Name: Twin Peaks
Start: 2025-10-07T08:30:00-07:00
End: 2025-10-07T08:30:00-07:00

Past Activity

Twin Peaks

View Gallery

Start date: 10/07/2025
Start time: 8:30 AM

Description:

We find the Twin Peaks Trail 3595 off the Waldo Lake Rd. at 6.3 miles. The identifying sign runs parallel to the Waldo Lake Rd. and is easy to miss. We will clock the 6.3 miles!

The 6.5 mile roundtrip hike (1600-foot elevation gain) begins in a gradual ascent on a quiet, little-used but well-maintained trail through mountain hemlock and lodgepole and white pine. The trail crosses the Pacific Crest Trail short of two miles and begins to climb. The last half-mile, a steep scramble through pumice soils, is rewarded atop the South Twin by a spectacular view of the Waldo Lake area and the Cascade Mountains. This magnificent viewpoint is an excellent spot to find a safe perch for lunch. Some may choose to hike the quarter mile along the saddle between the two cinder cones to the top of the North Twin. Allow an extra half hour. (Source: Hike Oregon and Middle Fork Ranger District)
At .11/mile, the suggested donation for this trip is $16.

Event Leader: Brenda Kameenui
Event Leader Phone: 541-344-9506
Event Leader Email: my240house@yahoo.com
Assistant Leader:
Event category: Trips
Area Type: Mountain
Departure Location: Amazon Park, 28th & Hilyard entrance parking lot
Rating: Moderate
Roundtrip total drive miles: 146
Season: 2025
Permits Required:
- NW Forest Pass
Event Status: Passed
Supplies and Equipment Required: Bring water, lunch, hat, good hiking shoes, 10 essentials. NW Forest Pass for drivers.
participant prerequisites: Good hiking shoes, poles if you wish, especially for return downhill. Be prepared for a steady but reasonable uphill and a steep climb last .4 mile.
Conditions:
Total Distance: 6.5 miles
Member Fees: —
Elevation Gain: 1600 feet
Non-Member Fees: 8
Committee: Trips
Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

A splendid autumn day lured five hardy hikers to the Twin Peaks, a gem west of the Cascades.The trailhead, 6.3 miles up the Waldo Lake Rd., is tucked away and easy to miss, but the hike is not to be missed. We agreed the trail is more than a \"gradual\" climb--it\'s easily a \"steady\" climb but in the most favorable conditions: a soft-needle trail (until the last stretch up the flanks of the first cone, through soft volcanic soil), a forest of ramrod straight mountain hemlock and pine, and quiet. The quiet solitude, good for the soul, permeates the woods. From our lunch spot at the top of the first Twin, we enjoyed a windless hour under a cerulean sky and a 180-degree view. We ticked off the mountains, from Diamond Peak to Mt. Jefferson, marveled at the size and deep blue radiance of Waldo Lake, and counted reservoirs and small lakes. Participants: Brenda Kame\'enui, Guy Pritchett, Jean Stover, Lana Lindstrom, Robin Armstrong.

Gallery