Amazon Hdwtrs/Spencer Butte
2022-11-09, 2022-11-16, 2022-11-23, 2022-11-30
NOTE: Flexible departure time from 8:15 to 8:30.
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.

Veterans Day Hike
2022-11-11
We will continue the tradition of a Veterans Day hike started by the late Dave “The Griz” Lodeesen (1952-2021), who served in a helicopter squadron in Vietnam in 1971 and frequently wore a hat saying “Practice Peace.” He founded the hike in 2016 and led it for four years.
This walk will go by two memorials by Skinner Butte and along the Willamette up to Valley River and either across and back east the other side or straight back.
Everybody is welcome, and I hope to see many veterans. Nobody should feel at all out of place.
Wear what you wish, and if you have a Griz story, that would be welcome. We will be done by 1130, maybe earlier.
We will have this regardless of the weather, although the Griz once told me in writing that Wind+Rain=Misery.

Downtown Riverfront Park
2022-11-12
➳ Due to concerns about the effect of cold weather on seedling roots, The City of Eugene suggested to move the hours from 9-12 to 10-1
We will have the work party at the Eugene downtown Riverfront Park from 10AM – 1PM
Parking is at the old EWEB building parking lot. From there we will walk 0.2 miles to our work site.
We will be harvesting Alders and weeding on the river bank. For any question contact leader at darchey@comcast.net Meetup/Departure Location: Old EWEB building parking lot

Get Acquainted/Ribbon Trail
2022-11-12
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. Members are welcome to sign up to help answer questions.
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 at a T intersection, turn left and immediately look for the Obsidians sign and driveway on your right. Enter the driveway and follow the gravel road to the parking areas and Lodge. 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

South Santiam Combo
2022-11-12
Our warm-up hike will be Lower Soda Creek Falls in Cascadia County Park (formerly Cascadia State Park). This pretty little hike will take us up 324 feet on a 1.4 mile out-and-back through lush forest to a waterfall. The trail has been closed for the last several years, so it will a chance to check it out now that it’s been transferred to Linn County Parks.
Then we’ll get back in our cars for the 13-mile drive to House Rock Campground, where we’ll start the loop that takes us along the old Santiam Wagon Road. I am finding wildly divergent reports on the elevation gain (587 – 1300) and the distance (4.7 – 7.9) for this hike, so stay tuned while I figure it out. Regardless, it will be a moderate hike.
Drive will be suitable for all vehicle types, with a short strech of gravel at the end.

Honoring Veterans Ride
2022-11-13
This bike ride will visit three veterans’ memorials and one peace memorial in Eugene and Springfield. The ride is relatively flat except for the moderate hill on 2nd St approaching Doris Ranch.
Visit route:https://ridewithgps.com/trips/106298276?privacy_code=MoAymujTWwyIE87C
After the ride there will be an optional lunch at 5th Street Market Meetup/Departure Location: Alton Baker Park Restrooms

Lodge clean up
2022-11-13
Three events in the week following this cleanup. We want to do a thorough cleaning in a lodge
I’d like to get the back door weather stripping and new door boor bottom piece installed. Hopefully, this cleaning will give us an opportunity to talk about future projects. Jim will likely have some outside tasks, weather permitting.

North Bank Habit Area
2022-11-13
The weather forecast looks good. The North Bank Habitat is near Roseburg, exit 135, Wilbur, then on North Bank Rd to the West Entrance. The drive takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes. The up and down loop hike has rolling—some steep & challenging hills— up to and along the ridgeline with oak savannas, meadows, and views of the Umpqua River. One can easily avoid the poison oak at this time of year. Expect a few sections of the trail to be muddy. We should start hiking around 10:00 and complete the loop around 3:00. It will be a steady moderate pace grouping up on hill tops.

Blanton Ridge to Spencer Butte
2022-11-15, 2022-11-22, 2022-11-29, 2022-12-06
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 trail head is on your left in about ½ mile. Do not turn left on Southpointe Dr.
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.

GAMENIGHT!
2022-11-15
Come join us for an evening of games at the Lodge from 4:30 – 7:30 pm. By signing up, you’ll help us have an idea of about how many to expect, but you’re very welcome to show up any time throughout the evening even if you don’t sign up.

Dierdre Wolownick Honnold Talk
2022-11-16
This is a talk by climber Dierdre Wolownick Honnold, mother of free solo climber Alex Honnold. She started climbing in her late 50s and had her first ascent of El Capitan at age 66 with her second ascent on her 70th birthday. Come hear her fascinating story.

GAME NIGHT
2022-11-17

Pisgah East Side Loop
2022-11-18
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 trails #2, #4 and #1, 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. Afterwards those who wish may have lunch at the Sunrise Cafe close by.

