Lot 23 | Pint of I.P.A. | A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters

I love this city...

Cigar & Charcuterie - McMenamins Edgefield and Olympic Provisions

A rainy, manly Saturday in Portland...

Rain. For the third weekend in a row. Now, I don't mind a little rain on a hike. In fact, I often prefer it. It makes for fewer crowds and a more natural and mysterious feel to nature. But when you're towing around expensive camera equipment (expensive to me, at least...), you don't typically want to risk getting caught in a downpour.

I woke up this morning to a juxtaposition of snow, sleet, and rain. I knew that chances were slim of a full-blown hike, but cabin fever has become intense and I needed to get out. So, I decided I'd check two items off my Portland Area Bucket List: a cigar at the Little Red Shed at Edgefield, and the charcuterie at Olympic Provisions. I grabbed my camera and the novel that I'm currently obsessed with, grabbed the largest cigar out of my humidor (a Gurkha Grand Age: 7.5 inches long with a 54 ring gauge), and hit the road.

Cigar @ Little Red Shed, McMenamins Edgefield


How do I describe what the McMenamin Bros. have done for Portland? For one, they have kept it in tact. For another, they have made it more fun. For yet another, they have provided for Portlanders and a growing number of tourists truly authentic pubs, each with their own history and character. Who are the McMenamin Bros.? They are two guys who have bought up old historical buildings in Portland, renovated them, decorated them to look like surrealist English public houses, and turned them into pubs, restaurants, brew-n-view theaters, hotels, music venues, or in some circumstances (including Edgefield), all of the above. Their establishments consist of an old school, poor farm, Universal Studios movie theater, Church of Sweden, general store, Polish Catholic Church, ballroom, brothel, pioneer homestead, a Masonic retirement home, and a funeral home, to name just a few. Frankly, I am thankful for the McMenamins for what they have done around Portland, not only preserving history, but planting gorgeous and unique pubs all over the city.

Edgefield is the largest and most touristy McMenamin properties. Built around 1911, it was a "poor farm" that was run by Multnomah county to offer jobs to the poor, elderly, and mentally disabled. Then, in 1950, the building became a hospital for tubercular patients. In 1964 it housed emotionally disturbed children. Killer cool, if not macabre, history! In the 1980's there was a lot of county talk of the building being torn down and the land sold to developers. But in 1990, then the manor became listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the McMenamins bought the property and started to transform it into what it is today.

And what is Edgefield today? I like to think of it as a resort for your stereotypical Northwesterner. Edgefield is not a bar or a restaurant, it is a "grounds" containing several of both, a hotel, and many more. The 74 acre Edgefield grounds, located on the very farthest eastern fringe of Portland before getting into the Columbia River Gorge (another plus for Edgefield, its proximity to the Gorge!), contains over 100 guest rooms, 2 3-par golf courses, a distillery, a brewery, a winery, a spa, a rentable wedding reception venue, a brew-and-view movie theater, a soaking pool, and multiple gardens, restaurants and bars (some of which I have dubbed "nook-and-cranny" bars, since they have seating for about 10-15 people only and are located in tiny sheds/shacks, like the cigar bar viewed below).

Here is a photo of the iconic water tower in the center of the grounds.

Water Tower - McMenamin's Edgefield (m)

Ah, yes. The "Little Red Shed", the only bar at Edgefield that allows cigar smoking. It is, indeed, a shed. It's weathered, ramshackle, and barn-like, but that is exactly how it should be. A bonfire roars in a fire-pit just outside with several picnic tables surrounding. The inside features a very small bar with taps, whiskey bottles, port, and that's about it, a fireplace, and seating for roughly 15 people maximum. It is, in every sense of the word, cozy. I absolutely love this little shed. I could sit here all day, and indeed I nearly did. This may perhaps be the perfect place to smoke a cigar (where it's still permitted) in the country. With so few places left out there that allow cigars to be smoked indoors, I cannot see how anyone could have the McMenamins beat for having a more cozy and quintessential "cave" in which to smoke a cigar (and that comment includes not just Little Red Shed but other McMenamins cigar bars like the brilliantly named Detention in Kennedy School, Greater Trumps, and Little White Shed out in Hillsboro).

