My first hike in Oregon (unless you consider the walk to Multnomah Falls from the parking lot a hike) was to Mirror Lake, in the Mt Hood National Forest. This hike doesn't stop there though, the trail keeps going beyond the lake. The final destination is a mountain called Tom, Dick and Harry.

It has three different peaks, the highest of them being at just above 5,000 feet. I've only made it to one of them, since the trail becomes a bunch of big rocks from there, and I usually get hurt on that kind of terrain.

Anyway, the hike is around 6 miles round-trip, and 1,600 feet of elevation gain. I'd been there before for sunset, but never for sunrise. So I went and fixed it.

Starting at 4:50 in the morning, I made it to the top well before sunrise. I was very pleased with myself! This was a few days after climbing South Sister and I was carrying a ton of gear. It took me 1 hour and 5 minutes to the top.

It was a cloudy and smoky morning, but I had a clear view of the mountain and was able to take some decent photos of the clouds and the raising Sun. It wasn't clear enough to appreciate the view in its fullest though; on a clear day, you can see Mt St Helens, Mt Adams, Mt Rainier and Mt Jefferson from up there.

I'd recommend this hike, just be aware of the crowds. It's a very popular spot, and the parking lot fills up really quick.

Video of the hike and some photos below. I've talked about the contact sheets too, if you want to see the "shots that didn't make it".