So, I’m trying to get back into the swing of things with FOTU* and decided I would take on the immense responsibility of leading a group of seasoned but apprehensive hikers into the North Bank Habitat for our New Year hike. *Friends Of The Umpqua
Eight folks decided to attend. Unfortunately, I was hoping no one would show so I could call it a washout and go back to bed. But our cadre seemed robust and eager to tackle the elevation and slop of hiking Blacktail around to Soggy Bottom (not to be confused with Harry Potter’s).
The weather was threatening the whole trek, but the God’s of hiking decided to have mercy on us and give us a nice hiking temp. and rain only a small time. We even had sunshine about half of the journey.
I haven’t hiked North Bank in some time and was concerned about sloppy, slippery conditions, but they have done some work with gravel and larger crushed rock that made even Soggy Bottom not very soggy. It was an unexpected delight (not to be confused with Afternoon Delight).
So anyway, it wasn’t as bizarre as some of the more recent hikes at North Bank, no UFO landing sites, no three-legged dogs, no snow with deer laughing at us, but we did have guinea pig chowder and pumpkin bread as a reward at the end.
Two days before Christmas and all through the house, oops not the house, but Cooper Creek Reservoir and the 6-mile hike that circumnavigates the reservoir. That would be tough to rhyme. Anyway, we had a gathering of 11 on this close-to-home trek on a beautifully maintained trail this chilly December morning. The ups and downs of the trail warmed us soon enough.
There were lots of water fowl, a couple of fishermen and 3 hearty kayakers who had ventured out on the flat water this a.m. There’s something to be said about hiking close to home, as we made it back home by noon.
We had a 6-ish mile meander through the dunes beginning from the Dellenback trailhead. We were heading for the beach but were turned back by a submerged trail. Go figure, no one wanted to go for a thigh-high wade to get to the beach. Oh well, high tide would have not provided much sand for a stroll.
We retreated to the dunes area and then uphill to overlook one of the lakes for lunch. After lunch, we followed a trail near the lakes and found a waterfall gushing from the recent rains. Going down to the lake meant climbing back out to continue our circle back to our starting point. I won’t mention the 3 huge dunes between us and the trailhead… but… Up and down, and up and down to get our miles in.
We had just a tiny bit of sprinkles with an interesting sky, making for a great outdoor experience.
We had a “lucky 13” on our trek around Mildred Kanipe on this cold, cold Saturday after Thanksgiving. Sun was promised but didn’t deliver until after our hiking was through. I’m sure we must have shed our extra calories in doing this round about, and up and down 6-7 miles in the fresh but cold morning air. Did I say it was cold? Actually, the up and down kept us warm as we explored 3 different loops in the park.
The nice thing about hiking close by is we were back by 1 o’clock and the afternoon was our own. A big shout out to Diane Rannow for helping map out and mark this round-about trail.
Umpqua National Forest – Cow Creek National Recreation Trail #1424 (usda.gov) This National Recreation Trail follows Cow Creek through a dense stand of Douglas-fir and Western Hemlock for approximately 4 miles. Giant old growth, lush glades of moss and ferns—including maidenhair and swordfern—and brilliant fall colors are features of this part of the trail. With five creek crossings up to two feet deep, hikers cross by using stable, downed logs to use as bridges.
Its not unusual for our club to change hike locations due to trail or road conditions, weather, etc. We also end up changing our scheduled hikes due to wildfires. Sadly, but not surprisingly, this has been happening more and more often as the years go by. With our forests turning into tinderboxes during the summer, its more or less a crapshoot when we schedule any hikes in the higher elevations during the summer.
The summer of 2023 was no exception, as this hike to Bullpup Lake, which was scheduled for early September, was nixed due to the Chilcoot Fire happening near Steamboat. The Forest Service closed the area which Bullpup Lake sits in. So, when we met to schedule hikes for the next quarter, Edwin threw Bullpup Lake on the agenda again, this time for late October. There were no fires at the time, and we were confident there would certainly be no snow on the ground…
As we cautiously made our way through the snow-filled roads on the day of the hike, we arrived at the trailhead with mild trepidation. Amazed that we actually made it this far, we decided that we would just hike and assess the trail conditions as we went along. Although most of the trail is nestled inside dense forest, there was more snow on the path than one would think. Fortunately, it was only about ankle-deep and not that wet, making the somewhat dryish snow a bit easier to trudge through. However, the depth of the snow would increase as the hike progressed.
With Edwin out front, the rest of us dutifully followed. Terry, Michael, Diane, Colby, myself, and newcomer Jeanette happily marched up the trail, allowing the snow to brush off all the dust that had accumulated on our boots during the summer.
After reaching the small but picturesque Bullpup Lake, we paused and soaked in this winter wonderland we were standing in. With the morning sun glimmering off the lake and the snow-covered trees perched against the clear blue sky, our minds were duped into thinking that Christmas must be right around the corner. Yet, Halloween hadn’t even happened!
