In honor of the end of summer, we took a hike up Olallie Mountain on Sunday. Having just been up near Indian Ridge on the other side of the South Fork of the McKenzie, I liked the idea of getting a different perspective and was intrigued by tales of an old lookout tower on the top. We had also managed on Saturday to pick and freeze 10 quarts of huckleberries for the winter and pressed 6 gallons of Asian pear cider from one of our trees, so a purely recreational excursion in the mountains felt much needed and well deserved.
The trailhead at Pat Saddle was a bit closer drive than some of the others, so we were able to get some morning work done around our place and set out mid-day. This trailhead is also shared with the other end of the French Pete Creek Trail, and having only been as far as the creek crossing from below, I am now curious to explore the rest of that drainage from the top. We encountered some folks camped out in their hand-build gypsy wagon with a flock of ducks, so I imagine it’s also a nice area for a base camp.
The 7.2 mile round trip trail started out with a very gradual ascent through towering forests, giving way to some steeper sections through meadows near the top. The final switchbacks to the top of the mountain were the steepest, but offered some amazing views of the French Pete Creek drainage. Once we popped out on top, the 360 degree views and the old lookout were a treat to take in.
Although in a state of disrepair, the lookout was beautiful, and easy to imagine in its prime with glass windows allowing full views of the surrounding peaks and valleys.
A guestbook on the table in the middle of the room shared some brief stories of the lookout’s other recent visitors.
Through the remaining windows that were not broken out and boarded up, we looked out at the Three Sisters, Broken Top, Bachelor, and Mt. Jefferson far off in the distance.
We enjoyed the sweeping views for a while and rested with our picnic lunch of trailmix, cheese and crackers. Not quite a summer’s end harvest feast from days of old, but for a couple of hikers preparing to jump back into the busy schedule of school, kids activities, and teaching, it was appropriate and appreciated. We savored our lunch in the mountain sunshine and began the descent towards the trailhead and all that Monday morning would bring.
On our hike down the mountain, I paid more attention to the plant life. The word “Olallie” means berry in Chinook Jargon, and this mountain was aptly named. The top of the peak was covered in Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), and just about every other variety of edible wild berry crowded the edges of the trail all the way down to the trail head.
The Huckleberries (Vaccinium sp.) were positioned right at eye level, so that one could hike along and pluck them off the bushes for a juicy snack without even breaking stride.
The Thimbleberries (Rubus parviflorus) grew low and thick along the ground, tempting passers-by to stop and taste them.
There were a few Salmonberry bushes (Rubus spectabilis) along the way adding their bright orange fruits to the colorful display.
Although bitter-sweet, and not a favorite for everyone, I enjoyed popping a couple of Cascade Oregon-grape (Mahonia nervosa) berries in my mouth. The flavor seemed fitting with the ending of the Summer.
A final majestic view we enjoyed taking in was this ancient Douglas-fir along the trail reported to be the largest diameter tree within the McKenzie Ranger District. After standing on top of a mountain looking out at the Cascade peaks, and standing before this tree, we descended from our hike feeling quite humbled and immersed in the world around us.
I noticed a couple of very fine looking fire rings at the top, and imagine this would make a great backpacking destination as well as a day hike. Who knows, perhaps we can squeeze a fall backpacking trip in before the snow falls in the high country.
For more information on the Olallie trail, you can visit these USFS websites:
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