Beginning from Mount Ashland Road, our group headed out on the PCT, threading through a beautifully shaded forest. The trail is fairly level, and goes through several small meadows initially. Although it enters and exits the woods a few times, the trail eventually yields to all meadow. Stepping over several small streams, we awed at the green slopes and distant mountains. All sorts of wildflowers made for a delightful stroll through the meadows of green. At Grouse Gap, we took a bit of a respite and explored a rocky knoll that gave a great view of Mt Ashland. Southerly views to distant Mount Shasta were a bit hazy due to fires in the region, but the air in the immediate area was clear. After lunch, we made the downhill trek back down the trail. With the afternoon sun getting warmer by the minute, we were thankful for the shade of the trees once again as we made our way back to our vehicles.
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Hike Coordinator: Missy Kroeker
Narration by Missy Kroeker
Cone Peak/Iron Mountain trail is known for its spectacular wildflower show this time of year and amazing views of iconic Oregon peaks but…….
It was Independence Day weekend, there was an excessive heat advisory in effect, a two- and half-hour drive to the trailhead at Tombstone Pass and the trail description labeled it as HARD. My husband, Michael, and I took bets if anyone would show up for this hike. Surprisingly, two other hearty souls came driving into the parking lot that morning, Erika and Terry. Erika, a first time FOU hiker and Terry, long time avid hiker and friend, were the only two brave enough for this hike. So, Michael looked at me and said, “I guess we’re going.”
The long drive seemed shorter as we caught up with friend Terry and got to know our new friend Erika. The trailhead parking lot was not crowded but it was warm as we headed out. The start of this trail is a nice little quarter mile of shady forest to Tombstone Prairie then heads up and across the highway where the ascent starts. The next section of trail is traversing switch backs through beautiful forest with a smattering of wildflowers before it opens out onto the rocky open hillside where “wildflower heaven” begins. This amazing beauty distracted us from the climb and heat. Continuing through a variety of rocky outcroppings crowned with wildflowers of all sorts and shady forest, we arrived at the trail junction to the Iron Mountain lookout.
The heat and climb were taking their toll on our tired legs. We decided to find a shady, breezy spot with a view to eat lunch and rest. After a switch back or two, Terry spotted a stone bench that fit the bill. Once we had rested and replenished our bodies with food, we set off for the hardest part of this trail. It’s .7 miles to the top, but it can seem like 7 miles, especially in the heat of the day. All the hard work paid off in a sense of accomplishment as we made it to the top of Iron Mountain along a trail lined with never ending wildflowers and truly stunning mountain views.
The heat at the exposed lookout platform finally chased us back down the trail to the junction of the Cone Peak trail. Now, we were headed back to Tombstone Pass. A long shady forested descent to recross the highway and make our way to the parking lot.
Back at the car, we enjoyed some iced watermelon and cold sparkling water that I had stashed in an ice chest in the trunk of the car. We replaced our hiking shoes with sandals as we rubbed ice on our necks and recounted the beauties and challenges of the trail. Isn’t this why we hike? The physical challenge to experience the beauty of creation and the fellowship of friends old and new?
“God spoke today in flowers. And I, who was waiting on words almost missed the conversation.” – Ingrid Goff-Maidoff –
Back in October of 2023, Edwin had this hike scheduled before the winter snows came. Or so he thought. The hike wasn’t a total bust, and walking through the snowy landscape was like strolling through a delightful winter wonderland. But that same snow stopped us short of our intended destination: Bulldog Rock.
Fast forward 10 months, and Edwin was once again leading some determined hikers up to Bulldog Rock. This time, snow would not be a factor!
Bullpup Lake is seldom-visited, which makes it a great candidate for anyone wanting to visit a pristine body of water, a deeply shaded forest, and epic views overlooking nearby Boulder Creek Wilderness. Most of the elevation gain comes all at once between Bullpup Lake and the Calapooya Crest, but the views at the top make the effort totally worth it. Near the top just past a large meadow, the group veered off-trail and summitted Lost Prairie Rock.
