North Bank Habitat – December 30, 2017

Hike Coordinator – Richard O’Neill

The North Bank Habitat, near Glide, has become our last-hike-of-the-year tradition, if the last 4 or 5 years are any indication. 

The whole vibe was foggy when we started but it was a thin fog, so there was hope that the day would turn out to be sunny. We headed up the Soggy Bottom in decidedly chilly temps that were not too far off from freezing. However, because of the exertion of hiking uphill, we were soon warmed up despite the cold. 

The day could never decide whether it was going to be foggy and generally hung around somewhere in between. When we arrived at the northern boundary ridge, the winter sun broke out but shortly thereafter, a fog bank rolled in, making the trees seem ghostly in the mist. But before we began dropping off the ridge, the sun broke out again and we were rewarded with a spectacular rainbow. Anyway, that was the way of it on this sunny/foggy-sunny/foggy day.

As we descended down towards the North Umpqua River, the sun broke out for mostly good and the views from the eastern ridge were about as perfect as fiddle solo in a country song. All in all, a great way to close out the year in a great hiking miles and in Roseburg’s own backyard.

Pictures by Richard O’Neill

Cape Mountain – December 16, 2017

Hike Coordinator – Richard O’Neill

The Friends of the Umpqua, aided and abetted by members of the Coos Bay hiking club, the South Coast Striders, numbered a lucky 13 on this hike on Cape Mountain. While the term “mountain” implies a certain geological element to the hike, this hike was all about the forest. Tall trees, moss, and all the ferns you could ever want to hike through. 

The first third of the the hike was mostly uphill on Scurvy Ridge where we all got to talk like pirates “Aargh, we be scurvy buccaneers!” One item of interest was a replica of a hitsi, a Native American shelter. At the junction with the Berry Creek Trail, we made a right turn and the trail dropped in a hurry in its haste to reach the bottom of the Berry Creek Canyon. 

After crossing Berry Creek on a fallen tree, we began regaining all that elevation we had lost, as the trail briskly climbed away from the creek and to the crest of Nelson Ridge. The ridge was grassy and mostly treeless and made for a logical lunch-stop. Partial views to the Oregon Dunes and Florence were to be had under a gray sky before we resumed hiking.

Seems like we spent all day hiking uphill and such was the case with Nelson Ridge, although we were back in the forest and not in grassy swales, like where we had eaten lunch at. Eventually, the trail came to a close when it ambled by swampy Dry Lake. Nice workout, nice forest, and a nice hike.

Pictures by Richard O’Neill

Dellenback Dunes – December 2, 2017

Hike Coordinator – John Malone

The forecast for Saturday December 2nd was a grim one, which is probably why only 3 hardy souls showed up at the library car park, and made the drive over to the coast.

At the trail head they were thrilled to find Rachel and Traci from the South Coast Striders waiting for them. For the next 20 minutes the air was filled with rustling and grunting as the 5 hikers wrestled with their waterproof garb. 

Shortly after 10am, the small but merry crew set off on their soggy hike. A quarter of a mile in, Rachel started to question whether she’d locked her car or not. Her paranoia spread to Traci too, so after a few indecisive minutes she ran back to the car park to check both vehicles, promising she’d catch back up to them shortly. With John’s long legs and massive stride leading the way, the others were dubious about that.

The hike started off on a well-defined path through a forest, but then opened up into a vast expanse of sand with no discernible path whatsoever. We hiked up a steep dune and then down the other side, and then up the next dune…we could see for miles…sandy dunes in every direction, almost devoid of vegetation except for the odd “tree island” and tufts of beach grass here and there. But then we spotted a distant spot of red cresting the dune behind us…could it be? Yes, it was Rachel, and she had another hiker from the Striders in tow, who she had found milling about in the car park. We waited while she caught up. Apparently she hadn’t locked her car, so it was just as well she had gone back.

Despite the lack of a proper trail, John seemed to know exactly where to go. At first there were a few moments where there was a little “bush-whacking”, and some rather precarious sandy hill climbing, where the tufts of beach grass came in handy when the sand gave way as we hauled ourselves up. 

After a few miles we found ourselves hiking alongside Ten Mile Creek. It was very picturesque. It probably would have been a lovely place to sit and eat lunch, had it have been dry enough to do so. But the rain was unrelenting for the duration of the hike, so we just just ate our lunch as we went. 

We made our way to the “trail” that leads to the beach, but as usual at this time of year it was utterly flooded. John tried to find a drier entry point to the trail, but alas, after many false starts, we never found one. He suggested just biting the bullet and wading through, but having made it that far without getting our feet wet the rest of us voted him down vehemently on that one. 

As we started meandering our way back to the trail head, John regaled us with some dune history. Apparently, in the olden days the coast from north of Florence to just south of Coos Bay was an expanse of shifting sand. This was not ideal for the folk wanting to build highway 101, so someone had the bright idea of planting European Beach Grass to try and firm up and tame these wild shifting sands. The plan worked a bit too well, and the grass thrived here and unfortunately has affected many local plants and animals, and is now considered an invasive species. 

