Oregon Hikers

Hey all! I'm looking to take the kids on a few day weekender trip around some of the lakes in Olllalie Lake Scenic Area next weekend. Heading out from the Lower Lake CG trailhead. May hit Fish Lake and/or some of the other lakes via Lodgepole Trail. Anyone been out that way lately and have an idea of the bug and people population? I haven't been up there in a few years. We've been hitting Indian Heaven mostly for the last couple of years. I used to do Bull of the Woods and around there a ton years and years ago. I'm thinking I need to get the kids familiar with the old stomping grounds.

Perhaps you were already out there, but I was up at Olallie Lake with three kids (5, 8, and 11) myself this past Friday-Saturday and thought you might be interested in a quick report. The last eight-ish miles of road were pretty rough in spots, but doable for ordinary cars if going slow. We began where the Red Lake Trail (No. 719) intersects the road along the western shore of Olallie Lake and hiked to a marvelous campsite between a small pond and Cigar Lake, just off the PCT. It was Friday afternoon and we didn't see any other hikers on our way in, or at Cigar Lake. There was a group camped at Upper Lake, which we visited after dinner. We also saw a few PCT thru hikers and enjoyed hearing about their travels. The next morning, we returned to Olallie Lake on the PCT via Head Lake, taking in gorgeous views of Mt. Jefferson. Huckleberries were abundant, especially along the trail between Top Lake and Cigar Lake. Temperatures were in the high 50s/low 60s during the day but dipped to at least 40 (if not slightly below) during the night. Thankfully, we didn't see a single mosquito! It's a great area to explore with young kids.