The Obsidians

Get Acquainted/Ribbon Trail
2022-06-11
Meet at the Obsidian Lodge to start the hike on the Ribbon Trail to Hendricks Park and back. This is an opportunity to find out about the Obsidians, get acquainted with members, and visit our lodge. This hike through the woods has a few short bursts of steep up and down hill.
Drive past the Laurelwood Golf Course up 27th St then at the top of the hill turn right onto Spring Blvd, a one lane road. When Spring Blvd ends, turn left onto Central then immediately look for the Obsidians Inc. sign and driveway on your right. Enter the driveway and follow the gravel road to the parking areas and Lodge. Members are welcome to sign up to help answer questions. The Lodge is hard to find so if you want to view the map, go to the Obsidian home page. http://obsidians.org/lodgemap.htm

Mt June
2022-06-12
We will be hiking up to the former lookout site atop Mt June, which provides an unimpeded panorama from the Willamette Valley to the Three Sisters. A short hike that offers amazing views.

Todd Lake to Bend Glacier
2022-06-12
Hard work for a big reward. This trail features beautiful views of Broken Top and South sister on the way up, and then moves up the ridge on the other side of gorgeous No Name Lake.
June 8 2022 Update: Morning at the trail-head will be chilly, around 40°F at 9 AM.
During the day we should have mostly partly cloudy sky with many scattered showers and could be thunderstorms.
At the top, 8200 ft we will also experience rain, around 37°F with some serious west wind 25+ MPH. Chance of precipitation for Sunday is 60 percent. Absolutely no cotton. Please carry 10 essentials, extra food and have dry change in the car. >>Snow level in combination with rain and high wind forecast = TRIP IS CANCELLED

Patterson Mountain
2022-06-12
A close in hike with good wildflowers and a good view of the Willamette River drainage. If the sky is clear there are view of some of the big mountains.

Mt Pisgah Sunset/Moonrise
2022-06-13
Moonrise is at 8:40 and sunset is 8:56. Look for us by my car a row or two down from the fee box.. Current plan is take Trails 7,3, and 1. If a hot day, we might want include a section of shady Trail 4.
Email me at jbjacobsen@comcast.net if you have questions.
If you don’t have a Lane County pass allow time to purchase one with Debit/Credit card (no cash) at the pay station by trailhead.
. (The full moon is the next day.)

McDermitt Creek Caldera & Lithium Mine
2022-06-14
Topic: Two Obsidians, who are also ONDA members, will report on the history and ecology of the McDermitt Creek caldera and watershed as well as the environmental implications of the potential McDermitt Creek lithium mine. They participated in a trip at Trout Creek Mountains earlier in the month to learn about these issues and conduct field surveys.
Please join us! (Online signup optional.)

Blanton Ridge to Spencer Butte
2022-06-14, 2022-06-21, 2022-06-24
This hike to the top of Spencer Butte takes the less traveled route from Blanton Road. We’ll cross Blanton Ridge before continuing on from the 52nd and Willamette trailhead. This option provides a good in town workout.. If the weather doesn’t co-operate we can forgo the exposed rocky steps near the top.
To get to the trailhead from 29th & Willamette continue south on Willamette. At Willamette/Donald St Intersection bear right on Willamette. Immediately bear right again on to Crest Drive. Follow signs staying on Crest for approximately 1.2 miles to the Junction with Blanton Road. Turn left on Blanton. The trial head is on your left in about ½ mile.
Another way to get to the Blanton trailhead is to go south on Chambers until it ends at Crest Drive. Turn left on to Crest. In about ½ mile turn right on Blanton Road.

UO Sustainability Tour #3
2022-06-14
This will be the third of the University of Oregon (UO) three campus sustainability tours.
Steve Mital, UO Director of the Office of Sustainability, will provide information on green infrastructure as well as academic programs, research, and student-run programs focused on environmental issues. This is an easy walk and learn tour.
Please note – many of the parking spaces in the campus area have changed to 1 hour parking or meters. Past tours have been a minimum of 2 hours so you should plan on needing 2.5 to 3 hours of parking time. A great way to get to campus is via LTD, or plan on paying meters, or a nice long walk to get to campus!
Meetup/Departure Location: NE Corner of 13th and Kincaid Street

Wild Iris Ridge Plus
2022-06-15
After work in-town hike, we leave promptly at 6:00 PM
Meeting place: Wild Iris Ridge Park/Trailhead on corner of Bailey Hill Road and S. Bertelsen Rd. Parking is limited, carpool if you can or street parking in residential area off Bailey Hill and Leahy Dr, walk about a block to the trailhead.
This is a good work out, considered a ‘conditioning’ hike. We’ll add the additional loop for a total of 4.4 miles. Please assess your ability and if you are not familiar with this trail or new to Obsidians, please call or text me.

