Calendar

Past Activity

House Rock

  • Start date: 06/04/2019

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 06/04/2019

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

Departs from: Springfield, Winco Parking lot, I-105/Mohawk. 1920 Olympic Street, Springfield. This gives us easy access to get on I-105, take Mohawk exit to Marcola, Mohawk Valley and to Sweet Home.It is another 25 miles on Highway 20 to House Rock Campground between milepost 54 and 54 where there is a small hiking trail parking lot. We will start by crossing the footbridge to see the historic cave and waterfall. The short trail down to the waterfall is rocky and can be slippery (optional) We will continue on the Santiam Wagon Road .6 mile to gravel road #2044 and then follow the directions in Bill Sullivan’s Central Cascades book up to the knoll viewpoint. I have not hiked this section. I’ll have maps for everyone. Email me if any questions: jbjacobsen@comcast.net

  • Event Leader: Janet Jacobsen

  • Event Leader Phone: 541-206-1251

  • Event Leader Email: jbjacobsen@comcast.net

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trips

  • Area Type: Mountain

  • Departure Location: See Trip Description

  • Rating: Moderate

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 126

  • Season: 2019

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: appropriate layered clothing, sun protection, water, lunch.

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 8.1

  • Member Fees: 1

  • Elevation Gain: 1300

  • Non-Member Fees: 5

  • Committee: Trips

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

We parked at House Rock Campground, twenty-five miles east of Sweet Home, to access the footbridge across the South Santiam River to hike along the river to House Rock and House Rock Falls. Somehow we breezed right by House Rock—thus it became the highlight at the end of the trip. Once on the forested Santiam Wagon Road, it was up and down for 3.1 miles. Thanks to Steve and Dave, each with a GPS, we knew exactly when to turn on the side path up to the rocky knoll viewpoint for lunch. The views of Iron Mountain and Jumpoff Joe Mountain were worth the uphill trek. Bill Sullivan’s Cascades hiking book was invaluable for the directions and the historical notes that gave us much to ponder. The road was the main link across the Cascades until the 1920s when McKenzie Pass opened. To break the descent on the steep grades, a log was attached to the back of the first automobile that crossed North American in 1905—we had no problem with the descents. For future reference: East of Sweet Home, we made a bathroom stop at Foster Lake Viewpoint. Including lunch the hike took around five hours.