Alpine Club

Trilliumites take full advantage of living in the beautiful Northwest. Many members are avid outdoors people who ski, hike, climb and backpack. At least once a year we take a backpack trip somewhere in the Oregon or Washington mountains. These are kid-friendly backpacks and typically require no more than a 5 mile hike to get to the base camp. Anywhere from 6 to 12 people participate in these trips and they serve as a great bonding experience for the community.

Our trips have included:

The Goat Rocks Wilderness Area is nestled between Mt Adams and Mt Rainier in the Washington Cascades. This is a spectacular area of rugged mountains, stunning meadows and cascading waterfalls. Three Fingered Jack is another pristine and meadowed peak in the Oregon Cascades between Mt Jefferson and Mt Washington in the Jefferson Wilderness Area. The area we visited features a flower covered cirque at the base of the north face of the mountain. Killen Creek is on the NW flank of Mt Adams on the Pacific Crest Trail. The area is a gentle 4 mile hike from the trailhead and offers stunning views of Mt Adams, Goat Rocks and Mt Rainier. The trail is also the gateway for climbers on the challenging Adams Glacier approach to the Summit. IN August, the area blooms with Lupine, Paintbrush and all manner of native wildflowers. A lake near by at 5846' elevation offers refreshing dips on sunny afternoons. The Green Lakes Area in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area sits at the SE base of the South Sister and due West of Broken Top at 6800'. The area is so popular that camping is allowed only in a few designated sites but the lakes basin offers a refreshing swim after a morning of exploring the area. The Obsidian Falls area is on the West side of the Three Sisters Wilderness Area and sits on the slope between the North and Middle Sister. This area is so popular it is restricted to all access unless you arrange for one of the few daily and overnight permits available ahead of time. The area is at about 6400' and was an Indian Obsidian mining area for thousands of years. High quality outcroppings are visible everywhere and thousands of black, sharp chips are left strewn about the ground. Some intrepid Trilliumites managed to climb both the North and Middle Sister in one long day. Small tarns and clear rushing streams create a park-like setting of grassy and flower covered meadows. Jefferson Park is on the South side of Mt Jefferson (Oregon's 3rd highest peak after Mt Hood, 12,200' and South Sister, 10,500'). The "Park" is just that: several acres of tarns, streams, meadows and 5 large lakes with outstanding camping sites that offer incredible views of the glaciers and summit of Mt Jefferson.

Besides the backpack trips the Alpine Club did a day climb of Mt St Helens via the popular Monitor Ridge route and a day hike to the 6000' level on the West side of Mt Hood. The St Helens climb is a 5 mile, 4300' climb to the summit at 8300' and was completed by 6 determined Trilliumites.