Author: umpquahikes

Hike coordinator: Penny Groth

Narration by Lane Harris

Imagine planning a party where you send out invitations and generate an extreme amount of interest in your party. Then, when the big day arrives, only your immediate family shows up. That pretty much sums up this club hike up to Twin Lakes.

Despite 100’s of likes, multiple “going” and “interested” clicks on Facebook, only six of us regulars showed up to what turned out to be one of the best spring-like hikes one could have in the middle of summer. The small turnout was probably due to an event that rarely occurs during the month of August – rain! Truth be told, all those excited no-shows really missed out!

An overcast, yet non-threatening sky followed us all the way to the trailhead at Twin Lakes. It was apparent that other would-be hikers had stayed home this day, as there was but one lone vehicle sitting there. After only a half-mile into the hike, we encountered two wet backpackers heading back to their lone vehicle. After sharing their exploits, we carried on, knowing that we would have the lakes to ourselves. For those that are familiar with Twin Lakes, you know that summer months usually brings droves of hikers and campers to this corner of the world. Today was a rare exception.

A few spatters of light rain kept the air cool, making it feel as if we had jumped back in time, way back into April! After passing through several meadows still in summertime bloom, we arrived at the shelter, which is usually occupied with nature-loving people. We walked past the shelter and down to the first lake, which was covered in a low, light fog. Continuing around to the second lake, and then back to the first, the group reconvened at the shelter and took a quick break, soaking in the abnormal coolness which had befallen us this day.

The second part of this hike would take us up to the overlook and back, so we began the gradual climb uphill. We passed through more meadows where flowers and plants showed off their colors. Many of them flourished in areas of burned out timber where a fire had raced through years before. We were not counting on any kind of view of the lakes, due to the fog we had seen at the lakes. But upon reaching the overlook, we were rewarded, to a certain degree, of the lakes below. This was a good thing, as it was impossible to see anything else. No mountains, no sunshine, nothing. But at least it was dry while we sat and had lunch.

While Penny and Patty decided to walk the final mile to the upper trailhead before returning to the vehicles, Rheo, John, Lane and Colby decided to call it good and hike back down. Prior to reaching the parking area, we encountered two separate groups of people hiking up to the lakes, with no less than a dozen in each. Apparently, there were other parties scheduled here as well. At least at this party venue, there was plenty of room for everyone.

More pictures on Lane Harris’ Flickr page

Pictures below by Lane Harris

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Hike coordinator: Lane Harris

Narration by Lane Harris

One thing is certain when you visit Crater Lake, you are NOT alone! This also applies to the hiking trail which leads to the highest peak in the national park, Mount Scott. By the time our party of nine had reached the trailhead, there were already droves of hikers on the trail, both coming and going.

This late July hike began with a gradual climb among firs and pines, which kept us shaded for a good part of the hike. However, as we climbed higher, the trees got sparser and the trail got a bit steeper. Heavy-breathing hikers reached for their water bottles and dabbed sweat off their brows in the midday heat. As we gained altitude, the teasing, eye-pleasing views looking back towards Crater Lake gave us inspiration to keep going. We knew there had to be a spectacular view awaiting us at the top!

Many hikers were already heading back down. Others were quickly on their way up. In fact, some of us slower hikers were easily passed by some of these more enthusiastic hikers who were obviously eager to get to the top. Most appeared to be young, college-aged, and athletic that looked primed for a triathlon. Passing by us like we were standing still and reminding us of when WE were young. Sigh!

Anyway… The trail threw no less than five switchbacks at us as we drew near the top. Each one gave us a better view of the lake below. Eventually, we rounded a corner and the lookout which sits atop Mount Scott finally came into view. We were nearly level with it! An easy jaunt across a treeless ridgeline, which provided tremendous views to the north and south, led all those who made the trudge up this mountain to the base of the lookout.

As we dined on our early afternoon lunches, next to the multitude of other hikers, everyone soaked up the beauty of that which is Crater Lake. The quintessential pictures of Crater lake, typically taken from close to the rim, cannot compare to the panoramic landscape view that is attained from two miles away at 8,934 feet!

From Mount Scott, you get a more expansive overall picture than you see from the crater’s rim. Viewing the lake from this distance puts everything in this area into perspective. From this vantage point, you get the true sense of the massive explosion that took place over 7,700 years ago. All that remains now of Mount Mazama is a crater nearly 6 miles wide! You can only imagine the devastation that took place here.

Mount Scott, which lies to the east of Crater Lake and within the park’s boundaries, not only provided true birds eye views of Crater Lake itself, but many mountain peaks. Unfortunately, there was no long-range views to the west due to the Milepost 97 fire which had just started 3 days earlier. A stream of smoke could be seen, hovering the earth as it flowed southward. A sad reminder of the perils that we deal with during the summer months here in the great northwest.

After a group photo on the ridgeline, we pointed our hiking boots downhill to begin the easy stroll back down, this time without all the heavy breathing and sweat! By the way: No young people passed us on the way down. It’s hard to walk faster than the more “mature” people who need to use the bathroom, get home to take their meds, and get in bed before 9:00.

