Peavy Arboretum - Loop 36/Powder House (hike 5 of the 33)
I woke up to a dreary day off work with grey sky as far as I could see. No clouds outline, just a smooth infinite grey. The urge to stay curled up in bed was strong, but the desire to take advantage of a day off finally took over. My plan was to head southwest where I hoped the skies were clearer.
Nearly there, the clouds appeared to clear in the west but still strangled the sky above me. I pulled into the parking lot and the clouds showed the promise of parting.
After checking out the signboards at the trailhead, I turned back to look at my old car. It sat there turquoise and beaten and I hoped it would still have the wherewithal to carry me home at the end of my hike.
The map I picked up at the signboard looked confusing and I wasn't too sure about the intersecting trails. The first bit was up a wide gravel forest road. My first wrong turn came about as soon as one could be taken. A good twenty yards up suspecting a mistake I turned back and continued up the first road. At a small cabin I found the beginning of the footpath.
Most of the first 3 miles continued slowly, steadily uphill. The sun burned through the clouds but the forest provided a shady cover. I stopped for a packed lunch on a bench. It was difficult to determine how far I had traveled in relation to the map. Much further than I had anticipated, the path dove downward and I broke into a trot, my backpack thumping on my back. Mostly I hoped that I was not lost and that the hike would not be too much longer than I had expected. It seemed doubtful that the trail was as short as my book claimed. A few crossings of the forest road on the back side of the hill and a clearing appeared.
The foundations of an old powder house sat near the beginning of the clearing. However, after so much time under the heavy boughs of the forest I was eager to jump back out into the sunshine and capture the view with my camera. A few sparse trees stretched upward fencing off the farmland in the valley below and the distant peaks of the Coast Range. When I had my fill of warming rays, I headed further on the trail and back into the woods. The trail weaved down more steeply into a lush gully and I imagined how vibrant and varied the colors would be in autumn.
Only when I reached Lake Cronemiller did I feel certain that the hike was nearly over. Fifteen minutes later I had passed the locked cabin and shuffled down the forest road to my waiting car. Despite leaving it unlocked it was still there to carry me home. The route home ,though less than thirty miles, saw the reemergence of the clouds. A grey blanket greeted me in town hiding all evidence of the blue skies that shone all afternoon over the McDonald-Dunn forest.
Distance: 4.98 (from the parking area)
After checking out the signboards at the trailhead, I turned back to look at my old car. It sat there turquoise and beaten and I hoped it would still have the wherewithal to carry me home at the end of my hike.The map I picked up at the signboard looked confusing and I wasn't too sure about the intersecting trails. The first bit was up a wide gravel forest road. My first wrong turn came about as soon as one could be taken. A good twenty yards up suspecting a mistake I turned back and continued up the first road. At a small cabin I found the beginning of the footpath.
Most of the first 3 miles continued slowly, steadily uphill. The sun burned through the clouds but the forest provided a shady cover. I stopped for a packed lunch on a bench. It was difficult to determine how far I had traveled in relation to the map. Much further than I had anticipated, the path dove downward and I broke into a trot, my backpack thumping on my back. Mostly I hoped that I was not lost and that the hike would not be too much longer than I had expected. It seemed doubtful that the trail was as short as my book claimed. A few crossings of the forest road on the back side of the hill and a clearing appeared.
The foundations of an old powder house sat near the beginning of the clearing. However, after so much time under the heavy boughs of the forest I was eager to jump back out into the sunshine and capture the view with my camera. A few sparse trees stretched upward fencing off the farmland in the valley below and the distant peaks of the Coast Range. When I had my fill of warming rays, I headed further on the trail and back into the woods. The trail weaved down more steeply into a lush gully and I imagined how vibrant and varied the colors would be in autumn.Only when I reached Lake Cronemiller did I feel certain that the hike was nearly over. Fifteen minutes later I had passed the locked cabin and shuffled down the forest road to my waiting car. Despite leaving it unlocked it was still there to carry me home. The route home ,though less than thirty miles, saw the reemergence of the clouds. A grey blanket greeted me in town hiding all evidence of the blue skies that shone all afternoon over the McDonald-Dunn forest.
Distance: 4.98 (from the parking area)I found this hike in William L. Sullivan's 100 Hikes/Travel Guide Oregon Coast & Coast Range.
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