"In 2009, the Cold Springs Fire badly burned this trail. Then in 2012, the Cascade Creek Fire came by to clean up anything that was missed, leaving black stands of ghost trees high on the hills, but there is still beauty to be found here and things to see.

This trail takes hikers very close to the Aiken Lava Bed, a black field of basalt lava 4.5 miles long and 0.5 mile wide. Up higher, the trail crosses the subalpine scenery of Round the Mountain Trail No. 9 and drops to the scenic Crooked Creek Falls, which is seasonally surrounded by wildflowers. Be sure to bring plenty of water, as the exposed burn zone gets very hot in summer months."

--Tami Asars, Day Hiking Mount Adams and Goat Rocks (The Mountaineers Books).

"Located in the eastern part of the Mount Adams Ranger District, this trail is adjacent to the Yakama Indian Reservation. Climbing along an old sheep trail, this route climbs gently through a forest that has seen selective timber harvesting. The logging scars are faint."

--Dan A. Nelson , Day Hiking: South Cascades (The Mountaineers Books).