10/20, Saturdayy. 66F when I arrived at Timberline Lodge at 2:30pm. Quite a lot of bikers. Mt Hood Express hauls a rack behind it, where you can secure your bike. On the way, I noticed that my Kindle was about to run out of battery. A bummer. What to do during the 13 hour long night? While filling water at the day lodge, I realized that I didn't bring any hydration tablet. It felt like summer. I started to sweat soon after I started hiking. Slowed down a bit. There's no rush. My destination is only 5-6 miles away. More downhill than up. 
I have done Paradise Park from Timberline Lodge hike many times before, but always as a day hike. A beautiful day today. A bit hazy in the distance. Fall color was fading. Mountain ash had lost most leaves. Their red berries still made good photo here at Zigzag Canyon. Quite many day hikers, and 3 backpackers coming out and passed one backpacking dad with a toddler going in.
When I arrived at Spit Rock 2.5 hours on the trail, I found it very dry. Back at the creek, where about 3 parties already set up tents, I filled water by the narrow creek. Then I scrambled up a couple of hundred feet on to the ridge SE of the creek bed. Not entirely flat, but I had a commanding view of the whole area and the tents below. Can see Jefferson to the south and St Helens to the north. I was alone, so I could play my podcast without a headphone (forgot to bring one). 
Sun was setting before I could pitch my tent: too busy snapping photos. Red glow after the sun set. Jefferson and Helens are more clear with the red light. I cooked dinner under the bright 3/4 moon. Had to wait after moon set at 3am to see all the stars. Lights of the city glows below.I went to bed ~9:30pm. Didn't set alarm clock, since I didn't need to get up early. Warm night, maybe even warmer than 40°F. When I got up to see stars, the western skyline was visible. Not a dark sky even after the moon set.
10/21, Sunday. 7:30 sunrise. Paradise Park is on the west side of Hood. Not much sunrise to see. I took time to eat breakfast and pack up. Walked around, found flatter spots 50m east of my cooking rock. Many beargrass here. Should come back when they are in bloom. I ate too much, trying to lighten my load. Brought way too much food and clothes. 
9am, I headed up, towards Mississippi Head. Followed the ridge line, seeing footprints at times. This is my favorite part of this weekend's loop. Gentle slope, covered with vegetation, some huckleberries, lots of beargrass. More pleasant than the ridge directly above Split Rock. At 6500', grass gives away to rock. Scree fields all over. Nothing very steep, but dusty. Picking route as I went, stopping from time to time to check my location on the GPS maps (I downloaded from 3 sources!).
I didn't drop down to Mississippi Head, so didn't see the crashed propeller. I was concerned about my 1.5L water and the warm temperature. 
Finally close to Zigzag Glacier, I could stand on a snow patch. Too hard to scoop into my water bottle, but not too hard nor slippery to walk on. I brought microspikes, but didn't use them. Had an early lunch here. Took my boots off and rest.
I followed one trio report to keep up till about 8000'. No snow left, all looked desolate. At the top of Zigzag Canyon, which is not below Zigzag Glacier, but 2 gullies east, another snowfield. Once crossed the top of Zigzag Canyon, all is straightforward, but not interesting, nor pretty. 
Pretty soon (~10 minutes), I could see the ski lifts. I started to walk diagonally down hill, going over rocks and gullies, until the mid station of the Palmer Lift. There, I found boot track again, and more or less followed it down. 
Soon, I saw other hikers at Silcox Hut. 
I reached the lodge ~1:10pm. Cleaned up, bought a beer (a Cloud Cap amber) - took a while (very busy). Sat on one of these lounge chairs facing Hood, waiting for my bus at 2:45pm. The beer costs more than the RT bus fare to get here. Consider it a contribution to Timberline Lodge so it'll keep funding MHX and provide clean bathrooms to everyone. 61°F.Both MHX and SAM I rode this afternoon turn on AC. Unnecessary. 70°F in Portland. Fall color was quite good on Hwy-26.
An enjoyable and relatively easy weekend out in the wild. Something new. Total about 11-12 miles. Beautiful days. Packed too many clothes and food. I'll do this loop again earlier in the season, when flowers bloom and more snow in the upper section so to cover the rocks. However, Paradise Park may be too busy in the summer.
