The last rays of the sun illuminate the top of Mt. Hood with the alpenglow effect in this sunset photo. This picture was taken from the summit of Larch Mountain looking southeast toward 11,238 high Mt. Hood. Just 22 miles separate Mt Hood and Larch Mountain, so the view is spectacular. You can't tell in this photo, but most of the trees in the foreground are old growth. If you stay on Sherrard Point as darkness falls, you can face east and not see a single artificial light.
Larch Mountain is a 4056 foot high shield volcano a short distance from Portland, Oregon. A road leads to a parking lot near the summit. A three-eighths mile paved trail leads to Sherrard Point, the summit of Larch Mountain. The last half of the trail consists of 121 steps.
The summit is enclosed in a chain link fence and has a couple of benches for sitting and enjoying the panoramic view. Four other major Cascades volcanoes are visible from the summit. In the summer, the sun sets over the Portland West Hills and the sunset colors reflect off the Columbia River.
All materials on this site are copyright 1992-2007 by Doug Gorsline / ashcreekimages.com.
