Hiking: King’s Mountain
Post By Olivia Martino Blodgett, Personal Trainer and Registered Dietitian
Hike: King’s Mountain
Date: December 23rd, 2017
Hiking Buddy: Liz
Total distance: 5 miles (out and back)
Elevation Gain: 2500 feet
Permit required: None
After taking a break from hiking because of the cold weather, I was really feeling like it was time to be brave and get back out there. The King’s Mountain trail appealed because it was only an hour drive from Portland and was a good bang for our buck, meaning we gained a lot of elevation in a short distance. It felt great to breath the fresh air, feel the burn in my legs and get my blood pumping.
From the trailhead the trail was clearly marked and easy to follow. There wasn’t one single point of the hike where I wondered which way to go. The trail just takes you straight up. There were only a few points where there was a short relief from the uphill but for the most part, it was a challenging climb. There were a few elevation signs along the way to let you know your progress.
Shortly after the 2500’ sign there was a short offshoot to a view point. The day was overcast, so we didn’t have much of a view, although the west ridge was pretty and there was a large rock to take a short rest on. After this point we started to encounter some ice and snow and it was a bit slick. In about 700 feet we were at the summit and found ourselves in about 2 feet of snow. Although we were unprepared for it, we felt perfectly steady and safe with just our hiking shoes on. Apparently, there are some views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams just before the summit, but again it was too cloudy to see anything. We were happy with the beautiful snow, being as it was just a couple days before Christmas.
There wasn’t much to see at the top so we built a little snowman and headed back down to the view point to eat some PB&J and then started the steep descent back down. If you are looking for a good workout, this hike will deliver!
