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Thanks to hike leader Gary Jones

 A scenic hike to a beautiful Alpine Lake on a warm July day. 

Contributed by hike leader Roz O’Donoghue 

Peak wildflowers. Abundant butterflies.  Nature was on full display for 5 CONC hikers July tenth.  The price of admission was an arduous ascent and the payoff was a wonderful variety of blooms and butterflies on high open slopes with views of the Cascades. The hike also featured a forest with tall, majestic Hemlocks, Douglas Firs as well as an ascending meadow replete with flowers and ferns.

Eleven of us met at the Park'n'Ride at the corner of Hwy 97 and Paulina Lake road to carpool to the McKay Crossing trailhead of the Peter Skene Ogden trail.  It was a blue sky day with the promise of warm temperatures.  We stopped at three of the falls on the way up to the lunch and turn around spot, with a few Columbine and Indian Paintbrush growing at water's edge.

Lunch across the bridge at the three mile mark allowed us time to chat and get to know some of the newer members of the club.  When it was time to return, we lined up on the bridge for a final group photo.

On Wednesday, eleven capable CONC hikers trekked up to Tam McArthur Rim and beyond to enjoy the Central Oregon Cascades high country. The expansive views were beautiful, and we even found a few snowfields, which inspired one member to do a snow angel!  It was a rewarding 8.8-mile outing.

Photos by Patricia Kauffman and John Stephenson

Contributed by hike leader Gary Jones

A small but hearty group of hikers enjoyed fantastic wildflowers, and great scenery on a warm June day.

Contributed by hike leader Roz O'Donoghue

The allure of wildflowers and Cascade mountains views brought seven CONC members out on a windy day to hike two scenic trails.  The short but steep Coffin mountain trail was bordered by spring wildflowers.  There were also views of many peaks, some partly obscured by clouds.  A Bachelor mountain trailhead was just a short drive away, so we ventured up through a section of forest, open slopes onto a tableland for lunch and a return afterwards to our cars.  Even the drive back yielded Rhododendron and Beargrass blooms. 

On a beautiful Sunday on the last day in May, 11 fit hikers explored Lookout Mountain in the Ochoco National Forest.  The 7-8 mile trail was in excellent condition, having been recently logged out.  John Stephenson timed the hike for the wildflowers, and did not disappoint!  But of equal value is John's knowledge of flora and fauna, stopping to point out that the bit of drier vent fluff on the trail was actually an owl pellet filled with a small animal's bones!

And don't forget the views!  On the hike up, John pointed out that we looked east toward the Strawvberry Mountains.  At the lunch spot we looked west towards the Cascades.  The route was also marked with blue diamonds, so it is a designated nordic ski trail.  John vowed to return some day to ski it in the winter...

A pleasant, sunny day made for a great hike for nine club members on the Tam-A-Lau trail in Cove Palisades State Park.

Contributed by hike leader John Sweat

We could not have asked for a better day for a hike along the McKenzie River.  We started at Clear Lake and enjoyed the turquoise color as we hiked along the western shore towards the outflow, which is the headwaters of the McKenzie.  As we progressed, it was a pleasant reminder of the lush greenery on the westside of the Cascades.  A few flowers were in bloom,  Trillium and Fairy Slipper ( Oregon native orchid ).  The falls were a site to behold and were certainly a Kodak moment.  We opted to do an out and back rather than the loop to avoid the general public.  Our stats for the day,  6.4 miles and 650 ft in elevation gain.

On a mid-April Friday, five CONC snowshoers took advantage of an impressive late-season snowstorm and headed out to reach the top of Potato Hill, just west of Santiam Pass. 

It was a calm, sunny day after the storm, there was an abundance of fresh snow (1.5 feet up high), and we broke trail the entire way up (1,100 ft). What was advertised as a moderate 4.5-mile trek ended up being considerably more challenging with our small group taking turns breaking trail. But our small but mighty group was up to the task, and all were rewarded with amazing mountain views! 

Potato Hill will be snow-free by next Friday given the warm weather ahead, but it was a winter wonderland the day we were there!  

Post by John Stephenson, with photos from Denise Lowry and Steve Whittaker