Olallie Lake (4th hike of 33)

A actually wanted to go with me, so my plan to go up something became a plan to go around something. We drove up miles of gravel roads to a beautiful mountain lake. Along the way we passed a dozen or so people taking advantage of the opportunity to haul their own firewood out of the forest. A few chainsaws buzzed as the the 1pm shutoff deadline neared. When the long gravel roads finally dumped us off in the crest trail parking lot, we parked and rushed across the road for our first look at the lake. The deep blue of Olallie Lake in front of Mt. Jefferson towering in a cloudless blue sky made me let out a sigh of joy. Pictures cannot justly capture the excitement of catching that first glimpse warm sun shining on a beautiful clear lake in the foreground of a shining snow-capped mountain standing tall in a blue sky.

The trail was harder to find than it seemed it would be. It meandered through a campground sometimes fading between campsites. After twenty minutes or so, we finally cleared the tents and followed a trail right along the edge of the lake. A identified huckleberries growing along the side of the trail, mostly well picked over, but enough still on the bushes to pick snacks along the way. We determined to pick some on the way back in order to sweeten our pancake mix.

About a mile in we entered the remnants of a forest fire. I imagined we had entered a science fiction story set in an apocalyptic future. A few steps and it was a whole new world. Tin-like towers glistened where trees once stood. The sun shone brighter, and yet a chill ran up my spine. Tall skeletons littered the southern shore freeing up the view of Mt. Jefferson. A was surprised at how slowly the forest was returning. There were a few wildflowers and a occasional tree no higher than my hip. But nearly 10 years after the fire, new growth was not rushing in to replenish the landscape. Maybe we just didn't grasp time the way nature does.

We had originally sought to take an even longer hike with a detour around Monon Lake south of Olallie, but could not identify the trail offshoot once we reached the southern end. Perhaps we were still too much in awe of the bleached steely spikes rising above us to look for the fork. Having reached the furthest point on the lake, we started searching for a shady spot outside the burn area for our picnic lunch. At this point, A voted for the shortest route to return to the car. His dog even conked out for a nap while we took in the view a little longer. After relaxing for a bit we located a great clump of huckleberry bushes on the edge of the southern campground and pilfered their sweet plump berries.

Along the way back A threatened to hitch a ride back to the car. He insisted we follow the main gravel road since it would be faster than retracing our steps on the narrow trail. The lake was more frequently hidden behind the trees and the angle of the sunlight over the mountains left us mostly in the shade. I secretly wished we had gone back the way we had come. By the time we reached the car I was ready to jump in the smaller lake near it to cool off. However my toes tested the water and convinced me that I didn't really want to take that plunge.

The huckleberries made some of the best pancakes I've had in a long time.

Distance: 4 miles

I found this hike in William L. Sullivan's 100 hikes in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington.