Kuitan Lake

June 19, 1993

Last year the two silviculturists from McKenzie Ranger District led participants of an Obsidian outing on a five-mile hiking tour through bud worm-infested stands of timber near Santiam Pass. This year, Forest Service employees Gene Skrine (Silviculturist), Cheryl Friesen (wildlife biologist) and Dave Predeek organized another Obsidian hike through a five-mile loop on the McKenzie Ranger District. In the course of our hike we had informal discussions concerning issues and problems facing forest managers today. We hiked through an old growth clear-cut, a five-year-old clear-cut with wildlife trees, a windfall salvage, a natural meadow on Bunchgrass Ridge and a bud worm-infested stand of timber. We stopped at Kuitan and Robinson Lakes, both of which were very high due to heavy rain and melting snow. We looked at regeneration in several cutting units harvested between 15 and 25 years ago. The weather was warm and dry and the mosquitoes were out in force! We ate lunch high on a ridge top at the edge of Bunchgrass Meadow where a breeze kept the mosquitoes away. Large parts of the meadow were colored with the blooms of spreading phlox and larkspur. It was an impressive display. Enjoying the fine weather were Peter Berkowitz, Dianne Bohr, Debbie Confer, Mary Horvat, Vi Johnson, David Kelly, Teresa Ladd, Bonnie Manheim, Glenn Meares; Ray Mikesell, Peggy Robinson and tour leaders Dave Predeek, Gene Skrine and Cheryl Friesen. Many thanks to Gene and Cheryl for sharing their expertise with us and for participating in the discussions.

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