My Gurkha Grand Age, at 7.5 inches long, burned slowly and evenly for 2 hours. Accompanying it was a pint of McMenamins' own Hammerhead Pale Ale and the novel Number9Dream by my favorite living author, David Mitchell.

Little Red Shed Cigar Bar - McMenamins Edgefield

Gurkha Grand Age & McMenamins Hammerhead Pale Ale

Little Red Shed - McMenamins Edgefield

Gurkha Grand Age & McMenamins Hammerhead Pale Ale

Two hours later... time to call it quits.

Very unexpectedly, the sun reared its beautiful face for an hour or so, lending me a chance to wander around the Edgefield grounds for a little while before an early dinner in SE Portland at Olympic Provisions. Those who love art will love the feel of the McMenamin's establishments. The original art throughout their buildings is almost always eccentric and surrealist, and often macabre or eerie. I for one am in love with the way they decorate their establishments. Very classy yet "out there," always very homey yet often almost fairy-tale like, very "traditional English Pub" yet something distinctively different at the same time.

(more on my views on McMenamins at the bottom of the entry, but for now, here are some shots of Edgefield)

McMenamins Edgefield - Troutdale, Oregon

Edgefield Porch

One of the nook-and-cranny bars at Edgefield

An Edgefield "archway" 

Inside Edgefield

Typical Surrealist Art you find within a McMenamin's establishment

In a perfect world I would've spent a few more hours at Edgefield; and in the future, I will post many more photos of the grounds, the various buildings on the grounds, some of their food and more of their drink, the inside of a guest room hopefully, etc. But here's the deal. I've been chomping at the bit to try Olympic Provisions ever since I bought one of their deli meats at New Seasons market. I had decided, before even arriving at McMenamins, that I was finally going to have Olympic Provisions for an early happy hour dinner. That being said, the hungrier I grew at Edgefield, the more and more eager I was to get to Olympic Provisions before Happy Hour ended. So, goodbye for now, Edgefield, but I'll see you again very soon.


Charcuterie @ Olympic Provisions, SE Portland

If you love meat, then you need to know about this place. Olympic Provisions is Oregon's first USDA-approved salumeria, or, cured meat shop. They sell their products wholesale but also operate two restaurants in Portland, one on each side of the river. To quote their website, "both Olympic Provisions operate as European-style restaurants, bustling neighborhood delis, and onsite meat-curing facilities." So true. But what they humbly neglect to tell you on their website is how savory, addicting, and god-dang unreal their meats are. Holy hell. I mean these guys know what they are doing, to say the least.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the word charcuterie, click here for a definition, provided by Wikipedia. Basically, it is the art of doing outrageously delicious things with meat.

Vegetarians, I hate to say it, but when it comes to Olympic Provisions I do feel a little sorry for you. Words can hardly describe what you are missing out on here. But at least O.P. is honest about what they do. Right as you walk into their SE restaurant you see a giant illuminated MEAT sign on the wall (see below). It is no secret what they specialize in here. But, vegetarians, don't let that stop you from coming here. Coincidentally, O.P. are also master picklers and have a great selection of wine.

I am shocked by how reasonable their happy hour prices are too. Needless to say, I love this place. It is unique, outstandingly high quality, and quintessentially Portland (not just in the food and warehouse-y atmosphere, but for the heavily tattooed staff). This is the kind of place I will bring visitors to because, to me, it stands as one of the key representations of Portland's emergence as a hotbed of artisan talent in the national culinary scene.

Inside Olympic Provisions

Happy Hour @ Olympic Provisions

The happy hour menu is just right. Divided into two sections, one labeled EAT and the other DRINK, my eye naturally gravitated first to the DRINK side. Here I found the "Olympic Old-Fashioned." Now, I love me an old-fashioned, but this was above and beyond the Old-Fashions of my past. Under the word "Olympic Old Fashioned" it read "bourbon, baking spices, brown sugar, two bitters." For the love of black jeans, I'll take one!

