Mirror Lake Trail Government Camp, OR 🖶
Lunch time above Mirror Lake
A note: As of 2022, I no longer use the writeup format used herein. I was too lazy to change this one to the new style. The info is all here, but it just took too much time to do each trail like this, so I shortened to the new format used in trail descriptions starting in 2022.
March 19, 2020 (During COVID-19 outbreak) - The Mirror Lake Hike is an easy (moderate in winter) 4.0 mile out and back through northwest alpine forest. We have done this hike several times, our first way back on January 5, 1985. Back then we were the only ones at the lake. On the most recent trip, we saw four other people at the lake and perhaps 25 people on the trail. We have done this hike in both winter and summer, and far prefer winter because there are far fewer people on the trail and it is a great place to see some beautiful views.
Mirror Lake is a classic glacial cirque lake. The steep slopes south and southwest of Mirror Lake are the glacier cirque headwall. There is a loop trail around the lake of about 1/2 mile and is marked on the map. We chose to continue on Tom Dick and Harry Mt. Trail for about 1/2 mile from the southwest corner of the lake. Wow! It was worth it. We had lunch at the edge of the glacial cirque headwall and glissaded down the hill to the trail. Fun!
We met a couple of folks on cross-country skils who were heading to the top of Tom Dick and Harry Mt. Adventurous folks can do this in winter, but since we aren't that adventurous and had only our shoe chains with us, we were happy with having lunch and turning back for the car. During the summer months, there are a couple of loops you could make out of this as you continue to Tom Dick and Harry Mt. I have not done those loops, but might give it a go in the coming summer months.
Important: The winter trail at this time of year is usually packed snow and ice. If you are going to do this hike in the winter, do not try it with regular hiking boots. Snowshoes, cross-country skis or boot chains are absolutely required. We met folks coming off the trail telling us they couldn't make it because it was so slippery. And they are right; without at least boot chains you will be slipping and sliding and could get hurt. We were fine with our boot chains and never slipped once. If you don't have proper foot gear, find another hike.
Boot chains are a must-have
Per the U.S. Forest Service: "This trail is a two mile hike from the plaza to Mirror Lake. If you would like to hike a loop around the lake it is an additional 0.4 miles. It accesses Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. Views of Mt Hood from a small backcountry lake are a big draw for this trail. Mirror Lake is a classic glacial cirque lake. The steep slopes south and southwest of Mirror Lake are the glacier cirque headwall. The trail to the lake is heavily visited and is kid friendly for the adventurous family. Hiking beyond the lake up to Tom Dick and Harry Ridge and into the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness is a more challenging hike with a view of the Cascade Range. The 1.9 miles from the trailhead to the lake gains 460 feet at a steady, moderate climb. The trail surface is wider than average to the lake and once at the lake, hikers may enjoy a narrower, 0.4 mile lakeside trail. From the southwest corner of the lake the trail continues 1.8 miles across the slope and onto the ridge top of Tom Dick and Harry Mt. The upper section of the trail is much rougher and narrower, with the last 200 yards of trail being very steep and rocky to access a view point at the trail’s end."
Overview:
Elevation Profile : Mirror Lake
Because everything was shut down and we also didn't want to take any chances even if a pub was open, our after-hike for the winter trip of 2020 was crackers and cheese with wine and beer back at our house. However, we have done hikes on and around Mt. Hood before and there are several pubs and restaurants to choose from. We like driving up to Timberline Lodge and having a beer and grub in the Ram's Head Bar & Restaurant. There are other places to eat in the lodge, but this is our favorite. I am intrigued by Glacier Public House in Government Camp and will certainly give it a try the next time we are there. There are several other pub and grub locations in Government Camp you might want to try, to include Mt. Hood Brewing Co.
Did You Know?Glacial Cirque: According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, a [glacial] cirque is an amphitheatre-shaped basin with precipitous walls, at the head of a glacial valley. It generally results from erosion beneath the bergschrund of a glacier. A bergschrund is a large crevasse that lies a short distance from the exposed rock walls and separates the stationary from the moving ice; in early summer it opens, exposing the rock at its base to diurnal changes of temperature. Frost action then causes rapid disintegration of lower rock, which causes the upper rock to avalanche and produce an almost vertical head wall. Resulting rock material is embedded in the glacier and scours a concave floor, which may contain a small lake (tarn) - Mirror Lake in this case - if the glacier disappears. Expansion of neighbouring cirques produces sharp arêtes, cols, and horns. Because glaciers must originate above the snowline, a survey of the elevations of ancient cirques provides information on climatic change and on the former position of the snow line.
Resources