But the real treat lies just north of Lost Prairie Rock along a narrow ridgeline. A short downhill trod leads to expansive views of Bulldog Prairie and the Cascade Peaks to the east. This 7.5 mile round-trip hike is a challenge, but the reward can be worth it.
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During our annual campout, ten intrepid adventurers toured the landscape of the most northwestern part Oregon.
JUNE 13, 2024
SADDLE MOUNTAIN
Located just east of Seaside, this popular trail leads hikers up the slopes of Saddle Mountain. This was day one of the hiking club’s annual camp out, and it did not disappoint. We camped at Fort Stevens State Park and made the relatively short drive to the trailhead which begins in a lush green carpeted forest. In the spring, the flowers here are just amazing. Around every corner there’s another sight to see. Further up the trail, the forest gives way to rocky hillsides, all dappled in bright colors. Eventually, hikers are presented with a final steep, rocky climb to the top of Saddle Mountain. The views are tremendous!
While the rest of the group hiked Saddle Mountain, Richard explored the ruins of Battery Russell, a WWII gun emplacement designed to protect the Columbia River from attacks by Japan.
After we all had a good rest from a full day of hiking, we visited the shipwrecked Peter Iredale near Fort Stevens. Although not a hike, this was an enjoyable visit to an interesting piece of Oregon history. In the early morning of October 25, 1906, the Peter Iredale, a four-masted steel bark built in Maryport, England, ran aground on Clatsop Beach, just south of the mouth of the Columbia River. After the ship was stripped of valuable scrap metal, the remains of the ship were left imbedded in the sands, attracting curious visitors ever since.
Narration by Richard O’Neill Fort Clatsop, located in Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, is the site of the Lewis and Clark’s fort where they stayed and explored the area around the mouth of the Columbia River. The actual fort has long since disappeared into the moist forest surrounding the river system where the Young’s, Lewis and Clark, and Columbia all meet before running out into the Pacific Ocean. The site of the current fort is estimated but is reasonably accurate based on the copious writing of the two explorers. Likewise, the current fort was replicated from the sketches and schematics drawn up by the intrepid duo. At any rate, nowadays the replicated fort offers a look into the past. But we all hike, and the Fort’s paths just won’t do, so we hiked on the Netul River Trail to Netul Landing. The Netul River is a historical name because it has been changed to Lewis and Clark River. At any rate, we enjoyed a pleasant walk under ever increasing dark clouds that saved the rain for later that evening.
Narration by Richard O’Neill After our hike at Fort Clatsop, we made an afternoon sojourn to the gun batteries and ruins of Fort Stevens. Established in the Civil War era, in WWII the fort guarded the nearby Columbia River and with good reason, for a Japanese submarine surfaced and shelled the fort. Nowadays, visitors can take a short hike on the Jetty Trail (we did) and explore the ruins of the fort. While we started walking, the heavens opened up and we all got pretty wet and cold.
Tillamook Head Trail, located in Ecola State Park between Seaside and Cannon Beach, is actually part of the Pacific Coast Trail. This is a densely forested area, and part of the trail can be muddy after the rains. We discovered World War II cement structures scattered around the top by exploring a bit off-trail to find them. We also had views of the Tillamook Lighthouse, also known as Terrible Tilly, which was first lit in 1881. Beginning at Indian Beach, Terry, Penny, Lane, Cleve and Edwin made the relatively easy climb to Tillamook Head. Continuing further up the trail and about halfway to Seaside, Terry and Penny decided to continue on to Seaside, where Lane would pick them up later. Lane, Cleve and Edwin turned around and returned to Indian Beach to finish out this hike.
While the rest of the group hiked to Tillamook Head, Richard, Diane and Meg did some beach exploring…
ARCADIA BEACH
Narration by Richard O’Neill We did a morning hike on Arcadia Beach, south of the tourist town of Cannon Beach. We hiked around Hug Point, so named because back in the day, a rough track was dynamited around the point to allow horse and cart to get around. The point is only passable at low tide. Our reward for getting around Hug Point was a visit to a waterfall tumbling onto the beach. Weather was nice until the end of the hike, at which point it became decidedly belligerent and nasty.