House Bourbon Old Fashioned, $5 - Olympic Provisions Happy Hour

Next, the EAT side of the menu; and how on earth could I neglect the "Chef's Choice of 3 Charcuterie Items"? But I saw a staff member preparing one of the "Sweetheart Ham Sandwiches" too and it looked ridiculously good! (I am a ham sandwich aficionado) So, torn between the two, I decided to wave the white flag and get both, along with a small plate of pickled vegetables. I rolled a late lunch and early dinner into one meal. When in Rome...

(side note: Double Mountain Brewery is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries on earth. last weekend I sampled one of their cask-conditioned India Red Ales (IRA) at Horse Brass and believed it to be one of the best beers I've ever had. With my ham sandwich I ordered Double Mountain's golden German-style Kolsch and, yet again, felt it was one of the best beers I've ever had. I'm dying to make a trip out to their brewery in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge town of Hood River.)

Enough of that, let the photos of Olympic Provisions food speak for themselves... (cue the choral music...)

Happy Hour Charcuterie Plate - 3 items, chef's choice, $5

Pickled Vegetables: cauliflower, pickles, onions, carrots, and celery

Hour Hour Sweetheart Ham Sandwich & a Double Mountain Kolsch German-style Ale

Final Thoughts:

McMenamins:

I have something to say here:

For annoying reasons, McMenamins gets a bad wrap in the world of pretentious, hypocritical, anti-establishment Portland hipsters (and no, hipsters, by no means do all of you fit into this category). True, in Portland's brewing community McMenamins is larger than life in that it owns and operates over 60 locations, most of which are right here in the city. So, in the hipster mindset, McMenamins has become "corporate." If you so much as mention McMenamins to a hipster here chances are they will bash it in some way, shape, or form. It's too "big-business" for them. To use an all too common and all too frustrating hipster-colloquialism (satirized by the television show Portlandia, which, of course, most hipsters hate as well) : they view McMenamins as "over."

But please do not listen to their rants. McMenamins is, first and foremost, a local, Portland institution. It is not even close to being an Anheuser-Busch or Miller, it is a significantly smaller "micro-brewer" (among many other things) that started here in Portland and is greatly contributing to Portland's economy, its history, and its reputation for being a killer place to live and have fun. It saddens me that the very people who claim to support local businesses criticize McMenamins for being too corporate. Yeah, it's a lot more corporate than Migration Brewing or Alameda Brewing but it is still, no matter which way you look at it, local! 

I for one would greatly prefer to NOT have to picture a Portland without Greater Trumps, Edgefield, Bagdad Theater, Kennedy School, Imbrie Hall, Ringler's Annex, White Eagle Saloon, and Ram's Head, just to name a few. I believe that McMenamins should be put on a pedestal for what they have done for Portland, not criticized and bashed by the very same people who claim they support local businesses yet get all anti-establishment as soon as those businesses grow to a size larger than one mere dive bar on Alberta. If you took McMenamins out of Portland, you truly take something great out of Portland's charm and character, regardless of what any schmuck twenty-something hipster (most of which aren't even from here) says about it.

Olympic Provisions:

Olympic Provisions has a great and growing reputation around Portland, so I do not have to go to bat for them. But if I could, I most certainly would. This place is AWE-some. It has a very authentic character and persona and is producing some of the best meat you can get in Portland today. You can taste the meticulous attention to detail and strive for perfection in their products. The people behind O.P. clearly love what they do and it shows in their food. In the future, every carnivorous guest that visits me in Portland will be ushered here within hours of their arrival.

Additional Info:

Edgefield
2126 SW Halsey Street
Troutdale, Oregon
http://www.mcmenamins.com/54-edgefield-home
503-669-8610

Olympic Provisions
107 SE Washington Street
Portland, Oregon
http://www.olympicprovisions.com/
503-954-3663