The Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
We do a family camping trip to a wonderful little hot springs on the banks of Oregon’s pristine McKenzie River every year. This year was a fantastic time as the weather was perfect. Last year we were stuck in a heat bubble creating record breaking temperatures in excess of 115 degrees in the Willamette Valley, this year’s abundant rainfall, great snowpack and cool spring had the forest lush enough for a campfire. We did a little hiking up in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness to check out some wildflower spots. This hike was up toward the three finger jack following the Pacific Crest trail.
The beargrass was looking absolutely spectacular, I think it’s a factor of the recovery from the B &B Complex fire of 2003 that burned some 90,000 acres in the Mt. Jefferson wilderness. The once stunted subalpine forests of Abies lasiocarpa and Abies procera are now open meadows filled with beargrass and lupines as far as the eye can see. Calochortus subalpinus was looking quite spectacular in the shadow of the large feathery plumes of beargrass. This is an easy area for folks to get to if you are looking to see some stunning views of Mt. Washington, Hoodoo, the Three Fingered Jack and some minor spires of the Oregon Cascades, the trail follows the Pacific Crest Trail North across from the Hoodoo ski area. I have spent the last few winters skiing into the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness with some buddies that like backcountry adventures and was itching to see what it looks like when the snow was all gone. It definitely did not disapoint. I’m going to head back soon and see if I can get a bit higher onto the screes of the Three Fingered Jack to see if I can find a few true alpines.
Back to 98 degrees in the valley for some summer heat. Going to start working on harvest of the bulbs as soon as the shade structure is finished this week.
Cheers,
Mark