Timberline Trail: A Fast-Pack Adventure Around Mt. Hood By Kirsten Anderson

The Timberline Trail: A Fast-Pack Adventure Around Mt. Hood

By Kirsten Anderson

2 days, 1 night | 41 miles | 11,267ft gain | 23lb pack weight

The Timberline Trail had been on our bucket list for years. Like most people, we'd always imagined tackling this iconic 41-mile loop around Mt. Hood in the standard 3-4 days. But after some epic adventures over the summer, feeling strong, and facing the reality of limited PTO, my husband and I decided to push ourselves and complete it in a 2-day weekend in late September. The real goal? Finishing the loop without ever needing headlamps.

Spoiler alert: We did it, and this trail absolutely delivered on every expectation.

The Gear Challenge: Making 30 Liters Work

For this fast-pack adventure, I decided to test the limits of the Six Moon Designs Flight 30 (I usually use the 50L Swift X or V). I'd never attempted an overnight with just a 30-liter pack, but the challenge intrigued me. And since I do many solo adventures these days, I still wanted to train with a full pack setup rather than sharing gear. This meant I needed to make some important gear choices to save space and weight.

 

My Big Three: 

Flight 30 Pack (31oz)

REI Magma 30-degree quilt (16oz)

Six Moon Designs Haven Tarp + Net Tent (34oz split w/my husband) 

 

Additionally, I brought sleep clothes, charger, Sawyer filter, and my pot + stove, and as usual, too much food. Pack your fears! My luxury item was a pair of down pants, and I left my mug at home. 

Honestly, leaving the camp mug behind was the hardest adjustment. Drinking tea/coffee from my cook pot worked fine for this quick trip, but I definitely missed the ritual of sipping from a proper mug while watching the sunrise over Mt. Hood.

Overall, I loved moving fast with the Flight 30. It uses the same harness system as the Swift X that I used for the PCT, so even fully loaded at 23 pounds (including food and water), it fit like a glove and felt like nothing. The key was maximizing the side pockets for water bottle storage and the back external strap to carry my extra ⅛ inch foam pad, which I use to supplement my sleeping pad. Overall, this pack was more than sufficient for this two-day trip, but definitely rewards organized and efficient packers.

Day 1: Counter-Clockwise from Timberline (20.1 miles, 10 hours 45 minutes)

We started just after sunrise at 7:15 AM from Timberline Lodge under clear skies with zero wind. The morning energy was infectious and we shared in the excitement with another group of two trail runners heading clockwise to Elk Cove, joking that they would definitely beat us, but if we saw each other later in the day, something had definitely gone wrong with someone's plan.

Walking through Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort in summer felt surreal after years of riding the lifts and only seeing it snow-covered. The trail delivered immediately with endless views, and the fall colors were absolutely vibrant throughout the loop. Red-berried shrubs and the rainbow of changing leaves created a stunning backdrop, the entire trail felt alive with autumn color.

On our first day, as we rounded the east side of the mountain, there were multiple river crossings on our first day: White, Clark, Newton, Eliot and Coe. I only took my shoes off for one crossing, the others were straightforward rock hop style crossings. However, the Eliot was still flowing strong in late September, and I was thankful for the log and rope assistance. I can’t imagine attempting this without some form of assistance, especially earlier in the season. Needless to say, water was abundant and we never carried more than two liters at a time, with reliable sources at regular intervals.

But the real magic was climbing Gnarl Ridge. Despite fierce winds at the top, we found a crystal-clear stream sheltered from the gusts - the perfect lunch spot with panoramic views. After descending Gnarl Ridge, we took a quick snack and photo break at Cooper Spur stone shelter, which has seen better days.

About two miles before reaching Elk Cove, our destination for the night, I spotted one of the morning runners approaching us. We recognized each other immediately, but this meant our joke had become reality, and something had gone wrong. They'd completely missed their turnoff at Elk Cove and were now miles off course, hours behind schedule, and didn't have paper maps or GPS.