We all agreed that the landscape seemed almost other worldly, and could totally appreciate it being the inspiration for Frank Herbert’s “Dune” novels. Luckily we all made it back to our vehicles without being eaten by giant sand worms. Rachel and Traci’s vehicles were still locked. According to Rachel’s Fitbit, we hiked a grand total of 10 miles (which experienced hikers know counts as 12 when it’s all on sand). Despite the incessant rain, it was a fabulous hike.

Pictures by Rachel Swieck

Rogue River Trail Marial to Paradise Lodge – November 18, 2017

Hike Coordinator – Edwin Case

A mid-November day blessed a dozen hikers with unusually great weather and an outstanding hike on one of the most beautiful stretches along the Rogue River. Our leader for this hike, Edwin, met us in Riddle to begin the day’s expedition. The road to the trailhead was quite twisty, but it was worth the drive, for sure!

The twelve of us, plus Wish the dog, hit the trail with enthusiasm, and within a short distance after exiting the woods, we were greeted with the grandeur that …is the mighty Rogue! The river stays in view for the majority of this hike, and displays its rugged roaring waters in spectacular fashion. The rocky trail was easy to traverse, and every corner we rounded brought another exceptional perspective of the river.

About a mile into the hike we reached Inspiration Point, an awe-inspiring place where Stair Creek Falls plummets from the opposite hillside into multi-level pools of cool water and eventually into the Rogue. Further along, steep rocky cliffs and various rushing streams kept the eyes busy taking in all magnificent sights.

We continued further down the trail until we reached Paradise Lodge, a popular stop for all those boat trips everyone takes up the Rogue River out of Gold Beach. It was not open for business this day, being less than a week from Thanksgiving. But that did not stop us from taking in the views from the lodge’s huge deck as we ate lunch at the picnic tables. Although it was a bit cool out, we basked in the warmth of the sun while exchanging friendly trail stories. Absolutely wonderful!

After Wish finished eating all the left-overs, we threw the packs back on and began the journey back up river. We saw the same sights, but in reverse this time, and with more sunshine! We tallied 6.6 miles upon reaching our vehicles, and some of us wish there were a few more miles to go, as we were reveling in the entire splendor that this trail has to offer.

Pictures by Lane Harris

Kentucky Falls – November 4, 2017

Hike Coordinator – Edwin Case

The weather gods were kind to us, sort of. It had rained entire bathtubs of water for the week prior but we actually drove to the trailhead under a semi-blue sky. However, once we started hiking, it dark clouds floated in and took away the sun.

This was the tail end of Autumn, and several inches of dead bigleaf maple leaves covered the trail, making for a yellow-leaf road of sorts. Kentucky Falls (both the lower and upper falls) were running pretty strong what with the week of rain. At the lower falls, the North Fork Smith River also tumbled over the same ledge as Kentucky Creek and it was pretty cool to see two large falls doing their thing side-by-side.

Kentucky Falls Trail ends where Kentucky Creek runs into the North Fork but we continued on the North Fork Trail which for the most part followed the river, albeit from high up on the forested hillside. The North Fork Trail had been closed because of flood damage from last winter and the trail was in rough shape. 

About 3 miles from the end, the clouds delivered on their threat and we finished the hike in a steady rain. The flood damage was obvious close to the river and we had to rock-hop or wade to get to the stout hiker’s bridge to cross the river. Upstream is a brand new bridge but no trail to and from it yet, apparently the old bridge will be decommissioned. This was a shuttle hike so drivers headed up to the Kentucky Falls Trail head to retrieve cars while the rest of us waited in a cold rain. Great hike, though.

McKenzie River Trail-Belknap Hot Springs – October 21, 2018

Hike Coordinator – Richard O’Neill

Rain, rain, rain…so much rain. That would explain why only 5 hikers showed up for this hike. Originally, the hike was slated for a circumnavigation of Clear Lake but as we drove up the McKenzie Highway, the temperature dropped and was rapidly approaching freezing temperatures. Not wanting to deal with slush and cold rain in the barren and exposed lava fields on the east side of the lake, an impromptu decision was made to instead hike on the heavily forested McKenzie River Trail near Belknap Springs. The thinking was that the trees would provide a modicum of protection from the elements.

Nope, there was simply too much rain and we got soaked within minutes of setting foot on the trail. But since we had a long drive already invested in this hike, we commenced hiking anyway. The trail was wide and well groomed, so we were able to step around the many puddles on the trail. The vine maples were putting on a spectacular, albeit soggy, autumnal show and it was like walking in a yellow hallway. Or maybe a yellow-tiled cold shower.

A couple of miles in, the trail crossed over the McKenzie River on a roadway and from there, it’d be a real trail. Unfortunately, most of that real trail was covered by real water so our party of 5 became a party of two as John and Richard continued on to a trail junction with a forest road.

