Mazamas — For the Love of Mountains
Activity Notes
This will be a lollipop hike through the heart of the Indian Heaven Wilderness. We will walk at a moderate pace, but will be stopping often to pick berries if ripe, and may take a dip in a lake if the weather cooperates.
The name for this wilderness reflects the longstanding use of this area by Native Americans to collect and process huckleberries for overwinter storage and use. Many tribes, including the Klickitat, Yakama, Wishram and Wyam, gathered here, and the gatherings acquired cultural, social and spiritual importance as a celebration of the harvest and the end of summer. Today, several of these tribes comprise the Yakama Confederation, and continue to harvest berries, exercising exclusive berry harvesting rights in nearby areas pursuant to an agreement with the United States.
We will leave from the East Crater Trailhead, and will hike past (and explore) a series of lakes and berry meadows before returning to the trailhead.
The mileage and elevation gain may vary, but will be between 10 and 14 miles and between 1200' and 1500' elevation gain.
