A beautiful hike during the peak season of wildflowers

Canyon Creek Meadow below Three-Fingered Jack Mountain

For my first full day in Oregon, I was excited to get out into the wilds of the Cascades.  My parents and I were up early (they’re used to it, I am not.) and were on the road by 8:15am.  We hoped to hit three trails today, a feat that has alluded me in the past.  It always seems that I’ve run out of enough light or energy for the third hike, but we’ll see how this goes.

Our first hike of the day would be in the Willamette National Forest in the Mt.  Jefferson Wilderness.  The hike would take us to the base of Three-Fingered Jack Mountain.  A guidebook on the area says it is a “deeply glaciated basaltic andesite shield centered on a pyroclastic cone.”  I attempted to memorize the definition and used it in conversations throughout the day.  “Dad, have you ever seen a more beautiful deeply glaciated basaltic andesite shield centered on a pyroclastic cone?“  “Mom, do you suppose we can stop on the way home and get a deeply glaciated basaltic andesite shield centered on a pyroclastic ice cream cone?”

Our journey to the trailhead couldn’t have happened anywhere else but Oregon.  Look at a detailed map of Oregon and you’ll find the state covered in a patchwork of fire access roads, most of them with exciting names like “Road 1230″ or “Road 288″.   Odometers are an important tool in navigation for usually the directions involve counting miles.  “In 4.4 miles, turn on Road 1234…”

We climbed dirt roads over rolling hills in the good ol’ Prius before arriving a the trailhead around 9:15am.  With such an out-of-the-way trail, we were surprised to find quite a  few vehicles parked at the traihead.  But I reminded myself again that this is Oregon, and Oregonians tend to get outside on the weekends.

The trail was gorgeous.  The wildflowers were everywhere and with the came the insects.  The photogenic butterflies kept me stopping constantly with my camera while the blood-sucking mosquitoes kept my parents from stopping.  (Apparently, insects don’t particularly like my blood.)

After three miles of hiking, we arrived at the Canyon Creek Meadows.  Single-file paths lead through the thick foliage of bear grass, aster flowers, wooly sunflowers, shooting stars, paintbrushes, and lupines.  And as a backdrop to it all was the deeply glaciated basaltic andesite shield centered on a pyroclastic cone, better known as Three-Fingered Jack Mountain.

I was a little frustrated by the number of hikers on the trail in the meadow. Two hikers decided on setting up their picnic right in the middle of the meadow, ruining any chance for a nature photo by me and other hiking photographers.  Finally, after 20 minutes, most of the hikers moved on, leaving just my parents and I in the meadow to enjoy the flowers and birds.

We had originally planned to retrace our steps to the trailhead, but we heard from other hikers that the forestry service requests that hikers complete the clockwise loop, limiting the number of hikers meeting on the trail.  Now that’s an request I can get behind!

On the way back, we followed the gently flowing Canyon Creek through the woods.  This section of the trail also revealed the damage of the 2003 B&B Complex Fire, which burned 90,769 acres.  Oddly,  in some parts, the fire seemed to have been stopped right at the trail, so in one direction it’s nothing but burned trees while in the other direction, lush green foliage.  My dad commented on how it seemed strange to see so many dead trees standing yet not a single woodpecker.  In fact, I didn’t see any birds, chipmonks, squirrels, or lizards on the trail.

We got back to our car around 1:30pm and headed to our next stop… (see Hike #32)

Thoughts about the hike:

1. Although it was the peak season of wildflowers, it was also the peak of mosquitoes. They didn’t bother me much on the trail, but they were horrible at Canyon Creek Meadow.  I couldn’t stand still for more than a minute before I had a squadron of mozzie fighters raiding my neck and face.
2. A Northwest Forest Pass parking permit is required at the trailhead. It costs $5 per car.
3. My parents are speed demons on the trail. They say that it’s the mosquitoes keeping them from stopping, but I think they’re just quick on their feet.

Resources:

1. Oregon Hikes – Canyon Creek Meadows
2. Wilderness area has corners of wonder despite scars from fire

Hike #31 Trip GPS Stats:

• Date of hike: July 19th, 2009
• Location: Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Willamette National Forest, Oregon
• Length: 5.5 miles
• Duration: 4 hours, 14 minutes
• Average speed: ±1.3 mph
• Altitude at start: 5,146 feet
• Altitude min.max: 5,146/5,673 feet

This map was made with the data my GPS captured on the hike.
For a more detailed trip report map, check this out.

Photos:

Mom & Dad walking around tiny Jack Lake

Late July was the perfect time to see wildflowers in bloom

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In 2003, the B&B Complex Fire burned 90,769 acres - stopping right at the Canyon Creek Meadows Trail.

Mom & Dad in front of the trail sign.

Mom enjoying the colors along the trail.

A female Northern Blue (Plebejus idas)

Edith's Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha quino)

California Tortoise Shell (Nymphalis californica)

Canyon Creek Meadows

Number thirty-one! woot!

Pachyta armata enjoying a flower

A flower longhorn beetle (Neoalosterna rubida)

A black pine sawyer beetle (Monochamus scutellatus)

Tags: B&B Complex Fire, Canyon Creek Meadows, First Creek, Jack Lake, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon, Three-Fingered Jack Mountain, Willamette National Forest