Hiking Reports

Travel using primarily feet only. Hands might be used with hiking poles for balance or uphill travel.

Hiking Colorado Fourteeners, October 2012

October 27, 2012 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

Linda and I visited Marty in Lakewood in early October, camping while there at nearby Bear Creek Lake Park. The weather in Lakewood was cold and wet at first, but when a few days of dry weather arrived I spent three days hiking Colorado Fourteeners while Linda bicycled in the Lakewood area.

Quandary Peak

On Sunday, October 7, I drove to the McCullough Gulch Trailhead, then car camped above the Quandary Peak Trailhead. The evening was cool, but I enjoyed relaxing and preparing dinner wearing my down jacket. That night I enjoyed my winter sleeping bag and slept comfortably in the cold night.

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Steens Mountain and Beatys Butte, Oregon, September 2012

October 24, 2012 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

In September I returned to Southeast Oregon to hike several Steens Mountain summits and remote Beatys Butte. In July I had been turned back from Steens Mountain by wildfires, and from Beatys Butte by a flat tire. Since then I had purchased new tires for my car and the wildfires near Frenchglen had died down. I was hopeful my plans would succeed this time.

Steens Mountain Summit

On Sunday, September 16, I drove to Frenchglen, then up the Steens Mountain Loop Road. The sky was smoky from fires in the Cascades if not from others elsewhere as well. I scouted out Page Springs, Fish Lake, and Jackman Park campgrounds for reference, then drove to the Kiger Gorge Overlook. Here I studied the summits lying on the ridge between Kiger Gorge below and Mann Lake to the east.

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Pueblo Mountains and Beatys Butte, Oregon, July 2012

July 24, 2012 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

In early July I visited the Pueblo Mountains and to Beatys Butte in Southeast Oregon for the first time. I hoped to climb three peaks during the visit.

Pueblo Mountains

On Saturday, June 30, I drove from Denio Junction, Nevada, north, then up the narrow and rocky “Arizona Creek Road”. After 4.6 miles I found a campsite just north of Stergen Meadows near the head of Arizona Creek. My campsite lay below the north ridge of Pueblo Mountain. I enjoyed the views north towards Steens Mountain as the shadows gradually lengthened during the late afternoon and evening.

West Pueblo Ridge from North Ridge, Pueblo Mountain

Sunday morning I walked the road up through Stergen Meadows to Ten Cent Meadow. On the way in I tried a shortcut to avoid some unnecessary elevation gain and loss. But I decided it would be easier on the return to stay on the road to avoid minor gullies and brush. At Ten Cent Meadow I left the road and climbed open slopes up to and through a notch. This led to the ridge just left of the yellow-banded cliffs in the photo above. Cumulus clouds were building and threatening showers, but not yet suggesting the thunderstorms that were forecast.

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Southern Cascade Peaks, Oregon, 2011

January 29, 2012 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

This last summer and autumn I finally hiked a few Southern Oregon Cascade Range peaks as part of my Oregon 100 Highest Peaks project. Some peaks I had known of but had neglected to visit for many years. Other peaks I had not heard of before starting on the project.

Diamond Peak

More than twenty years ago I skied from Odell Lake along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCNST). I left the trail and skiied up to the North Summit of Diamond Peak. From that summit I could see the South (true) summit far away across the summit ridge. I planned to return someday to visit it. The years passed and other peaks distracted me from returning.

This past August I finally gave Diamond Peak an attempt. The east-side access roads (FSRs 6010 and 380) were reportedly rough. The South Ridge route required cross-country hiking and scrambling through mosquito-infested forest, then climbing talus slopes to reach the summit.

It was my first visit to the Summit Lake area and the peak’s southern slopes. It was very satisfying to finally visit the summit I had planned for so long to reach.

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