BCEP 2023: TEAM 22: Hike 04 Cook Hill

From Oregon Hikers: Cook Hill, just to the east of Dog Mountain, serves as the latter’s poor cousin, but if you want solitude and an abundance of wildflower species in the spring, this is the place to go to avoid Dog’s crowds although it cannot quite replicate the spectacular meadow displays. The hike is all on unofficial trails and old road beds on public land save for a section of the ridge at the Cook Hill Saddle, which belongs to Broughton Lumber. There are two meadows to cross, a steep smaller meadow and the lengthy summit meadow, which has seen some grazing in the past. While all of the slopes were logged sometime in the 20th century, the forest wildflowers match those of the meadows in abundance and diversity. Note that the trail section which leads to the summit, constructed by Gorge activist Russ Jolley, can disappear in places as new growth engulfs it in the spring. The first time you're here, hike the loop counterclockwise as described to avoid the chance of losing Russ Jolley’s trail. When you return, you can go clockwise to get full frontal views of the Gorge as you descend from the summit of Cook Hill. There is no signage, but the routes are cleared by volunteers, usually every year.

http://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Cook_Hill_Loop_Hike