This was the last stop on a loop around the southeastern part of the state. Gearhart Mountain, in the wilderness of the same name, is an ancient, very weathered shield volcano with long gentle ridges and large cirque bowls. I camped overnight at Corral Springs (free, no drinking water) after stopping at the Mitchell Monument, which memorializes the only individuals killed in the continental U.S. by enemy action. A group out for a Sunday School picnic discovered a Japanese balloon bomb, or fugo, and accidentally detonated it. Six were killed.
It actually froze overnight, and I shook shards of ice off my tent fly as I was packing up. The Gearhart Mountain Wilderness has only two trails, and I began the hike at the southern end of the main route, which runs south to north through the wilderness. The first of the weathered formations is a wonderful rock garden of layered andesite known as The Palisades. They resemble the rock gardens in the Badger Creek area (Mt. Hood N.F.), such as above Fret Creek or on the Little Badger Creek Trail, but are much more extensive.
Then it was gradually up through subalpine meadows and stretches of shady forests. Another set of ramparts begins at The Dome. These formations would warrant a leisurely scramble if one had more time. Breaks in the trees afforded vistas south to Mt. Shasta. At the saddle near the Gearhart summit ridge, I had to confront a choice: an off-trail scramble up the ridge to the peak itself or stick to the trail, as described in Sullivan, to take in the cirque bowl and meadows at the head of Dairy Creek.
One look at the diseased forest on the summit ridge, decimated by a mountain pine beetle infestation with snags stacked upon each other like matchsticks, helped me to opt for the more pleasant alternative. These beetles are native, so one could say their destructive powers are as integral to the ecosystem as forest fires. However, milder winters, a drying climate which weakens tree resistance, and a lighter snow pack overall seem to have increased the potential for a population explosion. I dropped into the bowl, which had recently been logged out, and traipsed through a series of lush meadows blooming with shooting stars, buttercup, lousewort, and penstemon. The cliffs of the Gearhart summit shadowed a few small snow fields. I hiked up to the ridge below the summit cliffs, but there were no broad views to speak off, and turned back.
On the return, I made a foray off trail to get a better view of the upper Palisades and The Dome from a sagebrush knoll sporting a few mountain mahogany trees. About 12 miles round-trip, no one else on the trail.
Gearhart Mountain (Fremont-Winema N.F.) 6-29-18
Re: Gearhart Mountain (Fremont-Winema N.F.) 6-29-18
Great TR on an area I know very little about. Surprised to hear about the frost!
(Ugh between the pine bark beetle infestation and ever-more-frequent forest fires is the new normal. )
(Ugh between the pine bark beetle infestation and ever-more-frequent forest fires is the new normal. )
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Re: Gearhart Mountain (Fremont-Winema N.F.) 6-29-18
How is the road going into Lookout Rock Trailhead? I do not have 4x4. Is a 4x4 vehicle needed? TIA.
- Don Nelsen
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Re: Gearhart Mountain (Fremont-Winema N.F.) 6-29-18
Thanks for the TR and great photos!. Gearhart Mt. has been on my list for years but I've yet to get up there. With this incentive, I may finally make it.
dn
dn
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller
Re: Gearhart Mountain (Fremont-Winema N.F.) 6-29-18
In 2018, some clearance helped. If the road is dry, you wouldn't need AWD, but it was quite rutted (parts of the last 1 1/2 miles only).Solofemalehiker35 wrote: ↑August 8th, 2020, 9:37 pmHow is the road going into Lookout Rock Trailhead? I do not have 4x4. Is a 4x4 vehicle needed?
I'd say it's worth a shot in a passenger car if the weather is good.