Trip Report

It was a lovely spring day for our hike along the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. Just past Hills Creek Reservoir, the Middle Fork Trail runs over 30 miles from Sand Prairie Campground, past Chuckles Spring, all the way to the headwater of the Willamette River at Timpanogas Lk.We accessed the trail at road 2127, planning to hike 10.4 miles out and back to road 2134. Popular for family camping, this area is typically bustling with activity during the hot summer months. But on a weekday morning in April the Middle Fork trail is serene. Although the river was billed as the main attraction, participants were delighted to also discover their favorite wildflowers; including Calypso Orchids, Yellow Wood Violets and Fawn Lilies. The only challenge of the day was an exceedingly cold, knee high creek crossing 2 miles in. As you would expect, Obsidians were up to the challenge; taking off their shoes and rolling up their pants to hop across. After 4.7 miles we came to a detour that would have added mileage and taken us away from the river. We opted to find a fine lunch and turn around point. The highlight of the afternoon was a break to "smell the roses", feel the gentle breeze, and experience the flow of the rushing water. Our arrive scared away a Bold Eagle, but after settling in we were honored to have a pair of Wood Ducks join us for a spell.Lana's car had an added adventure on the drive home when a 5 ft long piece of plastic under the bumper mysteriously broke and was hanging down. But nothing fazes Obsidians; we are resourceful, cooperative and always have our 10 essentials stashed away in our packs. So with group effort we were able to tie up the bumper for a cautious drive home. (note to editor, Lana is ok with including this story if you like