October 17, 2002
You can see Saddle Mountain from a number of places on the south and west sides of Astoria, but you need to drive the long way around to get to the base of the mountain where the trail begins. Here you can see the shape that makes the saddle. From this vantage point, the trail tucks down into the saddle, then climbs up to the top. It's still a good scramble away, and a bit rough going near the end. Some other day I'll show the nearly-unobstructed view from the top.
7 comments:
The mountain on the left looks like a sleeping lion. Astoria is such a neat place, i was there for about a weekend .it is now my retirement place.
Please dont retire or move here. It's gotten so crowded the past ten years or so with people moving here from other places. It ruins the quality of life for the locals having so many clueless people here. As for Saddle Mountain, I was friends with the man who manned the lookout post on top during the war--he showed me how to get to big cave directly beneath the summit-as a youngster I loved to hike up there in the winter, sit in the cave away from wind and rain and look out over the mountains and valleys-It felt sort of good sitting in a place so rarely visited -I would think about the natives who lived here for thousands of years and wonder if some of them used the cave too. It is a great hideout and a place to get away from it all
I've been to the top of this mountain....once; 40+ years ago when I was due any day with a wonderful son.
At the time I moaned, groaned and complained the entire way up. But looking back now, I realize it worth every step of the way to have that memory. It holds a special place in my heart.
It has been locals who have spearheaded the effort to attract fresh ideas and money to the community from mayor Van Dusen, to councilman Blair Henningsgaard and his mother. The Forrester family of the Daily Astorian although in your mind probably also not local have been here since the mid 1960's Lets not forget local Chester Trabucco who refurbished the Ellliot hotel nor Susan Davies Collin Trabucco who runs the Business Journal nor Bob Jacobs who was raised on Altadena and has developed the Cannery Pier hotel on the site of the old Union Fish Building. Astoria's economy was in shambles in the late 70's and in the 80's with the demise of logging and fishing, not done by Californians. The influx of tourists saved many people's butts. If youtake their money,you have to pay the price.
Ah, interesting discussion by people who know the area far better than I do.
I want to say big kudos to Anonymous Number 3. I've climbed Saddle Mountain maybe 3 times with no eight-plus-month baby in the belly and I found it not only a bit daunting, but also totally rewarding.
Nice cave story. I think many of us long for something magical like that cave in winter.
Fantastic view!
Wow, these are the best photos.
Head and shoulders above the other cities I look at Like Oslo, San Francisco, Port Angeles.
Thanks again,
Tom Brosman
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