September 23, 2012.

7.6 mi | 3000′ ele. gain | 4 hr.

After yesterday’s debacle on Mt. Washington I was feeling a little spent. But not I was not too tired to hit a solo hike before driving all the way back home.

It was overcast but warm, and I got a lazy start. It was 11 am before I hit the trail.

The trail was steep, climbing up through the woods towards just another bump in the forest. Bear Point. No one’s ever heard of it. I hoped I wouldn’t see any bears.

My first view through the trees was of Mt. Jefferson, a broad and stately mountain. Puffy clouds framed its glaciated flanks. The forest eventually gave way to a lovely meadow filled with huckleberry bushes. At 1 pm I stood on the summit, ready to dig into some food. There were great views and plenty of room to spread out up here, the site of a former lookout tower.

A number of bumps, rivers and peaks stood out among the wilderness in front of me. I didn’t know what most of anything was, but I thought I might want to find out. What secret hikes could I explore here?