Eagle Cap: Cached at Cached Lake
Posted: August 6th, 2019, 8:03 am
Howdy fellow Oregon Hikers. We visited the area July 25-29, driving via Medical Spring and USFS 66 to Main Eagle/Boulder Park and departing via West Eagle trail head and USFS 77. After reading so many reports about poor road conditions, we were surprised to find these roads recently graded and in good shape. The section of USFS 77 between Main Eagle and West Eagle remains the roughest and it did have two shallow washouts from blocked culverts, but even it was tame and passable by any passenger vehicle. Washboard was minimal and the biggest obstacles were free range cattle. We encountered little traffic, mostly USFS vehicles. We weren’t the only people out there—huckleberry pickers were scattered about, a half dozen hiker rigs were at each trail head, and a few RV campers were making use of the campgrounds near both trailheads. Roads are good! Drive slow and safe!!!
Day 1. 25 July 2019. Main Eagle TH.
We set boot-to-trail at Main Eagle/Boulder Park Trail Head 3:45 PM under warm conditions. The trail was in good shape, save for a couple blow downs, creek crossings were manageable, and all trail junctions were signed. Flowers were everywhere, and in places the trail was overwhelmed by luxuriant, exuberant growth. You could feel that sub-tropical humid lushness.
Our expectation of reaching Cached Lake quickly evaporated. The warmth, our pack weights, our sea-level slug bodies brought the realization we would do well with a campsite at Main Eagle Meadows 4 miles in. Which we did, and a good call it was, as we were able to set up camp, cook and eat dinner, and relax prior to a colorful sunset and darkness.
People? One hiker exiting from Looking Glass Lake.
Day Two, July 26. Cached Lake. Are we there yet?
The next morning brought cooler conditions and fewer insects. We continued North under achingly blue skies thru forest and luxuriant flower meadow to the Eagle Lake Trail, marked by a venerable sign on an equally venerable post.
Turning left, we continued to Cached Lake, where we took advantage of a campsite that included a snowbank. My, it is nice having cold beverages at a lake you have to yourself! We slugged about after getting camp set, our only activity after critiquing all the Lake’s campsites and fish population was locating the departure point of the legendary Trail No. 1935 to Pop Lake and the Minam River. In this regard we did find a small duck or cairn, immediately behind which was an apparent trail tread. “Aha!! “ We thought. However, this trail tread was covered by blow down and couldn’t be found a couple hundred yards further on.
People? None.
To be continued.
Day 1. 25 July 2019. Main Eagle TH.
We set boot-to-trail at Main Eagle/Boulder Park Trail Head 3:45 PM under warm conditions. The trail was in good shape, save for a couple blow downs, creek crossings were manageable, and all trail junctions were signed. Flowers were everywhere, and in places the trail was overwhelmed by luxuriant, exuberant growth. You could feel that sub-tropical humid lushness.
Our expectation of reaching Cached Lake quickly evaporated. The warmth, our pack weights, our sea-level slug bodies brought the realization we would do well with a campsite at Main Eagle Meadows 4 miles in. Which we did, and a good call it was, as we were able to set up camp, cook and eat dinner, and relax prior to a colorful sunset and darkness.
People? One hiker exiting from Looking Glass Lake.
Day Two, July 26. Cached Lake. Are we there yet?
The next morning brought cooler conditions and fewer insects. We continued North under achingly blue skies thru forest and luxuriant flower meadow to the Eagle Lake Trail, marked by a venerable sign on an equally venerable post.
Turning left, we continued to Cached Lake, where we took advantage of a campsite that included a snowbank. My, it is nice having cold beverages at a lake you have to yourself! We slugged about after getting camp set, our only activity after critiquing all the Lake’s campsites and fish population was locating the departure point of the legendary Trail No. 1935 to Pop Lake and the Minam River. In this regard we did find a small duck or cairn, immediately behind which was an apparent trail tread. “Aha!! “ We thought. However, this trail tread was covered by blow down and couldn’t be found a couple hundred yards further on.
People? None.
To be continued.