Читать книгу One Night Wilderness: Portland. Top Backcountry Getaways Within Three Hours of the City онлайн

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After crossing the creek, the trail makes a gradual uphill traverse of a mostly forested hillside and then turns north and wanders gently uphill to Cramer Lake at 3.2 miles. The trail stays in the forest, so far back from this good-sized and attractive lake that it is easy to walk right past it without noticing. The lake is worth a visit, however, so watch carefully and follow any of several sketchy trails that branch right and lead to this forest-rimmed gem. It has a fine campsite at its northwest end.

Just beyond Cramer Lake is a junction at the southeast corner of a lush, grassy meadow. Watch for deer and elk here, especially early in the morning. This is only the first of several forest-rimmed meadows you will visit over the next few miles. All of these meadows feature plenty of wildflowers in mid- to late July and bright red and orange huckleberry bushes in early October. Keep straight at the junction and walk around the southwest side of the small meadow, coming to a second junction immediately after crossing a tiny creek. Turn left and climb a little more before catching a glimpse of large Dumbbell Lake. Unfortunately, this glimpse is all you will see of this scenic lake for some time, as the trail stays in the forest well back from the lake; instead, you pass several small but attractive ponds. After 0.4 mile you pass two unsigned but obvious use paths going left. These lead to well-located but somewhat exposed campsites near the northwest end of Dumbbell Lake.