Barrett Spur is the imposing mass that you can see from Portland off the north side of Mount Hood . It dominates the view from Dollar Lake and Elk Cove . The feature was formed in the Pleistocene era, when large lava flows collected in a basin previously formed by glacial erosion (Stephen L. Harris: Fire Mountains of the West ). The top of Barrett Spur is a crumbling mass of rotten rock that's a scramble with every footstep on loose rock and sand. There's a first bench and then a scramble on steeper, loose rock to the summit ridge, which you need to take care to negotiate in order to reach the high point. Compared with the saddle 500 feet below, you'll get much closer awe-inspiring views of both the Coe and Ladd glaciers as well as up to Pulpit Rock.
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