Chinidere Mt Revisited - Sunset to Sunrise

Sunrise

It's always gratifying to look back at something you said you wanted to do with vague dreamy intentions that were never set into concrete action, having now somehow done the thing.

Almost exactly this time last year I posted about my hike up Chinidere Mountain, in the context of early September and that late, heavy summer haze feel. It's a relatively easy hike complete with the quintessential mountain lake with impossibly clear water, campsites (some with the luxury of a table, some without), and a rewarding 360° view at the top that expands from mountain to mountain - to the Columbia River Gorge and beyond.

Having visited this place last July in peak Oregon summer conditions with crisp blue sky and wildflowers, I was overwhelmed with the idea of spending the night at the summit of the mountain to witness what I imagined would be a truly spectacular sunset and sunrise… And spectacular it was.

Being the last weekend of August, the realities of fire season were present when I made my return to fulfill this little dream. Some of the far-reaching views and peaks I longed for were obscured with haze but as you will see, the bizarre nature of wildfire smoke mixed with clouds can create a truly unique and mind-boggling experience that does not disappoint.

Golden Hour Setting in on Wahtum Lake

A friend and I camped the first night at Wahtum Lake where the trail begins and spent golden hour leisurely soaking in warm rays of evening sun and letting cool, crystal clear ripples of lake water wash over us and away. The next day, we hiked up through the forest to the summit of the mountain, arriving late morning or early afternoon and settling in for the big show: sunset to sunrise on Chinidere Mt.

We rotated from this side of the peak to that side, to make sure we spent adequate time with each section of the view. When day hikers made it to the top and asked us what we were going to do all day with all the hours left before “sunset” we acknowledged that it may be early afternoon, but technically the sun was already setting so the show was well underway…

Sketches were made, poems read and written, and chicken ‘n dumplings were eaten out of a zip-lock bag followed by a decadent course of rice-a-roni (these did not disappoint either, but then again, nothing does when you're in the backcountry).

But I think my friend Allison puts it better -

Sketch of the view NE - the ridges and hills that were burned during the Eagle Creek Fire in 2017

Chinidere Mountain,

Dear Mountain.

We finished our climb to your summit by noon

and spent the day watching time pass.

The white sun creeping from left to right.

The haze drifting from one valley to another,

obscuring Hood -

revealing his bald peak -

then hiding him again in thick white.

We ate sausages and crackers

and as much of a bitter late summer cucumber

as we could swallow,

before tossing the green ends to a fat chipmunk -

smoky striping on his back -

for him to reject in turn.

The abandoned slice became dry and shriveled,

its leathery edges turning up -

a reminder of my own sunburnt skin.

We claimed the summit as our own,

sprawling sweaty clothes upon the rocks to dry

reminded with a start each time a fellow hiker

rounded the bend

that Chinidere belongs only to herself.

~ Allison Dobscha, August 30, 2025

I’ll let the panoramas speak for themselves.

Afternoon to Evening to Night to Morning

Not pictured: the dripping peaches & plums from Draper Girls Country Farm stand that awaited us upon our return to civilization...

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Try this Hike...

Chinidere Mountain - Via Wahtum Lake

(I love using Oregon Hikers as a detailed reference)

Distance: 4.4 miles

Elevation Gain: 1140 feet

Trail Type: Loop

Trailhead & Parking: Free parking at Wahtum Lake Directions HERE

Season: Early Summer to early fall