Afoot and Afield: Portland/Vancouver. Douglas Lorain

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      TRIP 9 Larch Mountain from Grouse Vista

      HIGHLIGHTS For a shorter approach to the meadows and the views on Larch Mountain, try this route from Grouse Vista. The distance and elevation gain are only about half as much as the Cold Creek Trail (Trip 8), and the views from the meadows near the top are just as spectacular.

      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.

      Views here are generally obstructed by trees, mostly short Douglas fir, grand fir, and western hemlock. As you climb, the sounds of rushing water from Grouse Creek in the canyon on your right gradually grow louder as the creek gets closer.

      After a little more than 1 mile, the trail is joined by an unsigned motorbike track coming in from the left. But 0.2 mile later this track splits off again. Shortly after this, you pass an active beaver pond and large dam on your right. If you arrive here in the early morning, take some time to scan the pond for the busy builders of this impressive construction project.

      Above the pond, you make a bridged crossing of Grouse Creek, loop back to the right, and traverse up the increasingly open hillside. When the trail tops a ridge, the views improve greatly, as most of the trees disappear and you stand in an open meadow. Bulky Silver Star Mountain lies to the northeast, but the best views look to the distant snow peaks of Oregon’s Mt. Hood and decapitated Mt. St. Helens in Washington. You can also see the region’s better known Larch Mountain, on the Oregon side of the Columbia River.

      The trail turns west and follows the ridge up through more meadows and strips of trees. Wildflowers abound here, including such colorful favorites as beargrass, lupine, iris, queen’s cup, and golden pea. This is the most attractive part of the hike, although the trail is a bit rocky and deeply gouged by motorcycles.

      About 2.5 miles from the trailhead is a junction with the trail coming up from Cold Creek (Trip 8). To reach the top of Larch Mountain, you bear left here and climb 0.5 mile past a beargrass meadow and through several confusing junctions with motorcycle routes. The mountaintop is rather ugly, however, with a clear-cut and electrical towers, so for better views return to the meadows below.

      With a car shuttle you can make a long one-way trip by going down the Cold Creek Trail (see Trip 8 for details).