LSA News

No. 87, February 2008

Eugene's Backyard Playground: The Great Outdoors
(continued)

Larkspur

For guidance in finding the best hiking and backpacking experiences that Oregon has to offer, I highly recommend a series of books that many Oregonians are quite familiar with. They are the “100 Hikes” guidebooks written by Eugene resident and Oregon native William L. Sullivan My most well worn volume covers some of my favorite areas east of Eugene and is called 100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades (REF KNIGHT  GV199.42.O7 S73 1998 ) . Sullivan’s series includes volumes that cover hiking trails throughout each area of the state and each is equally valuable.

Tire Mountain meadow carpeted with Blue Gilia

It is a very difficult thing for me to choose a favorite hike, but I will briefly describe one that is well representative of the types of hiking trails you can find very close to Eugene. Tire Mountain is a lovely and peaceful little-known hike located near Oakridge, which is about 45 miles from Eugene. I have hiked this trail three times and have always found it to be a place of solitude. The trail is 7.6 miles round-trip and has an 800 foot elevation gain — fairly easy for the average person. The highlight is the colorful array of wildflowers that grow along the trail. The trail is generally open May through November, and the summer wildflowers begin blooming in early June. The route is diverse and keeps your interest as it rambles through old growth forest and high open meadows with views of Diamond Peak, Mt. Bachelor and the Three Sisters. Bicycles and horses are also allowed on the trail, but I prefer walking in order to get the best up close experience with the many species of wildflowers that grow here. You will find woodland flowers including bleeding hearts and yellow wood violets, as well as meadow flowers such as purple larkspur, yellow monkey flower and many more. At the end of the trail and the summit of Tire Mountain rest a few remnants of an old fire lookout tower that once stood there. To get to Tire Mountain follow these excellent and detailed directions taken from 100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades.

• Take I5 south to exit 188A, Hwy 58 towards Oakridge
• Take Hwy 58 east for 30 miles, almost to Oakridge
• Veer left at the Westfir exit for a mile to a stop sign beside a covered bridge,
• Continue straight 4.5 miles on paved road 19
• Turn left on gravel road 1912 for 6.6 steep and winding miles to Windy Pass
• Go straight onto Road 1910 for 0.4 mile to the “Alpine Trail” sign on the left

Old growth forest portion of the trail with Rhododendrons

Another local resource for outdoor recreation worthy of mention is the University of Oregon’s Outdoor Program. According to the OP website, "The program at the U of O is recognized as one of the first and most unique outdoor adventure programs in the country." The program has a cooperative philosophy and assists participants in planning and executing various outdoor adventures of their own choosing. These trips are open to all University students and also any community members who join the co-op for a small fee. The program owns vehicles and all kinds of outdoor equipment such as kayaks and rafts for participants to use. This helps keep the costs of such activities very low. I have participated in many of these trips and have always had a great experience.

Indian Paintbrush

I encourage all Oregonians and visitors alike to explore the great outdoors or, in my opinion, they are missing the big picture of what makes Oregon so unique and fascinating. There are outdoor adventures available for people of all levels of experience and physical ability. One can even see some of the most majestic sights without even getting out of the car, such as while driving the Cascade Lakes Highway in Central Oregon.

As we all head out into the wilderness, don’t forget as the saying goes to “take only memories and leave only footprints." Together we can keep the outdoors beautiful and continue to be proud of our greatest gift, the natural beauty of the state in which we live.

Iris

Return to LSA Newsletter