These guys were wearing the most minimal trail running gear. They only had running vests with a few snacks as the temperatures dropped with the setting sun. A little frazzled, they asked to see our maps, and instead of trail running, they decided to stay close by so we could help them navigate. We walked nearly two miles toward Elk Cove with them to find the correct turnoff. Before they ran down towards their parked car, we showed them our location on both GPS and paper maps, and offered extra snacks (which they declined). They still faced five miles back to their vehicle, having thought they'd parked much closer to the trail junction. Their 20 mile day had just turned into a 29+ mile day, and it was getting dark. 

After wishing them well, and privately questioning their lack of planning, we found a tent site and set up camp, ate dinner and did some yoga after a long day. Our Six Moon Designs Haven Tarp + Net setup was flawless. After using it on two previous week-long trips this season, it's become our go-to shelter. The space feels luxurious for two people, and with the net we have never experienced any condensation issues despite the temperatures dipping below freezing at night. Cozy in my REI Magma quilt and my down pants, I slept hard that night and don't remember being cold at all. 

Day 2: The Brutal Climb Home (21+ miles)

We woke up to our alarm stiff and tired but determined, starting our second day around 7 AM, and it was cold! The ground on the north side of the mountain was frozen, and we had a hard time moving fast enough to stay warm. 

While I've spent countless hours exploring Mt. Hood from Highways 26 and 35, the familiar south and east approaches, this trail opened up an entirely new perspective on the mountain. The north side glaciers and river canyons were more impressive than I'd ever imagined, giving me a completely fresh appreciation and respect for Mt. Hood. This revelation was perhaps the trip's greatest gift. I can't wait to return and explore more of the north side.

The first 10 miles counter-clockwise towards Ramona Falls are relatively flat, a gentle warm-up that lulled us into a false confidence of finishing the day strong. Although the Yocum Ridge blowdown challenged us with some downed tree navigation, requiring some over-and-under navigation but the trail was still relatively easy to follow, except through a treacherous section that looked as if there was no trail at all, and starting to drop away. Without maintenance, these sections might not survive future winter storms.

It was just before the Ramona Falls junction that we encountered another pair of hikers that were disoriented, and walking in the wrong direction, but were still trying to figure out where they were. They were relying solely on their phones and had no paper map navigation. We stopped and shared our location on the paper map we had, as well as two different GPS maps we use.

Lesson learned: bring multiple maps, preferably paper and GPS, and know how to use them!

After lunch at Ramona Falls, reality set in: an 11-mile climb out of the Sandy River drainage back to Timberline Lodge. After already hiking 30+ miles in 24 hours, this ascent felt endless and brutal. About two miles from the finish, I hit a wall. I found myself collapsed on a log, desperately consuming Nerd Clusters and sour jelly beans - whatever sugar I could find. But we pushed through, arriving back at Timberline around 5-6 PM. We were back just in time to get a well-earned burger in Government Camp before driving back to Portland and preparing to go back to work the next day. Mission accomplished: 41 miles in two days and no headlamps needed.

Advice for Future Timberline Trail Hikers

Take your time. Most people do this in 3-4 days. And that's the standard for good reason. Enjoy the scenery and don't rush the experience. Or rush, we still had a blast and took plenty of breaks!

Research how to Cross Rivers Safely! Do your research and know how to cross safely  The time of day, and having spotters and teamwork makes a huge difference in safety.

Start and finish at Timberline Lodge. Check out this iconic mountain lodge, and if your budget allows, plan an overnight there. It's the perfect way to bookend an epic adventure.

Bring maps. I like having multiple navigation systems to check. Know how to use both paper and GPS maps, and study your route in advance.

The Single-Day Question

Would I attempt this as a single-day push? After bonking at mile 39 and experiencing that brutal final climb, I'm intrigued but realistic. We met several trail runners who appeared to be completing it in a day, which definitely planted the seed. But it would require serious endurance training and a completely different approach to fueling and pacing.

For now, I'm content with our two-day adventure and already planning future explorations of Mt. Hood's north side. The Timberline Trail reminded me that even familiar mountains hold endless discoveries - you just have to be willing to see them from a new angle.

The Six Moon Designs Flight 30 and Haven Ultralight Tent proved themselves once again in demanding conditions, delivering the performance and reliability that make ambitious adventures possible.