There are hikes where the difficulty is obvious almost from the beginning, and there are others that save nearly everything for the end. Our August 1, 2026 hike to the summit of Maiden Peak definitely fell into the second category.
Starting from the Maiden Peak Trailhead off Gold Lake Road near Willamette Pass, our GPS recorded 11.41 miles round trip with 2,828 feet of elevation gain. Those numbers are consistent with published descriptions of this western route, which generally put the hike at roughly 11 to 12 miles round trip with about 2,800 to 2,900 feet of climbing. What those numbers don't convey particularly well, however, is how the hike actually feels. Much of the early trail is surprisingly moderate. Then, during roughly the final mile to mile and a half approaching th...