McKenzie River Trail
Section 1
April 2, 1983
Four guests and five members had a lovely, drippy day along the
rain-swollen McKenzie River.
Calypso orchids, yellow violets, trilliums and a dozen other kinds of flowers
kept us happy from our ponchoed heads to our rain-chapped ankles, even if
looking up often brought a glop of old snow from treetop to eye.
The leader, who had forgotten to waterproof her boots, found icy slush puddles
beginning to come inside them; luckily plastic sacks over socks really do keep
things warmer.
Lunch, with all of us sitting on a mossy log in a light drizzle, was short and sweet.
A little later, as we crossed Lost Creek and started uphill, we saw the air around
us fill with inch-wide snow-flakes.
It was just like Christmas for the next couple of miles.
(One hiker was reminded of her home in Tasmania, where snow also falls sometimes.)
During the trip we saw juncoes, heard varied thrushes, tossed a few fallen
branches off the trail, climbed over three or four small fallen trees, and
seemed to enjoy ourselves very much.
This short, sweet four-hour hike ended up with Vi’s pies, and sun, rain and
sleet on the drive home.
McKenzie hikers were Elliot and Priscilla Aronin, Ardath Church, Judy Forell,
Janet Hogan, Robin Lodewick, Anne Montgomery, Lois Schreiner and Pat Shaw.
(Led by junior leader, Robin Lodewick; senior leader, Ken, was home taking
care of a cold.)
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