Читать книгу Afoot and Afield: Portland/Vancouver. A Comprehensive Hiking Guide онлайн

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Neither this Larch Mountain nor the more famous one in Oregon have any larch trees growing on them. The western larch grows only east of the Cascade Divide. The name comes from early loggers who used the term larch to refer to the noble fir. The two species actually have little in common.

DIRECTIONS Begin by driving to Battleground, either by going north on State Highway 503 from Interstate 205, or by going east on State Highway 502 from Exit 9 off Interstate 5. The two state highways intersect in the middle of Battleground. From here drive north 5.7 miles on Highway 503. Turn right on N.E. Rock Creek Road, which soon becomes Lucia Falls Road. After 8.5 miles you turn right on N.E. Sunset Falls Road. Go another 2.0 miles on this road, then turn right again onto N.E. Dole Valley Road. Stay on this road for 5.2 miles to a junction and the end of pavement. Turn left on Road L 1200 and climb for 5.2 miles to the pass at Grouse Vista. The best parking is on the right.

Three routes leave from the right (west) side of the pass. The two southernmost are motorcycle tracks, which are nothing but an annoyance for hikers. Instead, take the northernmost of the three routes and very soon you will come to a brown sign giving distances to various points along the trail. After an all-too-brief warm up, the trail starts to climb steeply on a wide, rocky tread. While you climb, the rocks and boulders on the trail are merely a nuisance, but on the way back down they can easily twist your ankle, so be extra careful on the return trip.