Emerald Chapter NARGS Western Cascades Hikes

For each hike, meet at the South Eugene High School at 9:00 am. OR at the parking lot of Demeter's Country Store and Cafe in Dexter (just off highway 58) at 9:30am For more info, contact Tanya Harvey at 541-937-1401 This year's hikes are co-sponsored by the Emerald Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon Bring lunch and your favorite hiking gear. Some suggestions: camera, raingear, stout shoes or hiking boots, hand lens, binoculars, wildflower book, canteen, sunscreen and insect repellent.

Tire Mountain, near Westfir, is an easy 4-mile round-trip hike through old growth forest and sloping meadows along the side of ridge. At an elevation of around 4000 feet its peak bloom is earlier than many of the other local wildflower areas. There are many seep plants like Plectritis congesta, mimulus, camas and delphinium. There is a nice patch of dodecatheon. Also balsamroot, Iris chrysophylla and fritallaria, as well as typical mountain plants like Penstemon rupicola and P. deustus, Phlox diffusa, and Castilleja. After this and the Mt. June hike, the garden of Tanya Harvey will be open in Fall Creek (just 5 minutes out of the way) for anyone interested.

Mt. June Hike Info remains here for those interested, although no hosted hike is planned this year, near Dexter, is one of the closest mountains to see fabulous summer flowers. In fact you can see it clearly from many places in the Eugene/Springfield area. The trail is fairly short (1.2 miles to the top) but steep in places. It starts out going through some beautiful forest with great patches of Corallorhiza mertensiana, Rhododendrons and many other woodland beauties until it opens up to a northwest-facing outcrop with castilleja, sedum, Penstemon rupicola, Calochortus tolmiei, Stenanthium occidentale and many other beauties. After another short section of woods it reaches several other south-facing rock outcroppings with some different flowers including Lupinus albifrons, Saxifraga bronchialis, Eriogonum compositum, Gilia capitata and a rare white-flowered Penstemon rupicola. On a clear day there is a terrific view of both the Cascades and the Willamette Valley. As an optional addition to the hike, after coming down off the peak there is a very up-and-down trail for a mile and a half along the forested ridgecrest to another amazing meadow along Sawtooth ridge.

Tidbits Mountain remains here for those interested, although no hosted hike is planned this year, near Blue River, is another little-known, but wonderful hike. The fairly easy 4-mile round-trip hike starts out in an old growth forest. The first mile of trail is lined with beautiful Phlox adsurgens and later on clintonia, bunchberry and rhododendrons. When it opens up there are large talus slopes to one side (listen for Pikas!) and impressive twin pinnacles to the right. The trail continues up to the summit of one of these "tidbits" where there used to be a lookout tower and is still a fantastic 360 degree view. Among the flowers to see are Lilium washingtonianum, penstemon, gentians (not yet blooming probably), Eriogonum umbellatum, and Campanula rotundifolia.

Patterson Mountain, This is located east of Dexter and has a wide range of habitats for a short hike. There is a large wet meadow, a dry meadow, beautiful old growth forest and a rock outcropping with a view of Lookout Point Reservoir. The trail is an easy 1.7 miles to the top. A great variety of plants can be seen along the way including Veratrum californicum, Platanthera dilitata, Geum, Boykinia, Rhododendron macrophyllum, Lilium columbianum, Iris chrysophylla, Phlox adsurgens, Gilia capitata and Castilleja.

Saturday Grasshopper Meadows Located north of Oakridge,this area is part of an extensive trail system that connects with the Chucksney Mountain Trail so the trip can be whatever length people are up for. The trail starts out in some lovely woods with extensive mats of vanilla leaf, wild ginger and other woodland beauties. Then it heads out through vast sloping meadows looking out at Diamond Peak. Flowers that can be seen include Lilium columbianum and L. washingtonianum, Penstemon procerus (hosting many checkerspot butterflies), Ipomopsis aggregata, Eriogonum umbellatum, a number of different Mimulus, Polemonium carneum, Viola nuttalii, Erythronium grandiflorum and lots of lovely Linum perenne.

Emerald Chapter members enjoy the scenery from the top of Bohemia Mountain, Western Oregon Cascades