More pictures on Lane Harris’ Flickr page

Pictures below by Lane Harris

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Hike Coordinator: Edwin Case

Mule Creek is a small tributary creek to the Rogue River, and has carved a deep canyon that is truly amazing. The cliffside trail crosses the creek multiple times before charging uphill to Panther Ridge.

When things got a bit warm, overheated hikers frolicked in Mule Creek to cool off. Deep gorges carved by the creek were quite amazing to view. When not gazing across large canyons, hikers focused on some of the flowers and plants that were in bloom.

This was a worthy hike that everyone enjoyed!

More about this hike Richard O’Neill’s Blog

More pictures on Richard O’Neill’s Flickr page

Pictures below by Richard O’Neill

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Hike Coordinator: John Malone

You just can’t beat Yellowjacket Loop in the spring! Although the unappealing name conjures up images of pesky stinging insects, this was not the actual case during this hike. A good sized group showed up to hike this trail which begins near Hemlock Lake. The trail ambled through expansive and lush meadows while wildflower blooms burst with color! Views of nearby Cascades peaks awarded the hikers once they reached the top of Flat Rock. This is a worthy 5.5 mile trek that, being so close to us locals, just can’t be beat.

Photos by Brad Bishop

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Hike Coordinator: Brad Bishop.

On June 15th we decided to stretch our legs a little and head on down to Boccard Pt. above Ashland. The crew for this adventure included David, Terry, Coreena, Missy, Kylie, Mike, Arleigh and myself. The weather report called for temps up to 90, but with the forest cover and a gentle breeze that was a non-factor.

The springtime bloom was in full abundance for most of the first two or three miles (and last two or three). Lots of Orange, Red, Yellow, Blue and Purple mixed with the dominate Green.  As we got near our departure from the PCT to Boccard we were rewarded with sneak-peaks of a snowy Shasta and Mt. Eddy.  The fairly rocky, but well worn trail to the point ended up giving us the payoff of great views of Shasta, Mt. Eddy, Trinity Forest and the Marble Mountains as well as the Klamath River Valley and Pilot Knob Rock.

After a quick lunch at the point we headed back the 5 miles from whence we came including the sneaky two mile uphill climb once we joined up with the PCT again.  Overall we hiked the 10 miles in about five hours and even though we worked hard on some spots I think everyone had a great time.

Pictures by Brad Bishop

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The Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club’s annual campout typically takes place in August, but due to all the wildfires that have occurred in recent years, which we’ve had to work around, the club played it safe this year and opted to have it in June. Not only that, but we decided to camp on the coast where wildfires are extremely rare. Perhaps this was a knee-jerk reaction, but for the few that actually attended, that reaction was rewarded with excellent weather and beautiful coastal scenic views!

A total of four brave campers showed up to camp and hike on the most southern portion of the Oregon coast. Harris Beach State Park was home base, while Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor was the main venue for hiking activities. Richard, John, Edwin and Katchan enjoyed great vistas here and appeared to be having a great time, as evidenced in the photos.

More about this hike on Richard O’Neill’s Blog

More pictures on Richard O’Neill’s Flickr page

Pictures below by Richard O’Neill

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Hike Coordinator – John Malone

Narration by Richard O’Neill

While Roseburg was baking under an unseasonably early heat wave, nine Friends of the Umpqua enjoyed a respite from the heat by hiking at the coast. While sunny, a brisk breeze kept things cool to the point we were were wearing light jackets and windbreakers pretty much all day.

Dellenback Dunes is such an alien landscape, it wouldn’t have surprised us to see giant sandworms emerge from the dunes to eat us. But looks can be deceiving, as the sands were quite benign, the only threat being sand in our boots. Several hikers were first-timers to the dunes and they were suitably impressed with the both the beauty of the dunes and the burning of leg muscles from hiking in soft sand.

Once we crossed the dunes on the large whaleback dune, we hiked through the marshy forest partly on trail and partly on boardwalk. Fortunately, the marshy bits were fairly dry and we arrived dry-footed, at the beach in short order. 

From there it was two mile’ish walk to Tenmile Creek, which really looks more like a river where it reaches the ocean, and we ate lunch behind a sand berm that provided some shelter from the constant breeze. Plus, the berm also prevented airborne sand particles from spicing up our sandwiches as we ate. 

There is no trail from Tenmile Creek so we simply went cross-country through the marshes, scrub forest, and dunes. Fortunately, again the marshes were fairly dry. The route spit us out onto the dunes proper and we were rewarded with the vista of Tenmile Creek snaking through the sandy landscape. 

A cross-dune walk of several miles closed this 8 mile hike out and regretfully, we returned to Roseburg to rejoin all our sweltering friends and family members.

More on this hike on Richard O’Neill’s Blog

More pictures on Richard O’Neill’s Flickr page

Pictures below by Richard O’Neill

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Hike Coordinators: Penny Groth and Diane Rannow

Eight hikers began this wonderful hike along the beach.  It was a picturesque Oregon morning with that blend of clouds, patches of blue, and mist that us ocean people love!  We encountered rocks, shells, jelly fish, goose neck barnacles, seaweed, and more.  You know, the stuff we come across quite often at the ocean.  And always, it reminds us why we love it, as we explore and take in the view with awe.

