Cooper Spur Hike

Overview

This spectacular hike begins at the Cloud Cap Trailhead and quickly climbs to several soaring viewpoints above the spectacular Eliot Glacier en route to the rocky crest of Cooper Spur, the highest point on the mountain that can be reached by trail. The route also passes one of the surviving rustic stone shelters that once dotted the Timberline Trail. Historic Cloud Cap Inn is closed to the public, but the grounds of inn are worth a stop before or after your hike. Cloud Cap Trailhead gets very crowded on summer weekends, so try this one on a weekday, if possible. From the trailhead, walk through the picnic area/campground to a junction on the Timberline Trail. Head left and uphill for a short distance to another junction, where a spur trail to the South Eliot Glacier Moraine heads off to the right. Stay left on the Timberline Trail, following the sign pointing to Gnarl Ridge. Pass through a handsome old growth forest of huge mountain hemlock as you climb into the upper reaches of Tilly Jane Canyon. While the route is well-graded, it also travels across soft volcanic ash for the first mile. But as you round a bend into Tilly Jane Canyon, and views of Mount Hood loom ahead, you’ll forget the soft sand below your feet. In this section, the trail switchbacks up Tilly Jane Canyon amid boulders and scattered alpine wildflowers. If you’re hiking early in the season, expect lingering snow and watch for distinctive cairns with wooden posts to guide your way. Next, the trail enters a windswept forest of mountain hemlock and whitebark pine and then exits near a junction with the Tilly Jane Trail. Turn right (uphill) here, following the sign to Cooper Spur. The spur is the hulking, rocky ridge straight ahead, but after 100 yards on this trail, watch on the right for the Cooper Spur Shelter at the 1.2 mile mark. Walk to the shelter on one of many informal paths, and take a moment to appreciate the architecture and construction. This rustic stone building has existed on the site for more than seventy years, somehow survivi

Trail Stats

Photos

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250px-Tilly_Jane_Creek%2C_Timberline_Trail

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