Amazon Hdwtrs/Spencer Butte
2022-06-15, 2022-06-22
NOTE: Flexible departure time from 7:45 to 8:00.
Every Wednesday since 2013 we do this hike from the Martin Street Trailhead to the summit of Spencer Butte. Compared to starting at the paved Spencer Butte parking lot, this hike has double the climbing and three times the distance. It is a conditioning hike where everyone is challenging themselves to go at a moderate or fast pace—not like the other hikes on our schedule. If this is your first time on this Obsidian conditioning hike, or hiking to Spencer Butte, you may want to call the leader to discuss the pace. If you should fall too far behind, the leaders reserve the right to have you not summit but wait and return with the group. The regulars on this hike have attained their fitness by showing up consistently and slowly improving. If you have questions, email summertrips@obsidians.org. Come a few minutes early because we leave promptly at the listed time. To get to the trailhead: Take West Amazon to Martin Street. Turn left. Drive past Kinney Park and park Martin Street near the Kiosk sign board across from Canyon Drive Street sign with hiker symbol. Please contact the leader if you have any questions.

Neighborhood Exploration
2022-06-16
We will go at a leisurely pace up through the Wayne Morse woods, wend our way through the hidden connector paths, go through two cemeteries then head back to where we started. Most of this walk will be on pavement. There will be a few short, steep hills, and two long sets of steps to ascend.
Dorothy’s cell phone is: 458-221-0262. Meetup/Departure Location: Meet in front of Rite Aid on 29th off of Willamette St.

Low Tide Wanders
2022-06-16 00:00 - 2022-06-18 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles)
UPDATED APRIL 25th: Instead of Boiler Bay on Saturday, because getting the tide pool area is treacherous, we will drive 1 mile north to Fogarty Beach are explore the beach and tide pool area there.
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Enjoy exploring tidepools during two negative low tides on the Oregon coast. We will be group camping at Beverly Beach State Park, just north of Newport.
Thursday, Jun 16, 2022:
In the later afternoon or early evening, arrive at Group Camp #2 at Beverly Beach State Park. Check-in at the park begins at 4pm. The leader should be arriving by 6pm, but you are welcome to check in earlier.
Friday, Jun 17, 2022:
The low tide is 9:29am. In the early morning (7am), we will drive 30 minutes south to Seal Rock and explore tidepools during an impressive -2.4 feet (-73 cm) low tide. This area is good for tidepooling as we can walk on sand, visit ‘islands’ of marine life, and not crush critters underfoot. After several hours, about 10am when the tide is coming in, we will return to the group camp. The rest of the day is open for exploring on your own or going as a group on some local hikes.
Saturday, Jun 18, 2022:
The low tide is 10:20am. In the early morning, we pack up camp (by 8:30am) and drive 15 minutes north to Boiler Bay State Park and explore this area during a -1.8feet (-55cm) low tide. The “path” down to the tide pool area is steep, and if we have to make other arrangements at a nearby location we will. This part of the trip is exploratory by the group leader. After several hours we will finish up.
Pay the trip leader $20 upon arrival; this covers camping fees, and wood for a fire (if allowed at that time). This trip begins at Beverly Beach State Park, Group Camp #2. The park does have flush toilets and showers, though our group will likely be sharing a communal pit toilet with another group. Covid protocols will be in place on our trip.
Bring your tent, camping cookstove, meals, snacks, etc. Be prepared for wind, rain, and cool temperatures on the coast. The moon will be a Waning Gibbous with 87% illumination, if the wind is not an issue we might be able to include an evening low-ish tide walk on the beach. The trip leader is fully vaccinated and boosted.

Pisgah Loop Hike
2022-06-17
To get to the east trailhead head drive toward Pleasant Hill on hwy 58. Turn left at the 76 station on to Ridgeway Rd. The parking area is 1.7 miles down this road. We will hike to the summit on trail #2 and then return using trail #6. The parking lot is small but vehicles sometimes park on the road if there isn’t room. You need a Lane County pass to park but not if you park on the road. I plan to lunch at the Sunrise Cafe at the Pleasant Hill strip mall close by afterwards and feel free to join me or not. RI

Silver Falls
2022-06-17
Meet at parking lot on behind Sheri’s on the corner of Q Street and Pioneer Pkwy in Springfield.
We will see 10 beautiful waterfalls. They should be full of water with the wet spring that we have. If you have not been there before or like me you want to get there at least once a year you should sign up. Silver Falls is an Oregon treasure.

Cook's Ridge/Gwynn Creek
2022-06-18
Spend a day by the sea! We’ll explore the highlights at Cape Perpetua, and do a 6.4 mile loop hike on one of the trails there. Forecast is for possible rain in the morning, and temperatures in the 50’s; so bring suitable clothing.

Three Mile Lake
2022-06-19
This trip is south of Florence. It combines hiking through wood, across sand dunes and along the beach. We actually get a look at Three Mile Lake from the north end. Depending on the rain the lake can be full all the way to the end or just appear as a green meadow at the north end.

