Hiking time: 7 hours, 14 minutes, and 34.84 seconds. Distance: 7 miles round trip. Climbing: approx. 1,400 feet. Highest elevation: 3,900 feet (at start), lowest elevation 2,800 feet (along Bell Creek Trail). Started at top of Oneonta Trail at 3,900 feet, descended to Bell Creek Trail at 2,900 feet and 1.8 miles, Bell Creek Trail to Bell Creek at 2,900 feet and 1.6 miles. Then returned.

I originally intended to take my mountain axe as a hiking aid, but forgot to take it out of the trunk. This hike was easy enough that I actually enjoyed walking free, only using the tripod as a trekking pole on rare occasions to take that tricky step.

Started hike at 7:05 AM. Milestones (Hours from start, times of day from start, duration of leg): To Bell Creek Trail Trailhead: 2:04:32.46 (9:10 AM; duration: 2 hours and 5 minutes: obviously took my time photographing and taking in the views). To Bell Creek: 4:51:56.88 (11:56 AM; duration: 2 hours and 48 minutes). Back to Bell Creek Trailhead: 6:11:15.19 (1:16 PM; 1 hour and 19 minutes -- this included a 15 minute lunch break, so 1 hour and 4 minutes of hiking). Back to car: 7:14:34.84 (2:20 PM; duration: 57 minutes: climbed 1,000 feet in less than an hour!).

The Bell Creek Trail has the best old growth forest in the Columbia Gorge: huge Douglas Firs up to 8 feet in diameter and Western Red Cedars up to 10 feet in diameter, with hundreds 5 feet in diameter and bigger. In years past, I've hiked this in late spring when the trail is so overgrown you have to practically hack your way through it. Today (early November) it was completely clear. However, it is the wettest trail I've ever been on. The ground was soaking wet practically all the way. But that's how the trees grow so big. On the Bell Creek Trail to Bell Creek, you're forever tramping through puddles and brooks. There were many flat and treacherously slippery logs across streamlets. I forewent most of them, and splashed through the streamlets instead of risking a slip and fall. Feet stayed dry however, thanks to Gortex Danner hiking boots.

There were thousands of mushrooms out, especially along the Oneonta Trail (higher elevation than the Bell Creek Trail -- maybe that has something to do with it, I don't know). Some of the mushrooms and fungi were photogenic. At least in my opinion.

Took 239 photos of which 146 made the cut.