Narration by Richard O’Neill I could have done it! The Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest was happening and basically access was by car, requiring a drive of several miles on the beach. I had visions of my car getting stuck in the sand and then getting taken out by waves, so we parked in town and hiked to the contest area.
In hindsight, it would have been no problem at all, the sand was hardpacked and solid. On the plus side, we got to enjoy a beach walk of about two miles or so, (four round-trip, but who’s counting?) to add onto the morning hike on Arcadia Beach.
It had rained earlier that day and the sandcastles suffered as a result. Frenetic activity took place as the castle crews frantically tried to repair the damage before the judges arrived. We didn’t stay for the final product (we had that beach back to the car, remember?) but enjoyed watching the crews and artisans ply their avocation.
Beginning from Deming Gulch Trailhead, the small group of hikers hiked along the 25-mile-long Sterling Mine Ditch Trail. Although they did not walk the entire 25 miles, they did go back in time and experience a little history. This entire trench was dug by hand for the sole purpose of transporting water from the Little Applegate River to the hydraulic mine operations of Sterling Mine. The mine has long been closed down leaving behind a scattering of ghost towns and a ditch that now performs a much worthier duty as a hiking and biking trail.
Twelve hikers headed out from the Skimmerhorn Trailhead on a warm morning in May. Destination: Cliff Lake and Buckeye Lake located in the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness. Nestled beneath Grasshopper Mountain, these two lakes were formed when the mountain split in two many eons ago.
The trail started out in a green forest, but quickly entered a burned area from years ago. Eventually, we reentered the forest proper as we neared Buckeye Lake. However, Edwin led us past the turnoff for Buckeye Lake and marched us onward to Cliff Lake where we would have lunch.
After lunch, Edwin took us back down the trail, this time taking a side trip to scenic Buckeye Lake. There were other hikers and backpackers here enjoying the scenery. After a bit of lollygagging, we said goodbye to Buckeye Lake and headed back down the trail. It was a great day to be outdoors!
Thirteen hikers gathered at the courthouse on a cloudy cool morning. With the forecast calling for rain as the day progressed, discussion began as to whether we should drive the distance to a most probable wet hike. We also discussed the fact the bridge across Goodman Creek is currently out and we’d need to ford the stream, a depth of approximately 16 inches. But…well…off we went; what a hardy group!
This trail is lush with ferns and wildflowers. A mixture of hardwoods and conifers are heavily laden with moss, creating a picturesque wooded environment. The trail follows Goodman Creek, providing a beautiful view and that wonderful sound of running water. The path is quite muddy at times – step lively!
About two miles in, the bridge crossing the creek is out. This provided a challenge, and entertainment as we maneuvered across. We lunched at the next creek, sitting in the open as it was just lightly sprinkling when our meal began. It quickly became steadier; we began to eat faster!
It wasn’t cold, so walking back through the rain was okay. And, wow, the newts came out in the wet. Great entertainment for our journey back! All in all, a beautiful, fun day!
In 1915, Jessie Wright and her husband Perry homesteaded at Illahee Flats on the North Umpqua River. She was a sixteen-year-old bride then and for many years the Wrights packed in supplies with horses and mules for the Forest Service and early hunters in the area. In her later years she wrote an entertaining book describing her life on the North Umpqua entitled “How High the Bounty.”
In 2024, the Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club, sans horses and mules, packed in their own supplies for a hike along the North Umpqua Trail on the section named after Jessie Wright. Although the day was probably not worth writing a book about, us modern-day pioneers had a thoroughly good time on this early spring day!
