Calendar

Past Activity

Red Butte

  • Start date: 07/16/2019

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 07/16/2019

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

This is a great hike to the top of a red cinder cone with close up views of the Cascades. We're early enough in the season that we might get our feet wet on a stream crossing. We'll be taking the Duffy Lake trailhead and hiking past Duffy Lake and Mowich Lake.

  • Event Leader: Steven Johnson

  • Event Leader Phone: +15415202470

  • Event Leader Email: stevenj7675@gmail.com

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trips

  • Area Type: Mountain

  • Departure Location: Behind McDonalds, 57th and Main in Springfield

  • Rating: Difficult

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 160

  • Season: 2019

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: Lunch, water, essentials, sandals for stream crossing, mosquito repellent, NW Forest Pass

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 11.8

  • Member Fees: 1

  • Elevation Gain: 1800

  • Non-Member Fees: 5

  • Committee: Trips

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

Eight members participated in this hike to Red Butte, a red cinder cone next to Mowich Lake in the Jefferson Wilderness. We begin our hike at the Big Meadows trailhead around 10am with mostly cloudy skies. The forest here is a pleasant mix of mature Douglas Fir and Hemlock. After about three miles we reached Duffy Lake and the edge of the 2003 B & B Complex Fire. By the time we reached Mowich Lake we were surrounded by the bleached out remains of this very hot wildfire but we could also see thousands of small trees starting a new forest for future Obsidian hikers to enjoy. After Mowich Lake we left the trail to scramble up Red Butte where we had our lunch and enjoyed the views of Jack and Washington. The other mountains of the Cascades were covered by the clouds but this just made it the perfect temperature for our days hike. We made it back to the trailhead around 4:30 where we did a passenger exchange so one of our vehicles could head directly home while the other made a stop at Tokoda's restaurant in Rainbow.