The trail from Bullpup Lake leads further up and eventually peaks near Lost Prairie Rock. Our plan was to see how far up the hillside we could get before being stopped by either downed trees, excessively deep snow, or just sheer exhaustion from trudging through said deep snow. (Fact: We measured the snow at about 18 inches in some open areas off the trail)
It was a beautiful snow hike, as far as snow hikes go. And no, we do not plan our hikes with an intent to hike in snow. In fact, we try to avoid it! But occasionally, in that narrow zone where what we have in mind and what nature throws at us overlap, and we encounter a happy compromise that, if planned, wouldn’t end up as amazing as when left to the hands of fate. In simple terms: Sometimes our hikes turn out much better than we planned!
We made our way up higher, eventually reaching a large open overlook that provided unprecedented views to the north. This would have made a good place to have lunch, enjoy the view and then head back down the hill. However, it seemed as if the trail was personally challenging us to see how far we could take this hike…
After catching our breath, we proceeded up the hill even further, stepping over several trees along the way. The trail eventually reached a ridgeline, offering narrow, fleeting views to the east. It was along this ridgeline that our crew began to run low on fumes, and Edwin decided to call it good. I agreed, as we still had over a mile to go to reach the meadow that we both envisioned having lunch at. Instead, warm butts met cold snow as we plopped down amongst the trees.
It didn’t take long to eat, as the sudden cease in activity allowed the cold to quickly put the chill on us, and we hurriedly began the trek back down the hill. Having already broken trail on the way up, it was a much smoother walk on the way back down. Once again, we enjoyed all the same views, but this time without all the huffing and puffing.
Upon reaching the vehicles, we met up with Diane, who had decided to just hang out near the lake, and even did a road walk as she waited for our return. However, I felt a little bad for her, as she didn’t have the pleasure of wading through the real deep stuff, and she missed out on some of the views. Maybe next time…
Eleven of us fall-loving hikers met at the courthouse on a chilly morning. It was a beautiful colorful drive to the trailhead. Two other hikers from Grants Pass met us at the trailhead, eager to join us.
And off we went! We quickly realized we were in for a fall treat! The trail meandered through fallen leaves with tunnels of overhead branches and a sea of color! Much of the trail is right along the beautiful Rogue River. Oh, that river melody!! About 2.5 miles into the trail, you start to hear, and then see, the amazing Takelma Gorge. What a spectacular site to see, and on top of that, with glorious fall foliage. Wow!
We lunched at, what Rheo calls, the liquid rocks near Woodruff Bridge. Once again, why, how? Need that geology class! We headed back to the trailhead with the gift of a second viewing in the different afternoon light. Cameras going click-click – ha!
I thought I might have done this hike in the past. But, nope, I would have remembered this one! Definitely add it to your fall hiking schedule for next year!
On the far eastern end of the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Trail lies Three Lakes, if in name only. In reality, there’s really only one lake, but even then, it barely qualifies as a pond. Perhaps in the past there were two other small bodies of water, but it appears those have all but dried up and turned into meadows. This was our destination, nonetheless, so the route to get to this large puddle of water had better have some decent scenery. Fortunately, it did. With a hint of wildfire smoke in the air, we made our way through large meadows, tall forests, and several small creeks. This made the 9-mile hike worth the effort.
Seven hikers gathered at the courthouse. My first comment to them was, “Everyone knows we’re not doing Bohemia Mountain today due to smoke, right?” Ha! Yep, we’re all on the same page! Good start!
It was a beautiful drive up the North Umpqua, a bright blue sky. So good to see after periods of smoke that week. After a mid-road turn around (what’s a great day of hiking without “turn around, follow me”…) we found the trailhead.
We parked on FS road 60, then began our trek up trail 1414. This is technically the Lemolo segment of the North Umpqua Trail. It follows the North Umpqua River in the beginning. This is a much smaller version of said river, a very pretty, meandering version as we are not that far from its beginning (Maidu Lake). Vegetation was very lush and wet because of a full day of rain the previous day. Mosquitoes were pretty thick, big and hungry.
About 2.25 miles up the trail, it changes in name to the Maidu segment. We crossed Tolo creek and continued. The trail began to climb and become dusty. At approximately 3.5 miles, the hungries got us and we found logs in the sun (to avoid skeeters) to enjoy our lunch. Always fun, intellectual discussions with friends such as the best compliment to a peanut butter sandwich! Heading back down, we reached Tolo Creek. John stated he’d never been up Tolo Creek, so off we went on an adventure. What a great little find! A small gentle creek with ripples and small waterfalls. As the trail left the creek and went up, discussion began. Well, we do have to hike back out! So, our return began. We hiked about 11.75 miles. A great day of hiking and adventure!
