Peter Skene Ogden Trail is a Favorite Off Season Hike

We have hiked from McCay Crossing to Paulina Falls multiple times, typically in the late fall and early spring when crowds are gone and snow accumulation is limited. We have always enjoyed the experience and have seen Paulina Creek and the numerous falls along the path in various stages of flow - spring run off, fall with lessened volume, and winter ice. Some of our favorite experiences have involved the ice, and we have named that experience "chasing frozen waterfalls."

The hike we did 11-11-23 was in the fall after first snow, but after warmer temperatures had melted much of the snow in the lower elevations. We saw just a handful of people the entire day and our hike up and back was much faster than we experience when we have to walk through snow. But we had an opportunity to discover little seen or accessed waterfalls and had a wonderful day. The total hike was 13.8 miles with roughly 1600 feet of elevation gain.

The Hike to Broken Top is Among Central Oregon's Favorites

People exploring the Three Sisters Wilderness can hike to Broken Top from multiple trailheads. Three Creeks to Tam McArthur Rim provides for a social trail past Broken Hand to Broken Top and No Name Lake. Hikers looking for more distance can start at the Green Lakes Trailhead and hike Soda Creek to join with the Broken Top trail. Most people will drive past Todd Lake on the poorly maintained road to the Broken Top trailhead (high clearance vehicles are recommended) and cut the distance to 5.5 miles and under 1500 feet of elevation gain. And there is a well defined trail starting at Todd Lake which creates a much longer hike through old growth forest to join with the Soda Creek Trail and then the Broken Top trail. Total distance to the Broken Top summit exceeds 14 miles and pushes 2700 feet of elevation gain, but the experience is well worth it. Stunning views of Broken Top's eastern flank and Mt Bachelor become visible after hikers join with the Broken Top trail; bushwhacking in this open area can lead to new areas to explore and other beautiful views. 

The hike taken October 21, 2023 was on a sunny, warm day after snow had fallen the week before.  Remnants of melting snow were obvious, but created no real obstacles for hikers. This was also the first weekend in 2023 that did not require trailhead passes, so the trail was busy with many Broken Top hikers and off leash dogs; at times it seemed as if there were more dogs than people, but all encountered were well behaved and the people very friendly and happy to be out enjoying the beauty of the Central Oregon Cascades. No Name Lake was beautiful and cold with snow and glacial runoff, and the views from the summit toward Middle and North Sister were outstanding, although the ridge was very windy and not the best place to enjoy lunch.

We have hiked to Green Lakes multiple times. However, fewer hike this popular trail when the weather turns cold and cloudy. Our experience hiking to Green Lakes on 10-14-23 was the first we had this year. The trail passes to Green Lakes are so hard to get that if you are 30 seconds past 7 am on the US Forest Service website, you will be too late. Despite trying weekly all year, last Saturday, the last weekend of the year where passes are required, we finally obtained two. 

The weather was cloudy and cool, and during our hike the expected "ring of fire" eclipse occurred, resulting in a drop in temperature and a darker sky. However, after that event, the rest of our hike up to Green Lakes was uneventful, outside of hitting more and more snow the higher we climbed. At the second log bridge we put on our microspikes for safety against slippery conditions and the rest of the hike was fine. We had to do some postholing once we reached the first lake, but it was well worth the effort to travel to the far side which fewer people travel to, but is among our favorite spots due to the beautiful views of South Sister which can be mirrored in the lake. We also trekked a bit up the east side of the largest Green Lake, but decided against going further and returned back after enjoying lunch and the views.

On our hike back to the trailhead, we met a good number of hikers coming up in the later afternoon.  Our morning experience was solitary with no one visible during our hour at the lake.

In all the years we have lived in Central Oregon, we have never been to Clear Lake, much less hiked around it. Located off Hwy 126 just south of the junction with Hwy 20 in the Willamette National Forest, the Clear Lake trailhead is next to the parking lot of the Clear Lake Resort where cabins, fishing supplies, boats and kayaks are available for rent. We arrived early before the parking lot filled and started our hike along Clear Lake's western shore.  When we reached the southern edge of the lake, we took the cutoff trail to the Sahalie and Koosah Falls loop, which extended our hike and enabled us to view these beautiful waterfalls from the western side as well as the well known eastern viewpoints. 

After completing the loop around the falls, we returned to Clear Lake and continued our hike up its eastern edge, passing the spring which is the headwaters of the McKenzie River and the northern edge of the lake. In reading up on Clear Lake, we learned that the lake was formed 3000 years ago when lava from Sand Mountain reached the river and backed up the water to form the lake. Hikers and boaters can still see remnants of the drowned forest in submerged trees still standing under 120 feet of water. The water is near freezing which is why these trees have not fully decomposed after 3000 years.

The northern part of the lake provides for views of North and Middle Sister. It is also here that we saw beautiful reflections in the lake, which at times had a turquoise tint. In returning to the lodge, the parking lot was filled to overflow. Our entire hike, including the waterfall loop,  was just less than 10 miles and under 1000 feet of elevation gain. People wishing to see the beautiful colors need to hurry before the leaves fall.

Pamelia Lake is a Very Popular Hike in the Mt Jefferson Wilderness

Prior to the recent adoption of hiking passes in the last 3 years, Pamelia Lake was one of a handful of Central Oregon hikes requiring a pass to access. This special lake is an easy 2.5 mile hike which gains 550 feet of elevation as it passes through beautiful old growth forest, complete with many rhododendrons which bloom in late spring. Our hike in late September, 2023, included some views of fall color in sunny spaces where vine maple grew. We could also see areas where the 2006 flood from Mt Jefferson's Milk Creek Glacier wiped out portions of the trail and lovely moss covered forest floor. Plant life is returning and the area should eventually fully recover.

Past the lake, the trail steepens for those planning on summiting Grizzly Mountain. Although over 2200 feet is gained, the path is well graded and doesn't feel as steep as other hikes we have taken in the past. It is another 3.3 miles to reach the top, the entire way in forest with a great viewpoint break roughly .7 miles from the summit. On a clear day, fabulous views of Mt Jefferson should be visible. For us, however, it was cloudy and while peek-a-boo views of Mt Jefferson appeared as the clouds moved, we never saw the entire mountain at once. However, the top of Grizzly Mountain was a great place for a lunch break before we returned back the way we came, enjoying again the hike through the forest with portions of the trail next to lovely Pamelia Creek. Our entire hike was 11.66 miles with 2739 feet of elevation gain. We hope to return next spring to see the rhododendrons in bloom.