The trail crosses the 640 spur road, and reaches the Surveyors Ridge-Oak Ridge Trail Junction. You will see the gray-green clumps of mistletoe on some of the branches. Traverse up and switchback three more times in a forest of Douglas-fir, grand fir, and ponderosa pine with a carpet of Oregon grape. Pass a wooden gate and a fence line, and then switchback five more times into an open area with another full-on view of Mount Hood. There are several short switchbacks as you continue up the slope and enter mixed forest again. Balsamroot and Columbia desert parsley bloom here in the spring. Keep rising, and enter an open area with a view of Mount Hood. The trail enters Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and oak woodland. There’s another switchback at a meadow and then four more switchbacks in oak-fringed meadows. Cross a road and switchback up three times in woods, make a traverse and switchback again. The hike begins on Hood River County property and travels on Oak Ridge Trail #688A through a former clearcut with young ponderosa pines, oaks and shrubs, such as serviceberry and flowering currant. Bear in mind that ATVs also access Bald Butte via the powerline corridor, and mountain bikers ride the Surveyors Ridge Trail. Late spring is the best time to visit: that's when the shady woods, the open slopes on the Oak Ridge Trail, and the meadows atop Bald Butte come alive with wildflowers. This hike uses two different trails it's a 2.3 mile climb up the Oak Ridge Trail then it's 1.8 miles on the Surveyors Ridge Trail to Bald Butte. Large open meadows, heavily wooded mixed forest, and a ridgetop ramble take you to a former lookout site with spectacular views of the Hood River Valley. This is a quiet all-season trail that offers a variety of terrain (Snowshoes need to be worn in winter).
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