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Hiking | 6.53 Miles |
1,532 AEG |
| Hiking | 6.53 Miles | | | |
1,532 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Mirror Lake has been on my list for quite some time now. However, being one of the most accessible hikes on Mt. Hood, the trail sees quite a lot of use.
I finally decided to hit this up on Sunday evening. I figured I would hike up about an hour before sunset, stay at the peak until after dark to take some star shots, then head down by headlamp. As I was packing up my gear I received a notification on my phone that the northern lights might make an appearance. I was a bit skeptical that they would be visible- now that it's summer it doesn't get truly dark until about 11pm and the moon was supposed to rise at 1am, so the window for any lights was small- but still worth a chance.
The hike to the summit was tougher than I expected (I always underestimate how much my camera gear actually weights), but the view was fantastic. I set up my gear and sat in silence for a while as I watched the sun set and the light fade on the mountain. A couple of trail runners arrived at the summit shortly after sunset and hung out for a bit before disappearing again.
Once it finally got dark enough for star shots, I noticed the faint pink glow of the aurora over Mt. Hood. I wasn't entirely happy with my current composition as the lights from government camp detracted from the aurora. So I hastily packed up my gear and headed back down to the shores of the lake to get some shots. |
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