Beginning at Marsters Bridge, the posse of 21 set out with a chill in the air and a spring in our step. Like other sections of the N.U.T., this portion has its own feel and flavor to it. The trail is rather mild, gaining only a few hundred feet from the trailhead up to Boulder Creek. While offering a myriad of river views, the real treat is higher up: way up! The monoliths of Eagle Rock, Rattlesnake Rock, and Old Man Rock can be observed from various places along this section of the trail. Hikers need to be observant, however, as it’s easy to miss these mega-rock formations, even as they loom directly above you through the trees.
After reaching the footbridge at Boulder Creek, the group found spots along the bank of the creek and had a bite to eat, chatted, and admired the beauty of this place. The weather gods had smiled on us this day, and all hikers stayed happy and dry. The only thing that could’ve made the day better was to have a pack mule carry our gear back to the trailhead.
I had planned this hike based on the low tide occurring around noon on this particular day. Good thing too, because even at low tide, the rocky point near Agate Beach was challenging to get around.
We had a few spectacular sunny spring days leading up to this hike, and that would continue into the weekend, so I was extremely pleased with that fact. However, what I did not count on was how still the air would be once we arrived at Seven Devils Wayside north of Bandon. With just a hint of a light breeze, most hikers shed any heavy outer layers they had anticipated might be needed on this hike. With the sun out in full force and the air temperature somewhere in the mid-60s, this was certainly going to be a fantastic day!
After gathering for a few group photos, we headed north along Merchants Beach. There were other beachgoers who were out enjoying the unusually warm day, most of them remaining stationary while our group trekked on past them towards Agate Beach. There’s really no distinguishing features between Merchants Beach and Agate Beach, except for the fact that there may be more agates and other small rocks found upon the shoreline at Agate Beach. To be honest, I wasn’t really paying attention to that, as I was mainly focused on reaching, and hopefully getting around the rocky feature ahead of us. This was the first time I’ve been here, so this was all new to me. And no, I did not feel the need to prehike this particular hike. I mean, its just flat sand, right?
Well, the flat sand soon ended and we were met with large rocks and boulders scattered around the intertidal zone, creating a maze-like puzzle that each hiker had to solve on his or her own. I’m certain none of us took the exact same route around these rocks, which was fairly easy at first. It quickly turned to a game of either waiting for each surge of the ocean to subside, or to just wade through the shallow ankle-high pools. I dubbed the game “Wait or Wade.” Most of us just waited with a spattering of wading. A few were purists and were either always waiting or always wading.
Just when we thought we could merely skirt around the final obstacles, we were reluctantly forced to climb over extremely large, monolithic rock outcroppings. It was now a very strategic game of deciding which way to go, as our options were getting limited. By this time, we were all yelling at each another. No, not out of frustration, but with instructions to others, saying “go that way” or “no, don’t come this way!”
Eventually, most of us made it to Sacchi Beach and had a well-deserved lunch at the far north end. A few hikers didn’t make it through the gauntlet of boulders and were sadly swept out to sea by the outgoing tide. Just kidding, they were more likely swept up by the feeling of “To heck with this, we’re turning around!”
Fortunately, our trek back was a bit easier, as the tide was lower than during our northbound trip. No big boulders to get over, and very little waiting or wading. That being said, there were several small streams that we did have cross, and on any other hike we may have whined more about our boots getting wet. But playing the wait or wade game and completing rock hopping 101 made these little stream crossings seem like child’s play.
When we arrived back at Merchants Beach, I presented the option of adding in a few more miles by hiking to Fivemile Point and back. Not surprisingly, there were no takers on that offer, myself included. I guess after our exciting rock climbing adventure, a straight, flat beach with no challenges sounded quite boring.
We had a good turnout to look for Hobbits on our Hobbit Trail hike. We had 11 leave from Roseburg and were joined by 8 at the trailhead. We were shaded from the sunny day by first the Hobbit Trail, then by the Valley trail to Carl Washburn state park. We joined up for lunch on the beach, some arrived by different paths, to enjoy a sunny repast. Then down the coast to once again join the Hobbit Trail to reconquer the headland at Heceta Head and make our way back to the lighthouse. We welcomed many first timers and hope to have them join us again.
