#Mount hood National Forest

[aestum]

(by jhamilbader)

[bettergeology]

Ticked an item off the “visit” list a couple weeks ago: Little Crater Lake, in the Mount Hood National Forest.

It’s sort of an oddity- a near-circular straight-sloped clear blue lake in the middle of a large wetland. It seems to sit right on top of a bedrock fault, which is likely active, part of a series of extensional faults called the Oak Grove Graben (which was completely unknown until about 2020!). The thinking is that this fault allows copious amounts of groundwater to rapidly rise with enough force that it washed out this crater-shaped lake. Its similarities with real Crater Lake end there, as that lake is an enormous volcanic caldera. Nevertheless, it shares the same vertigo-inducing clarity which allows the natural deep blue of very cold water to be so striking.

We found a healthy rough-skinned newt population in the lake. I guess the cold doesn’t bother them that much! Lots of flowers were in bloom, including this lovely Western Bunchberry.

[new--tomorrows]

Fog in the trees on Hunchback Ridge. Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon. 22 November 2023.

[i-carrion-icarian]

10-27-24 ⛰

Etsy | Instagram | TikTok

[wanderguidehub]

Hiking Guide to Mount Hood, Oregon: A Must-Visit For Nature Lovers

Begin your journey into the heart of Oregon’s wilderness with our comprehensive hiking guide to Mount Hood. This majestic peak, the crown jewel of Oregon, offers trails for all levels of hikers. Its diverse terrain, rich flora and fauna, and breathtaking views make it a must-visit for all outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a beginner looking to immerse yourself in nature,…

[travelella]

Mt Hood and Mt Hood National Forest, Oregon, USA

Alex Moliski

[heavenlybackside]

Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon 🇺🇲

[pickleweed2]

Mountain Ash from a cold wet window

Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon

[mutant-distraction]

Jake R. Petersen

Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon

[redeemedguardian32]

I decided to take a drive to see Mount Hood National Forest. The last time I saw it was before it caught fire.

[q8q]

Tomlike Mountain Mount Hood National Forest,

Oregon, USA

[kittyclowns]

Mount Hood National Forest!

[new--tomorrows]

Salmon Huckleberry Wilderness of the Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon. 21-22 November 2023.

[elinerlina2]

Breathtaking morning views in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon

[plethoraworldatlas]

The Center for Biological Diversity today petitioned for federal protection of Sierra Nevada red foxes in the Oregon and California Cascades, from Lassen Peak to Mt. Hood. The petition asks that the fox be listed as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.

“These precious mountain foxes need our help if they’re going to have any chance at survival in our rapidly warming world,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center. “The problems facing the Sierra Nevada red fox are complex and mounting, as they are for so many species in the mountains of western North America.”

In response to a previous Center petition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protected a fox population near Sonora Pass in the Sierra Nevada as endangered. But in 2015 the Service denied the fox protection in the Cascades, citing lack of information.Since then, considerable research has shown that fox populations in Lassen, Crater Lake National Park, the Central Cascades and Mt. Hood are isolated, exceedingly small and facing multiple threats.

The fox once ranged throughout high-elevation areas of the Cascades in forests and alpine meadows. But the species has been lost from large portions of its range, including Mt. Shasta. Poisoning as part of historic predator eradication efforts and trapping were primary drivers of the fox’s historic decline.

Today the fox is threatened by habitat loss caused by fires, logging, livestock grazing and development, increased recreation and climate change, which is pushing the fox’s habitat off the top of mountains.

An additional threat is competition and predation from coyotes, which have proliferated in the Cascades in the absence of wolves. Coyotes are likely to move uphill as snowpacks recede with warming.

“The harms we’re doing to the natural world are accumulating and interacting in complex ways to the detriment of animals like the Sierra Nevada red fox,” said Greenwald. “Historic killing of predators, including wolves and the fox, have left the fox vulnerable to coyotes and risks inherent to small populations. And now, increased interest in outdoor recreation and global warming represent new and growing threats to the fox.”

The fox’s surviving populations are critically small. The population found in the Lassen area, for example, was recently estimated to contain fewer than 10 breeding adults. The other populations are not much bigger.

[forestduck]

Oct 5, 2023 - Mount Jefferson as seen from the north from the Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon. Nikon D850