Oregon Hikers

The Placid Lake Loop was stunning with fall colors in the numerous meadows along this route.

The abandoned section from Chenamus Lake to the Cascade Crest Trail was relatively easy to follow. We lost the trail briefly at a meadow and by downed trees but it wasn't hard to find again. There is quite a bit of flagging where the abandoned Chenamus Lake trail parallels Rush Creek. We veered from the field guide route a bit, taking the Cascade Crest Trail between Bear and Elk Lakes to meet PCT north of Deer Lake.


The field guide mentions the book "Indian Heaven Back Country by Mel Hansen". I found it on Open Library and enjoyed reading it before our hike.

Looks pretty stunning up there right now. Thanks for posting!

Yes, it was a grand weekend to have been out to enjoy the colorful huckleberry leaves. I was on the Thomas Lake trail with a thousand of my closest strangers on Saturday. The closest we could get to the trailhead was about 6 car lengths outside the permit boundary. Saw two groups of boy scouts: 17 and 24 in number and two groups of 12 with lots of 2, 4 and 6-person groups - all heading for Blue Lake (half dayhikers and half backpackers). That must have been quite the battle for campsites.


I've walked the old Chenemus Lake trail about ten times over the years and i cannot recall seeing a CCT post that hadn't been sawed off to the ground. I do recall seeing some in-tact makers on the trail leaving Grand Meadows toward Rock Lake. I stopped hiking that route when the blow down became too cumbersome. The last time, we all had scrapes on the legs from those pesky branches. It's a shame they didn't maintain that trail because the grade was so pleasant.

BigBear wrote: ↑

September 27th, 2021, 8:19 am

Saw two groups of boy scouts: 17 and 24 in number

Group size is supposed to be 12 or less so I really hate it when the Boy Scouts set such a bad example like this. They're creating future "the rules don't apply to me" hikers.

justpeachy wrote: ↑

September 28th, 2021, 7:56 am

BigBear wrote: ↑

September 27th, 2021, 8:19 am

Saw two groups of boy scouts: 17 and 24 in number

Group size is supposed to be 12 or less so I really hate it when the Boy Scouts set such a bad example like this. They're creating future "the rules don't apply to me" hikers.

When I passed by early Saturday I didn't even think about group size. But I did notice that one of the groups was congregated on the lakeshore just behind a prominent "Area closed for restoration" sign.