Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 2.9 miles roundtrip
Time: Approximately 1-2 hours
Accessibility: Late Spring - Late Fall
Our #hike started with a short drive in the morning from the Mt. Hood Village RV Resort and Campground where we stayed in a cozy 4/person #cabin the night before. The cabin was well equipped with a small TV and working heater, with nearby amenities. During our stay in November, all of the #campgrounds around Mt. Hood were closed for the winter season so this was the next best thing to camping in the Mt. Hood area.
But first coffee! We woke up in the morning, and made breakfast and coffee on the wooden picnic table outside of our cabin. It felt so nice breathing in the cold, crisp mountain air with a nice cup of hot coffee in hand. We filled our thermoses with the rest of the coffee for the road!
The Mirror Lake trail is accessible directly from Highway 26. From the trail-head parking area, we crossed rushing Camp Creek and immediately entered the forest, crossing Mirror Creek on a second log bridge, and we were met with the beginning of the snowy trail.
As we approached Mirror Lake, we took the loop around the #lake to the marsh boardwalk at the south end of the lake, and there we admired the #picturesque views of Mount Hood. At the loop junction we continued ahead to the Tom Dick and Harry Mountain trail which is an additional 5.8 mile hike. The route continued through the forest, before reaching the steep north slopes of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain (yes, that's what it's really named). This section of trail featured unusual views of Highway 26, far below, as well as Mount Hood and the Zigzag Mountain high country. The trail continued along this slope, gradually climbing to a broad crest, where a huge rock cairn at 2.5 miles marked a switchback toward the summit. It was not an easy trail given the snowy conditions so it's important to wear the proper hiking shoes. Unfortunately the shoes that I wore on the hike were not waterproof and did not have the proper traction for hiking in the snow. Needless to say, I learned my lesson! After the trip, I went home and brought waterproof hiking boot ASAP.
Although it was a tough hike up Tom Dick and Harry Mountain, the trail gave us picture-postcard views of Mount Hood.