Yeon State Park

Last Saturday I went to check out Yeon State Park. It is a pretty small park. More of a trailhead, really. It is just a little turnoff from the highway where you can pick up a couple of trails. I was feeling up to a challenge, so I chose the Neswith Point trail.


I quickly learned a couple of things about hiking the Columbia River Gorge. First, I am going to be in great shape by the end of the summer. Second, I will also have to overcome any fear of heights I have.

I picked this trail out of a guidebook without actually reading all of the entry. I picked it because the length was right to challenge me (about 10 miles), and I wanted to see how tiring a 'difficult' rated trail would be.


I didn't come close to finishing it. The trail ran practically straight up a mountain. It was steep switchbacks the whole way and frequently the path became terrifyingly narrow. I hiked upwards for about 90 minutes, but I was winded after about 30. I'm not used to all the inclines they have around here. But the real shock was just how small the trail was. At one point the trail was no more than about 3 feet wide, with a very steep hill to the left, and a steeper hill leading to a tall cliff just off to the right. And there was a fallen tree in the middle of the path to climb around. I was a bit nervous for a while, but I think I will get used to the steep slopes and narrow paths quickly.


Like I said, I didn't finish the trail. But it wasn't just exhaustion that stopped me. What really made me turn around was the snow. After about 90 minutes I had reached the frost line, and the path, in addition to being narrow and steep, was now also covered in slick snow and slush. I decided that I would leave those heights for a warmer day. I stopped, had lunch, enjoyed the view, and then began the easier but knee-battering down-hike.

Here's the view from where I stopped. Not bad. Also a pretty significant elevation gain from the highway below.


It was fun and a good challenge. I look forward to getting into good enough shape to take on hills like that. For next weekend, though, I am going to pick something a bit flatter.