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Past Activity

Explora Black Meadow, Deer Camp lake, Waldo loop

  • Start date: 09/03/2017

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 09/03/2017

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

I'M STILL PLANNING TO AT LEAST GO TO THE TRAILHEAD AND SEE HOW EVERYTHING LOOKS. IT MAY BE TOO SMOKY, BUT LAST WEEK IT WASN'T BAD AT ALL. IT ISN'T POSSIBLE TO PREDICT THE WIND OR WHICH FIRES WILL BE AFFECTED THE MOST AND IN WHAT WAY. THE NEW FIRE NE OF OAKRIDGE HASN'T YET MADE IT TO INCIWEB, AND IT IS FAR ENOUGH FROM 58 SO AS NOT TO BE AN ISSUE.

This is a moderate trip to look at Pothole and Black Meadows, Bingo Lake, Waldo Lake, and return.  The hike goes into the Waldo Wilderness north of the Fuji trail and then after a spur to Deer Camp Lake, heads to Waldo Lake and back out from the South Waldo Shelter to complete the loop, before taking the trail back to the car. The hike in should be fast, and likely will slow down at the loop. Plan lunch somewhere around Bingo or Waldo with a chance to pick huckleberries and to swim. I'd like to leave there no later than 3, sooner if people want to stop in Oakridge, where the air quality is likely to be unhealthy. The temperature is expected to be 86-89 in the early afternoon with RH around 20%l,so bring enough water or filtration system, which means less water needs to be carried.

Expect a lot of brush on one part of the loop; significant blowdowns are also known to be present. I have done approximately half the hike, but I am not familiar with the whole route. Two of us will be marking blowdowns and taking pictures of them for future removal, since any open trail in the Oregon wilderness is a rarity. If one wishes not to go to Deer Camp Lake, that would shorten the hike about 2 miles.

Stay tuned to this site in case of issues with smoke. I expect significant haze, and if the fires explode during the upcoming heat wave, it will likely be wise to cancel the hike.

  • Event Leader: Mike Smith

  • Event Leader Phone: 520-488-9569

  • Event Leader Email: mssq@comcast.net

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trips

  • Area Type: Mountain

  • Departure Location: Lane Community College, parking lot nearest stoplight

  • Rating: Moderate

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 134

  • Season: 2017

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: 10 essentials, sunscreen, water or appropriate drink/filtering system etc. Swim suit and river shoes might be useful. Collection container of some sort if you pick huckleberries.

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 14

  • Member Fees: 1

  • Elevation Gain: 1000

  • Non-Member Fees: 5

  • Committee: Trips

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

It was good to get out of Eugene, the heat, and the bad air quality. We could see a decent Sun at the trailhead to Mount Ray and took that about 2.5 miles to the junction, where we went straight towards Black Meadow (north went to South Waldo Shelter and south to Island Lakes and eventually Fuji Mtn.) On the way, huckleberries were for the picking, and I found that I had decent hand-mouth coordination. At the same time, I was taking pictures of the blowdowns so Dave Cooper, also along, could help coordinate the Scorpions in their removal. From the junction to Black Meadow is about two miles, but it is over a height of land, has a steep descent, and needs some trail finding ability in places. We got to the next junction to Deer Camp Lake, where I decided, after looking at the contours, that this was not a good idea to visit. There were no complaints. We then went north to Bingo Lake, where two of us were last week on Dave's hike. We had lunch there, I picked a peck of huckleberries, and then we headed north to Waldo Lake and the South Waldo Shelter. We then took the trail back south and saw Archie Knowles's tree. From there, it was to the car and back to hazardous air quality.