Potluck, Marci Hansen
2022-11-18
Marci Hansen and Brian Larson drove their van to the border of Utah and Arizona to hike some canyons. You will see maps, videos and photos and hear stories on how they did it, and their recommendations.

Silver Falls
2022-11-19
We’ll hike the full loop – Trail of Ten Falls, at beautiful Silver Falls StatePark. Parking pass: drivers will need either an Oregon State Park pass, or can purchase a $5 pass from the kiosk in the lot.
Please arrive at meeting place no later than 8:20 am, for our 8:30 departure.
New participants, 8:15 is encouraged. If you have any questions, please give me a call: 949-677-1379

Ridgeline Matsler Plaque
2022-11-19
There is a Ted Matsler plaque in the ground at the West Dillard Trailhead and the Blanton Ridge Trailhead. Meet at the West Dillard Parking lot to hike to Blanton and back to find the plaques. We will walk the Ridgeline Trail to Fox Hollow and 52nd & Willamette trailhead. I think the hardest part is the next section from Willamette 52nd Trailhead at 964 ft. to the Blanton summit at 1280 ft. Find out why Ted Matsler is honored for the Ridgeline Trail. I hope you think it is much easier on the return trip to West Dillard. (Optional: You could choose to turn back earlier.) The west parking lot (on the west side of Dillard Rd) is around .2 miles past the East Dillard Trailhead, easy to spot on the right before Bright Star Lane.

Larison Rock (8th Annual)
2022-11-20
I’ve lead this hike right before Thanksgiving. It is an excellent workout with a long climb, but the trail is in good shape, and it’s close in.
We get on top for an early lunch, and then we are back down and home early as well.
The rock itself has modest views to the south, and it’s just a nice place to see every year.
Might be mushrooms as well, for those with a mycological interest.

Mt Pisgah Sunset
2022-11-23
Sunset is 4:39 pm. It is not a full moon hike.–moonset is 4:26 p.m. The plan is to take 7, 4 and 1 with an optional shorter route of #7 and #3 to the main trail.Look for us by my car a row or two or three down from the fee box. We can adjust the mileagedepending on the weather. Email me at jbjacobsen@comcast.net if you have questions. If you do not have a Lane County pass allow time to purchase one with Debit/Credit card (no cash) at the pay station by trailhead.

Thanksgiving Day Robust Ramble
2022-11-24
This robust ramble through the neighborhoods will take us up to the Ridgeline Trailhead on 52nd and Willamette St. After a short uphill hike, we will veer off onto the Maintenance spur trail to Owl Rd., where Matt and an Obsidian crew recently did some trail work. We will continue down and wend our way through the woods until we reach Martin St. and then walk back to Amazon Park via the bark path.

Turkey Trimming
2022-11-25
Please join us on the 10th Annual Turkey Trimming hike! We change the route every year. This is a fairly fast paced hike (not a saunter); after all, the goal is to burn some of the calories we ingested the previous day. We start up a huffy puffy hill on 28th, around the Laurelwood Golf course, on the Ribbon Trail, and back to the Amazon Community Center. Update: we will not drop down to the Laurel Hill area (too much noise from I-5); instead, we will visit a secret native garden. The hike is on low traffic streets and trails.

Blanton Planting
2022-11-26
We will be planting along Blanton Ridge in areas that have had blackberries removed.
Meet at the main Blanton Ridge Trailhead parking lot, the gravel lot on Blanton Road.

Holiday night & Oregon Outdoors
2022-12-01
Update: There will be an assistant leader. l Meet in front of Prince Pucklers for an hour or so walk around the campus and neighborhood. Hopefully we can share pizzas at Hey Neighbor or 19th Street Brewery where is more seating. At 5:30 we will walk a few blocks to the Museum of Natural and Cultural History for their Holiday Night to see the posters and artwork celebrating Oregon’s great outdoors. Free admission with a donation of canned food. Museum Store features 20% off for museum visitors, and 30% off for members plus h ot cider and refreshments. Sunset is at 4:35. I will forward their newsletter with details about the event and/or visit their website. Optional to just meet us at the Museum. Please let me know if that is what you plan to do.
jbjacobsen@comcast.net

McKenzie River Trust Stewardship
2022-12-03
Obsidians volunteer day at Green Island with McKenzie River Trust.
We’ll work 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM on blackberry removal on the 2.5-acre plot, recently adopted by Obsidians. Green Island is located ten miles north of Eugene, at the confluence of the McKenzie and the Willamette Rivers.
McKenzie River Trust with generous support of dozen local organization and hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers researching, restoring, and protecting over 1100 acres of riverbanks, forest, islands, channels, sloughs, and grassland.

Ray Benson Snowpark
2022-12-05
The weather and snow conditions look great next Monday for a snowshoe trip to Brandenburg shelter. A stop at Takoda’s restaurant after is a real possibility. Note that 8:00am is the departure time so show up a bit early. This trip could be postponed for bad weather.
