Calendar

Past Activity

Jefferson Park

  • Start date: 08/10/2018

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 08/12/2018

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

Jefferson Park itself didn’t burn in the 2017 Whitewater Fire, but what’s it like there now? We’ll hike in on the longer, unburned route up the South Breitenbush Trail (gaining 2800 feet in 6.2 miles), spend two nights in or near the park to explore the Mt. Jefferson area, and (if possible) hike out the burned Whitewater Trail to make a loop with a car shuttle. Chemeketans will be making up the rest of the group. Meeting place: at S. Breitenbush Trailhead, 10am. Check with leader at sullivan@efn.org.

  • Event Leader: Bill Sullivan

  • Event Leader Phone: 541-683-6837

  • Event Leader Email: sullivan@efn.org

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trips

  • Area Type: Mountain

  • Departure Location: See Trip Description

  • Rating: Difficult

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 250

  • Season: 2018

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required:

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 15

  • Member Fees: —

  • Elevation Gain: 3000

  • Non-Member Fees: —

  • Committee: Trips

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

Jefferson Park is as beautiful as ever, as our group of Salem Chemeketans and Eugene Obsidians discovered. Last year’s fire burned all of the Whitewater Trail, from the parking lot to the Pacific Crest Trail, but stopped there, leaving alpine meadows and lakes intact. The Whitewater route is so damaged that it is unlikely to open until August 2019. With that shortcut closed, we hiked the South Breitenbush Trail. It’s completely unburned, but is a mile longer, gains an extra 1000 feet of elevation, and has a 4-mile stretch where the trailbed is full of loose rocks. Surprisingly, Jeff Park is still very crowded, especially on weekends. The online campsite reservation system has been discontinued, apparently forever, so there is an afternoon scramble to secure one of the 30 approved sites marked by a post. We occupied 4 sites on different sides of Bays Lake, went swimming, and had a grand time.