Juneteenth Sunrise Mt. Baldy
2022-06-19
Short 3.5 mile hike with some steep sections.
Please be on time. We’ll leave promptly at 4:44AM

Mt Pisgah Summer Solstice
2022-06-21
Sunset is at 8:59. Look for us by my car, two or three rows down from the fee box at the gate. Our goal is to view the rays of the sunset shining through the Mt. Pisgah Sighting Pedestal. For more info about the pedestal, see the June 2021 Bulletin.
www.obsidians.org/bulletin/Issues/2021_Bulletins/2021_06_Bulletin.pdf
Email jbjacobsen@comcast.net if you have questions. If it is raining, we will not linger

E2C Tire Mountain
2022-06-21
This hike is one of the premier wildflower destinations in the Cascades; they should be at their peak. Plus you will be participating on the Eugene to Pacific Crest Trail Exploration (E2C) – see May Bulletin for details. And it’s the Solstice! The hike starts out through old growth forest and then opens up with views in the meadows. We will not hike all the way to the top (no view), but rather, stop in the last meadow for lunch.
If you sign up for this trip, please make a commitment to show up unless there is a last minute emergency. Thanks!

Ash Swale to Eagles Rest
2022-06-21
This little trip is close in. We’ll drive highway 58 past milepost 20 and turn right on Goodman Creek, rd5833. This is a gravel road with potholes, but it’s driveable for cars. About 3 miles in we’ll park at the trailhead. The trail meanders uphill through timber and swampy areas. Ash Swale Shelter sits near a swamp with skunk cabbage. From the shelter, it’s a mile to the top of Eagle’s Rest, with a view of the Lost Creek Valley. We can relax, eat, enjoy the view, then retrace our steps. The trail may have muddy stretches.

Mt Adams
2022-06-23 00:00 - 2022-06-25 23:59
We will be climbing the standard route on the south side. It is moderately steep snow and will involve an overnight of camping at around 9000 feet. We’ll drive up early Thursday, hike up to high camp, then get up at o’dark thirty and climb, descend, hike out and drive home. It’s a big day for sure, but if folks are really tired, we have the option of an extra day.

Mt June (via Lost Creek)
2022-06-25
This longer, out-and-back route to Mt. June begins at a turnout from a generally passable gravel road off of Eagles Rest Road near Dexter. The trail climbs about 2 miles and 1200 feet through the forest to a T-junction with the Sawtooth Trail. Turning west, the route traverses the ridgeline, with some ups and downs, about .6 miles to the junction with the Mt. June trail. This relatively steep, .5-mile section climbs the final 550 ft. to the summit. There may be a few downed trees to climb around and over, and possibly some mud, along the way. Weather permitting, we will have nice views with lunch. Wildflowers seem to be a bit late this year and I’m hoping for interesting blooms both in the forest and at the summit.

Grassy Mountain Explora
2022-06-25
This is an easy hike close to town. The hike is mostly on gravel roads, except for the last short section through forest to the summit of the mountain.
Our destination is mostly undisturbed by human activity, and has almost zero invasive plants growing in it. Because of this, we need to make sure that our hiking shoes are completely clean, and we do not carry any seeds on them.
Another request is that people who hike this trail do not bring any other groups of people to the location, and not post anything about it online that prompts people to visit the area.
Meetup/Departure Location: Albertsons, Marcola Road & 19th St. Springfield

Mt Adams
2022-06-25 00:00 - 2022-06-26 23:59
We will be climbing the standard route on the south side. It is moderately steep snow and will involve an overnight of camping at around 9000 feet. We’ll drive up early Sat, hike up to high camp, then get up at o’dark thirty and climb, descend, hike out and drive home. It’s a big day for sure…about 6 Pisgahs…but at higher elevation.

Cape Mountain
2022-06-26
This an exploratory trip. I have hiked a 10 mile loop but intend to do less then this. We will take the trail to the top. We will also do a lower trail to a native dwelling that was rehabilitated in 1927. This is an area at the north end of Florence not hiked by Obsidian very often.

Pisgah Sunrise
2022-06-26
Early morning hike with beautiful sunrise view.

Macduff Mountain
2022-06-28
This will be the 91st anniversary of the placement of the brass plaque on Macduff Mt commemorating Nelson Macduff, a former Obsidian member. This year I plan on hiking the long route up Macduff. Our route will start at the Saddle trailhead where it switchbacks up to the saddle between OLeary and Horsepasture. From here we’ll head east past McLennan Mt to Macduff. While the total elevation gain of this trail is 1800 feet because of the terrain the accumulated gain is over 3000 feet so be prepared for a long day. I did this hike two years ago in the rain and have decided that if it rains this year I’ll switch to the shorter route to Macduff which is only 5 miles. A stop at Takodas restaurant after the hike will be an option so check with your driver.
