Hiking time: 541 minutes and 58.16 seconds, or 9 hours and 2 minutes. Arrived at the trailhead at 7:45 AM, before any other car was present (when I got back all the car spaces were taken by weekend campers). Trailhead at an elevation of 2,850 feet. Took Paradise Park Trail to an elevation of 5,870 feet. I really felt the unaccustomed elevation climbing up.

There was a small amount of uphill on the way back and the guidebook says total climbing is 3,100 feet. That sounds reasonable. A careful reading of a detailed printed topo map of Mt. Hood indicates my hike was about 6.5 miles one way, 13 miles round trip. Felt pretty good at the turnaround point, but exhausted and spent when I got back to the car: 5.5 hours up and 3.5 hours back.

The topo map at the trailhead indicates that my hike was actually about 8 miles each way, 16 miles round trip. The effort I had to put out felt more like 16 miles, not 13 miles, but I'm inclined to believe my large printed topo map.

My feet were over-stressed: wound up with the beginnings of blisters on my toes and the pads just below the toes (whatever they're called). They spoke of the 16 mile estimate, and I never developed wear and tear on my feet as I did on this hike since I resumed substantial hiking a few months ago. Still, a 16 mile hike should have taken longer than 9 hours.

On the way back, the black flies were out (not surprising: it's July) and I got bit twice: once on each shoulder. They itch like mad and need medical attention (cortisone).

Paradise Park is famous for its flower shows. But I took the hike prematurely for that. There were hardly any flowers. But there were magnificent views of Mt. Hood and its crags.