We didn’t hike very far but despite the rain, the trail was always eminently beautiful what with miles of yellow leaves, a nearby rushing river, ankle deep puddles, and lots of cold fat raindrops. Maybe you just had to be there to understand.

Pictures by Richard O’Neill

Sacchi Beach – October 7, 2017

Hike Coordinator Diana Pace

18 Friends of the Umpqua hikers went to Sacchi Beach. On a mostly sunny morning with nearly no wind we started at Seven Devils Wayside. The group hiked north for about 1.5 miles until we met a rock wall and the incoming tide. The wisdom of the group was that we could not safely go any further. Some hikers enjoyed good beach combing along the way. We then hiked back past our starting point and south crossing Ten Mile Creek. We walked to the end of that section of beach where we had lunch. We walked back to the cars and Richard’s electronics said we hiked 5.7 miles today.

Cowhorn Mountain – September 23, 2017

Hike Coordinator – John Malone

Saturday morning 9 Friends of the Umpqua traveled up highway 138 to Windigo Pass Trailhead. The group was led by John. Club Regulars were Rheo, Edwin, Dr Wendy, Goaying and her daughter Emma, age 7. Newcomers were Brad and Chealsy.

We started hiking at approximately 10am. Snow was on the ground but it was fairly dry and about 2-4 inches deep. The sky was clear and we actually saw sunshine once in a while–ideal for hiking. As we got higher, the snow got deeper. Goaying, Wendy and I stopped just past noon and just short of the crest below Cowhorn. We ate lunch there then started back to the car. John and the rest of the crew continued on. Brad and Rheo were the next to stop at about the saddle. Chealsy. John, Edwin and Dr. Wendy continued on but I doubt they reached the top.

Edwin reported the snow was about 6-8 inches deep towards the top with drifts hip-deep. There were quite a few elk tracks in the snow and tracks that might have been rabbits. John pointed out where the elk had scratched away snow to find grass to eat. As we returned to the cars the snow was starting to drip off the trees and snow on the ground was turning to slush. We reached the cars at 2:30pm.

We saw very little fire damage on our hike, however there was a fair amount between highway 138 mile posts 48 and 54. Interestingly, a tree was burnt almost completely but those around it were not touched. Larger areas were burned further up on the hillsides. The roads were perfectly clear and looked like most of the forestry/fire fighters had headed back to town.

Pictures by Bill Riley

South Slough Reserve – August 26, 2017

Hike Coordinator – Edwin Case

It was a smoky morning in Roseburg and destined to get even smokier as the week progressed. Eleven people turned out in spite of the smoke and heat and drove in a three car caravan to the South Slough Reserve close to Charleston over on the coast. Two of the group were new hikers who seemed to enjoy the experience.

They hiked the loops at the Reserve, up the old defunct railroad track, past the deserted farm holdings and around the big swamp which because it was low tide, was more grass than water. Lunch was eaten on the big deck on the south edge of the Reserve. Covering all the loops, it ended up to be about a five mile hike with balmy 64 to 70 degree temperatures. Wildlife was in the form of a “Racer” garden snake which was not invited to lunch.

After the hike, the group went off in several directions. Some hiked the Bastendorff Beach and others hit their favorite tide pools elsewhere. It was hard to leave the gorgeous weather and clear air of the coast for what was sure to be the hot smoky Umpqua Valley air. Edwin did his usual great job as hike leader.

Calamut Lake – August 12, 2017

Hike Coordinator – Lane Harris

With the Umpqua National Forest plagued with fires and lung-choking smoke, going to a high cascade mountain lake proved to be an excellent escape from all that. Lane led 12 hikers on a trek to Calamut Lake and beyond.

After a short 1.5 mile hike to Calamut Lake, the group was awe-inspired by the large clear lake! Another bonus: No smoke! We noticed about a dozen backpackers camped out next to the lake and some friendly talk ensued. Several of them were out in the middle of the lake floating in inflatable rafts, whiles others were fishing or swimming near the bank. It certainly looked like they were enjoying themselves, and several of us wished we had brought our own tents and supplies!

With no tents, but with plenty of smiles, we continued on around the perimeter of the lake, enjoying the picturesque views. After completing the one mile lake loop, a side trail on the west side of the lake steered up towards Sawtooth Mtn. Lane had scouted this out when he had pre-hiked, and had marked the sometimes sketchy trail with some bright flagging, which helped keep hikers from straying off the trail.
Although the trail continued on to lands unknown, it was determined that a one mile climb from the lake to a rocky outcrop would be the turn-around point. Everyone took a break and gazed down into the Diamond Lake area, although it was not visible due to the thick smoke. In fact, we could just barely make out the distinctive peaks of Mt Thielsen and Mt Bailey.

After having our fill of hazy views, everyone regrouped at the lake where several of us cooled off with a nice swim! Just perfect on this warm, summer day. After the relaxing dip, we made the hike back to the trail head, completing a very satisfying 5.5 mile hike. 

More picture on Lane Harris’ Flickr page

Pictures below by Lane Harris

 

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