Munra Point Hike
Munra Point is one of the best hikes I’ve ever done. It has oustanding scenery along the way- with dramatic cliffs, colorful wildflowers, and dense trees covering the vast canyon. The hike gains 1,700 feet- most of which is gained in only a mile’s distance.
The top has an incredible panorama view of the Columbia River Gorge. Yet, there’s not a single sign for Munra Point- the trail is unmarked, unmaintained, and unpopular.
The trail is likely ‘unofficial’ because of being too steep and treacherous for the general public. There were three steep rocky sections requiring some bouldering skills to get up and down. Once at the top, you can see that some of the optional paths can be intimidating with cliffs on either side of the narrow trail. A slip off that ridge would spell disaster.
For me, the steepness was a definite reason to be cautious, but I was not as concerned about this as I was another issue…
Poison oak. This hike was absolutely plagued with it. There was more poison oak on this trail than I’ve ever seen before. In many places, the narrow trail had patches on both sides, leaving little or no room to walk by without brushing your legs on it. Since I am prone to bad poison oak rashes, this was indeed a source of concern. I get it so easily, if I just look at it or hear the name, I get it.
To add a little diversity to the poisonous plant life, there were pretty wildflowers and interesting spiny plants, such as this one.
I was proud to witness a bald eagle soaring above the canyon, sporting its massive wingspan.
This trip was June 1st, 2008- a nice way to kick off the month.