A short yet scenic hike into Firecamp Lakes

All but the top of Mt. Jefferson along the trail to Crown Lake

It was time to go back to the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, having not entered the area since either the B&B fire of 2003 or the Puzzle fire in 2006. Both fires combined to burn 47,000 of the 105,000 acres that make up the wilderness area.

Blooming Beargrass along the trail

Entering the wilderness from the Northwest, where the Firecamp Lakes lie, there is no indication of the fires that devastated much of the wilderness. Instead, healthy conifers and blooming bear grass greeted me in late June on my way into the lakes.

Crown Lake

Firecamp Lakes are made up of Crown and Claggett Lakes and an unknown, much smaller pond.

Mt. Jefferson rises above Crown Lake

The hike to Crown Lake begins in an old clearcut, where thick Beargrass was in full bloom. The trail climbs steeply from the outset through much of the clearcut and then settles into a much easier grade as it enters the more established forest.

Crown Lake

Crown Lake lies only about a mile from the trailhead. The trail, prior to dropping into the lake’s basin, provides nice views of Mt. Jefferson above the ridge standing over the lake’s basin. Plenty of mosquitoes were there to greet me at the lake, expected but always unwelcome.   

Oregon's explosive past seen along the PCT south of McKenzie Pass

From left: Belknap Crater, Mt. Washington, Three Finger Jack and Mt. Jefferson

If a person wants to see evidence of recent volcanic activity, and by “recent” I mean within the past few thousand years, there is no place better than the Central Oregon Cascades. In this area, perhaps the best place to view this activity is along the McKenzie Pass. Here, a string of craters that once spewed immense flows of lava and spit cinder high into the air stretches for miles.

Research in Jefferson Park - another study to tell us what we already know?

Jefferson Park and Mt. Jefferson

Sometimes you have to wonder about scientific studies and the resources spent to research things that seem to be obvious. You also have to wonder how some conclusions are ascertained. Here is one of those instances.

According to a study by Oregon State University, funded by the Pacific Northwest Research Station and published in Landscape Ecology, high mountain meadows in the Pacific Northwest are declining rapidly due to climate change. An article written by Phys.org says the study cites factors such as reduced snowpack and longer growing seasons as reasons for trees to encroach on meadows.

Scout Lake in Jefferson Park

Lost near Rooster Rock? Naahh. I prefer to call it “misdirected.”



Rooster Rock with Mt. Jefferson in background

Summer had withdrawn and autumn crept in, carrying a full bag of tricks as the weather is concerned. Early snow had already fallen on the Cascades as low as 4,000 feet, and I wanted to reach some jagged spires I had studied during the summer while exploring the area near Table Rock. In late October, Noia and I set out to explore the outcropping called Rooster Rock, named by a prospector in the mid-1800s.

Want a workout? Try Mt. Defiance on for size

Near the summit of Mt. Defiance, looking down into the Columbia Gorge

Some mountain trails can be a true test of a person's stamina and ability to overcome physical distress. Forcing legs to scream and lungs to work like salmon swimming upstream, these trails can provide a yardstick to gauge one's physical condition. Usually these trails consist of a severe uphill grade that lasts a significant distance, providing a much different experience than a level hike of the same length. While some folks probably enjoy the challenge of these trails fairly regularly, I prefer to mix them into the schedule much, much less frequently.

A high Cascades forum – the great stink box debates



outhouse (Photo credit: twofordssearchin)

The plan was to begin our Labor Day weekend at Jack Lake, located on the southeast edge of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. The Bakers used such glowing adjectives to describe this tiny lake and the hike into nearby Canyon Creek Meadows, my bride and I wanted to experience the area for ourselves.

Triangulation Peak hike offers new sights and sounds

Mt. Jefferson from inside Boca Cave

I hiked a nice trail from road 635 to the cutoff trail ascending Triangulation Peak (5434'), located just inside the Northwest border of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. It is a little over 2 miles from trailhead to Triangulation Peak's summit where, I had read, you can see from Mt. Rainier to the north to Diamond Peak to the south. I could see Diamond Peak, but anything north of Mt. Hood was blocked from my view by summer haze.

No turning back after initial venture into the Table Rock area (excuse the poor pics)

Table Rock from near Rooster Rock

Years ago, Bones and Shifty, two friends since childhood, and I spent the early morning hours during an April day inside my tiny, rickety pickup, bouncing along washboard stretches of an old logging road, high in the Old Cascades of Oregon.              

A walk into Eight Lakes Basin, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness

Jorn Lake, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness

Many moons ago and after hiking and backpacking for some time, I finally convinced my bride to join me on a weekend backpack trip to Duffy Lake, located in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. The plan was to hike 3.5 miles into the lake and set up a base camp. From there, we could set out and explore nearby lakes such as Mowich and Santiam.

Poor directions, spider webs and blisters don't deter from Hawk Mt. hike

Hawk Mt. cabin and views

It was a web-busting morning. Obviously first on the trail that day or perhaps the entire week, I was breaking through countless spider webs spun from tree to tree across my path. Bad directions gleaned from a website brought about an adventure before even getting to the trailhead. Numerous wrong turns and ample guesswork finally delivered me to the Rho Ridge trail. My destination was Hawk Mt. and its views of Mt. Jefferson, Olallie Butte, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington and at least one of the Three Sisters.

Visitors in the night along the PCT

Cathedral Rocks and Mt. Jefferson

On an early July morning I walked into Pamelia Lake, located in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, planning on spending the night somewhere in the wilderness. A spongy, needle laden trail beneath giant Douglas firs led me to the lake, where I was greeted by an abundance of blooming rhododendrons.

 

Mt. Washington Wilderness hike: A dose of reality on the trail

Mt. Washington through the trees

At the time, Paranoia was teaching, or I should say troubleshooting, at Parrot Creek Boy's Ranch. Conservative both in nature and politically, Paranoia was always adamant about how bleeding heart liberals were pampering the Ranch's delinquents. His job was dragging him behind a manure truck, and the line needed severed. 

Shifty was a produce manager for a grocery store. He was good at what he did, but felt vastly underappreciated. His bottom line was always exemplary, but his employer's gratitude was nil.

I had just started two jobs, one in lumber sales and the other as a husband. The combination of my bride's cooking and sitting on my butt behind a desk 10 hours a day led to a weight gain of 20 pounds in 60 days. Like a balloon stuck on a spouting helium tank, I felt like I was ready to burst.

Needless to say, each of us needed to get away from it all, and what better way was there to accomplish this than to hike into a wilderness and slam the door behind us? Some folks might call it "withdrawing from reality." I call it "finding reality."

Unknown trail delivers views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson

Mt. Jefferson and Olallie Butte

As soon as I locate this trail on a map, I'll update this post. For now, I'll simply explain what I saw along the this hike on the Unknown Trail.

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.

Oregon's Olallie Lake Scenic Area - an outdoor lover's paradise

Ollalie Butte with Mt. Hood in the distance and Olallie and Monon lakes behind trees to the left

High atop Oregon's Cascade Mountains is a magical area where lava and ice have sculpted a landscape filled with high buttes and shallow basins. Ripples along the surface of over 200 lakes and tarns dance at the feet of high cliffs and cinder cones. Plump huckleberries flourish beneath lodgepole pines adorned with lichen, and colorful meadows sweep away the forest, giving breathtaking views of nearby Mt. Jefferson and Olallie Butte. One of the most accessible high lake regions along the crest of the Oregon Cascades, this place, known as the Olallie Lake Scenic Area, is truly an outdoor lover's paradise.