Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Group

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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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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Tamolitch “Blue” Pool – July 29, 2017

Hike Coordinator – Richard O’Neill

Lane and I had hiked this trail several weeks prior on a cold and dreary day. What a difference several weeks make. The cold and the dreariness had long since been banished by the heat of summer and we all looked forward to hiking along a beautiful cascading river in a shady forest with blue sky above. Unfortunately, so did most of the population of Eugene, Bend, and all points between.

We started at Carmen Reservoir and immediately delved into the wonderfully shaded forest. The trail was quite busy with mountain bikers and we all made sure to step aside for the faster bikes . Those with cameras soon found themselves at the customary tail of the hiking group.

The Blue Pool is spectacular, the waters displaying an unbelievable blue color, especially when lit up by the sun. However, unlike me and Lane’s exploratory sortie from several weeks prior, the pool was ringed by hundreds of casual hikers. There was a noticeable pall hanging over the crowd. Seems a young lady had fallen 80 feet off a cliff and amazingly, she was still alive. A rescue was taking place and for me, the enjoyment of hiking was lost for the day when they stretchered her past us, her body posture the perfect picture of misery. At least she was conscious and alive. While the rescue was being performed, teenagers were leaping off the cliffs into the pool in youthful obliviousness.

When we had left the shuttle vehicle at the trailhead, we noticed the search and rescue crews assembling in the parking lot. That was about 11AM at that point. So the timing of things was first the injurious fall, which had to have happened fairly early in the morning, close to or before 9AM. There is no cell phone coverage on the trail so a pair of hikers had to hike out to the trailhead, which would take close to an hour, There was no phone coverage at the trailhead so they had to drive down the McKenzie Highway to find phone coverage. The search and rescue crews came from McKenzie Bridge, Corvallis, and Sweet Home. While McKenzie Bridge was reasonably close, the others were well over an hour’s drive away. Then the crews had to hike up to the injured woman, another hour spent. Then they had to immobilize her in a stretcher and rappel her up the cliff and steep slope. Then came the triage and first aid and finally, as we looked, they carted her down the trail with the utmost of care. After the hike finished (we had long passed up the stretcher party) we drove the 7 miles or so to retrieve our vehicles, drove back down to pick everybody up, and the rescue crews still had not reached the trailhead, and it was now about 430PM. That’s a very long time to be injured and without significant medical treatment, search and rescue is an elaborate process and not very fast.

As we hiked down the trail, hundreds of “casuals” were coming up the trail, hiking in flip-flops and bikinis. Some were dragging little wagons of food and drink behind them. Real hikers, like ourselves, were in short supply and frankly, there were way too many people who had no hiking sense. I’m glad to report the injured woman was not seriously injured but not so glad to report that her rescue was the third extraction by search and rescue that week. The other two rescues had significant injuries. I’m also not glad to report that fatalities are a common occurrence at the Blue Pool , that seems to happen several times each summer. So (I’m giving a finger-wagging lecture here), be sensible boys and girls and respect the danger that is always present in hiking. You don’t need to scramble down a cliff to get closer to the magnificent Blue Pool, the view is just as good from a safe distance away from the cliffs’ edge. Don’t hike in flip-flops and bikinis either. The Willamette National Forest is aware that the Blue Pool is being loved to death and have made plans to route the mountain bike trail around the pool but in my view, the problem is not the bikers but that flip-flopping crowd. I vote for moving all trailheads at least 5 miles away from the pool.

Pictures by Richard O’Neill

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Boundary Springs – July 15, 2017

Hike Coordinator – John Malone

Eleven hikers met in the Douglas County Courthouse parking lot on a beautiful sunny July day. They proceeded to the trailhead which is past Diamond Lake on Hwy 230. Starting from the Crater Rim Viewpoint, the group made their way down the cliffs, crossed a very small Rogue River and passed three trail junctions before seeing the springs from which gushes the mighty Rogue River. A new hiker aided John in covering the various turnoff choices as hikers proceeded at different speeds and needed some guidance.

Last year’s North Crater Fire burned the ground and many trees along the way. It burned clear up to the springs, the only green was right along the water’s edge. The downed trees were charcoal leading to the dreaded Hiker’s Black Butt condition when they inadvertently sat on the charcoal logs for lunch or didn’t step high enough when crossing the logs.

The fire did accomplish one thing to the good, the landscape was much more visible than when the trees were there , alive and green. The weather was superb, not too hot but summerish and perfect for the altitude. John drank the pure delicious water from the springs and some followed his example for a wonderful taste. Thanks go to John for great leadership.

Picture by Susan Board