Sampling the hazards of driving mountain roads near Badger Creek Wilderness



Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams standing over the fog of the valley from Divide Trail

 

 It was fall and the Divide Trail in the Badger Creek Wilderness was my destination. As I drove to the trailhead, the sun appeared and began its daily climb in the sky. Cruising along road 4410, two does popped their heads out of a cluster of trees hugging the road. A mile further, two more does bounced out of a thicket and bounded directly toward the front of my pickup. While tapping my breaks, they quickly detoured and bounding parallel with the road as if they wanted to race me. It was another reminder of the need to remain vigilant while traveling the network of roads in these mountains.

 

Learning its all about the quest in the Southern Oregon Cascades

Rainbow over Fourmile Lake

My bride and I set up camp at Fourmile Lake, located 6 miles off Highway 140 along the crest of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. Monday morning, unforgiving winds whipped up waves and sent them crashing against fallen tree snags lining much of the shore. Gathering strength as the day progressed, the gales stirred the water into a sea of whitecaps. Later that evening, I paddled out into the calming waters in search of trout, but caught nothing. If not for the fantastic view of Mt. Mcloughlin and the commitment to meet my parents at the lake later in the week, we would have packed up and camped elsewhere. I had one big goal that week, and it didn't matter where in the Cascades it occurred, just as long as it happened.

Monday morning I began the 5 mile hike and climb to the summit of 9,495' Mt. Mcloughlin. The trail meandered through the forest for awhile and gradually steepened, snaking along the mountain's east ridge. Eventually, the number of trees along the trail thinned and the summit of the mountain could be seen. At the top, I stood alone, save for a couple water bottles carelessly left behind by some hikers. The only other hints of anyone else were spray painted rocks and the ruins of a lookout. High clouds hovered above, affording me a view of Mt. Shasta; Fish, Fourmile and Klamath Lakes; Lake of the Woods, the Mountain Lakes Wilderness; and to the north Three Sisters.

Extensive views on the ridgeline between Mt. Hood and Badger Creek Wilderness

Mt. Hood

Little stands between you and the east side of Mt. Hood when hiking along this ridge top trail, which offers views of the Cascades from Three Sisters to Mt. Rainier. In fact, the only thing obscuring your view along this trail are trees that occasionally give way to scattered rock outcroppings, which afford grand views of a broad spectrum of Cascade peaks.