Hike Coordinator Lane Harris
Tidbits Mountain is a small peak with epic views. It’s also a small peak with a long drive to the trailhead. On that drive, as we headed up the McKenzie River valley, the air became hazy, then hazier, then haziest. Before long, thick choking smoke from the brand new Terwilliger Fire darkened the day and caused car headlights to come on. Whatever is a hiking club from Roseburg to do?
Why, continue forward of course, which says a lot about our stubbornness, determination, or foolishness. But, once we left the highway and headed uphill on the gravel road, we left all that eye-watering smoky misery behind us.
So, we enjoyed mostly clear air, although there was still a high overcast caused by smoke from the massive California wildfires. But smoke was not much of an issue as the Tidbits Mountain Trail spent most of its miles in beautiful and lush forest consisting mostly of vine maples and tall trees.
A steady uphill pull brought us to the summit of Tidbits Mountain and alas, the epic views were not all that epic due to the fire smoke. We could see the tips of the Three Sisters, rising ghostlike above the layer of smoke. The western view was clearer and we could see Mary’s Peak and the coastal ranges.
The Terwilliger Fire would balloon to nearly 12,000 acres in size so in retrospect, we were quite fortunate to get this hike in.
Pictures by Lane Harris