Then hippity hop up the hobbit trail; oh what a treat with its tunnels and wonderfully unique tree formations!  And to boot, those huge, absolutely gorgeous, rhodies in bloom.  It’s quite a climb but one does not notice while entranced with the distinctive surrounding scenery.

Emerging from the hobbit trail, we headed toward the lighthouse.  This portion of the trail was covered in a forest of spruce trees with their smooth bark, and at times, twisted trunks.  Lush foliage in this coastal climate are a beautiful feast for eyes: False Lily of the Valley, ferns gently unfolding to face spring, salal with its graceful blossoms, young nettles, and salmonberry .  Diane was able to identify some for us; whatever their names, we soaked in their beauty!  Views of the ocean below from on top were amazing!!  And then the lighthouse slowly came into view from the trail.  What a beaut!!  One of the prettiest and most photographed within Oregon.  And we added to those numbers…click, click, click!

After lunch, the drizzle began to increase.  We were thankful it had held off this long, but decided to pick it up a little.  We did skip the Valley Trail portion of our original planned route and re-hiked the hobbit trail and along the beach.  But who can complain, it’s the Oregon coast, and even in its somewhat typical drizzle was, as Diane would say, “lovely, lovely lovely”.  For sure! I believe we all were glad we’d come.  There was some discussion before we left Roseburg that morning as to possible change of hiking location due to the dim forecast and possible traffic in Florence of the Rhododendron Festival.  But we decided to stick with the plan, and so thankful we did.  It was a good one!!

Pictures by Penny Groth

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Hike Coordinator: Lane Harris

Narration by Lane Harris

On this grand spring day, no fewer than 10 happy hikers hit one of the few open sections of the North Umpqua Trail. But even the Mott segment, from Mott bridge near Steamboat down to Wright Creek bridge, didn’t go unscathed from Snowmageddon back in late February. Recently downed trees were evident on the trail from the unusual heavy snowfall, but the trail crews did a great job at clearing this part of the trail.

This one-way 6 mile stroll was ripe with floral flaunter, with the dogwood trees all abloom, stealing the show with their pure white petals gleaming in the sunlight.

Other highlights on the Mott section included charming babbling creeks, scenic river access points, and the site of Zane Grey’s fishing camp. Us more “mature” hikers like to ask younger hikers who Zane Grey was, with the question usually conjuring up blank stares. (If you are a younger person, and you DO know who Zane Grey is, give yourself a pat on the back!)

As far as hikes go on the N.U.T., this is the most level section of the entire trail. Without much elevation gain, this makes it a popular segment for joggers, which our group saw several of. While we were heading down river, other hikers were encountered heading up river in the opposite direction. Although “up” is just a relative term in this case, as the trail is basically level here, as stated earlier. But knowing we were heading “down” just made us feel better, a psychological maneuver that usually works on us hiker types.

The entire group made it to Wright Creek, vehicles were retrieved back at Mott bridge, and we all wore smiles on the way home.

More on this hike on Richard O’Neill’s Blog

More pictures on Lane Harris’ Flickr page and Richard O’Neill’s Flickr page

Pictures below by Lane Harris

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Hike Coordinator – Richard O’Neill

Narration by Richard O’Neill

This was an adlib hike the entire way. The original destination was Yellowjacket Loop but the road was blocked by winter debris and inaccessible. To further complicate matters, the erstwhile hike leader injured a knee so a new hike leader (Richard) and destination (North Bank Habitat) were recruited. Seems like every time Richard leads a hike, it rains and today was no exception.

Well, maybe rain is the wrong word. We weren’t pelted with fat raindrops gravity bound, but the air was decidedly liquid and artificial gills were required. With all the water swirling round, it stood to figure that Soggy Bottom would be just that, and it was. Boots were wet before long and then they were muddy as the soggy road sucked at our boots. We had two hiking veterans and two newbies and all of us were California ex-pats. Missy didn’t know what poison oak looked like and with all the ample red-leafed growth flanking the trail, she quickly learned to spot the accursed shrub. “Gosh, it’s everywhere!” she was heard to utter.

That’s why we stay on the trail, folks, and I don’t think any of us were unduly exposed to future itchiness from brushing up against the Devil’s favorite shrub. The trail climbed steadily uphill, soon leaving the forest behind for open windswept grassy slopes. Now we were unduly exposed to the elements and if we weren’t wet then, we were now. Despite the low cloud cover, the views of the creek valleys heading into the North Umpqua impressed.

Because of the weather, we “shorted” this hike too, dropping off the North Boundary Ridge into more sheltered Blacktail Basin. A good-sized landslide had taken out the trail but we safely scrambled over. 7 miles on a rainy day wasn’t bad and we all had a good time in spite of or because of the weather. 

More about this hike on Richard O’Neill’s Blog

More picture on Richard O’Neill’s Flickr page

Pictures below by Richard O’Neill

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