Calendar

Past Activity

Marys Peak from the north

  • Start date: 04/22/2018

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 04/22/2018

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

Marys Peak this time of year may be wet and cloudy but will have avalanche lilies and other flowers. This hike is a loop, going up Marys from the north and coming back down the east ridge to the unused road in the Corvallis watershed. If sunny, there are views of the Cascades and the Ocean. If wet, we spend very little time on top. I’d do the hike Saturday, but the models are showing Sunday dry and Saturday with some rain. Note: this hike will be led up the East Ridge in June as a moderate hike, about 7.5 miles and 1400’ elevation gain. Also likely to be dry.

  • Event Leader: Mike Smith

  • Event Leader Phone: 520-488-9569

  • Event Leader Email: mssq@comcast.net

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trips

  • Area Type: Coastal

  • Departure Location: Eugene Target, W11th, parking lot closest to W11th

  • Rating: Difficult

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 108

  • Season: 2018

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required:

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 12

  • Member Fees: 1

  • Elevation Gain: 2400

  • Non-Member Fees: 5

  • Committee: Trips

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

Marys Peak in early season is always interesting. There were several areas with large blowdowns and large groups of blowdowns going up the north side. There was significant snow at about 3500 feet, and most of the way to the top part was on slippery snow. For once, we had a clear day, seeing both the ocean and the high Cascades from Mt. Adams to Diamond Peak with a lot of haze over the Willamette Valley. After finding a sheltered place from the cold wind, we had lunch and then started down the East Ridge trail. The good news was that the big blowdown mess the past two years was replaced by a much smaller one. The bad news was that the trail was icy, with a steep drop off to the east. We managed to navigate that, broke out of the snow at about 3000 feet, and had a quick descent to Conners Camp.

The sad part of the trip was seeing the results of the forest thinning for about 2 miles along the road back to Woods Creek TH. Slash piles were frequent, the forest floor a mess, a lot of the trees cut high enough to waste significant wood, and what appeared to be decent wood in the slash piles. There are more markers suggesting further cutting, and if so, this trip as currently done will no longer be done by me.