4K Virtual Hike through Oregon Wildflowers on the Tom McCall Point Trail - the full hike in real-time! No talking, no music - just an immersive walk with sights & sounds courtesy of mother nature; the world's best form of relaxation.

The Columbia River Gorge is well-known for its many waterfalls, but in springtime the dry & open slopes of the eastern Gorge erupt into a riot of wildflowers - lupine, balsamroot, and many more. It deserves to be equally famous! One of the best spots for both flora & dramatic views is the Rowena Crest, with its easy road access (if the heights and curves don't make you squeamish) making it a justly popular, if very windy, destination.

Daytrippers have several options - gawping at the amazing viewpoint, taking a gentle stroll across the Rowena Plateau trail, or climbing the steep but beautiful path up to Tom McCall Point. Those who do make it up usually stop there, content on an already great day out. Keen eyed hikers may notice the trail actually continues farther, even more steeply down and back up to the tranquil, forested hills hovering beyond for more views.

Fewer know that it's possible to continue farther still, on rough and faint abandoned roads, down the crest and back to the road: Highway 30. Even less know that it's actually possible to use these seldom used trails to craft a loop, returning back up the Rowena Crest. As I soon discover, there's a pretty good reason this route is NOT well-known... only the adventurous (or foolhardy) should apply!

Highlights:
00:00 - Intro & Hike Start
01:10 - PART 1 - To Tom McCall Point
20:11 - Bigger Views & The Main Climb Begins
31:20 - Open Slopes, Switchbacks
39:10 - More Views & Into the Oak Forest
50:40 - Reaching New Heights
53:40 - A Butterfly
58:20 - Windsurfing Crow & the Final Push
1:06:30 - Tom McCall Point
1:09:49 - PART 2 - Beyond to the Loop
1:16:35 - Gaining the Ridge
1:22:20 - Eerily Peaceful Plateau
1:29:20 - Vistas From On High
1:37:15 - The Hidden Way Down
1:50:00 - Wind, Trees, & Lupines
2:06:07 - The View From Below
2:16:40 - How Do You Get Back Across??
2:28:35 - Lost... (Skip If You Get Motion Sick)
2:34:05 - Found
2:45:29 - Outro, Hike Stats, & Ratings

Trip Stats:
* Distance: ~4.8 mi / 7.7 km (loop)
* Elevation Gain: ~1500 ft / 457 m
* Trailhead GPS: 45.6827, -123.3003

I'm still ironing out the camera setup, as well as the format/structure of these vids going forward... thanks for yall's patience! Please feel free to comment on the good, the bad, or the ugly - this is a learning experience. My goal is for each video to improve on the last. Despite my best efforts the camera still tilts at times - need to integrate a gimbal as part of my setup!