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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 8, 2016)
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 23 A new twist on Whychus Creek Trail Correspondent Three weeks ago, the Forest Service opened a new handicapped-accessible trail to a scenic overlook above Whychus Creek south of town. It’s a very easy loop trail of about a mile. In the process, however, another trail — in Whychus Draw — was also opened. Although it is less than half a mile in length, it opens up the area to an en- tirely new hiking opportunity. The trail in Whychus Draw takes off from a spot adjacent to the new overlook. In all the years I’ve been wandering Whychus Creek, I had never actually been up or down the “draw.” Since the “new” Whychus Creek Trail opened four years ago, I’ve traversed it dozens of times since it’s the perfect place to go for a close-by, im- promptu outing in the woods. Both the Whychus Creek and Whychus Draw trails are des- ignated for foot traffic only: no horses or bikes. The last time I took the Whychus Creek Trail was just a few days before the formal opening of the new overlook, and the signpost marking the trail junction that heads up the draw was already in place. Knowing that it was not “of- ficially” open, I resisted the temptation to explore on that day. So, last week, my son and I decided to have an “official” look at the new trail. After stopping to enjoy the view at the new overlook, we headed down into the canyon on the new trail. Almost immediate- ly, the trail enters landscape burned by the Rooster Rock Fire in August of 2010. More than 6,000 acres were burned here. This route offers a shortcut down to the most upstream mile of the Whychus Creek Trail. With this new access, the hike to the junction with the Metolius-Windigo Trail can be shortened to a round trip of about four miles. It also provides new opportunities for different one-way car-drop possibilities. The trail down Whychus Draw joins the main trail at ground zero for the Rooster Rock Fire near the creek. The trail junction here is at a sharp bend in the main Whychus Creek Trail where it switchbacks for a long hill- side traverse above the creek. This was one of the new por- tions of the trail that was laid out by the Forest Service and largely completed by Boy Scouts in the late winter and early spring of 2012. All along this section lies a wild, tumbling creek deserv- ing of the “Wild and Scenic” designation. Although outside the official boundary of the Three Sisters Wilderness, this stretch offers all the beauty and grandeur of wilderness; but, it’s still close to town and — for the most part — is pret- ty close to being an all-season trail. Portions of this trail seg- ment were intentionally left somewhat rough to limit ac- cess to foot traffic only, with a goal of minimizing human impact to the area. On one trip through this section, I en- countered four bicyclists who had ignored the warning signs prohibiting cycling on this trail. The cyclists found them- selves rather boxed in and wanted to know how to get out. After I explained the to- pography to them, they were forced to carry their bikes up Whychus Draw. Although it is only about a mile to the road at that point, there was no es- tablished trail then, and it was pretty rough going. Whychus Creek is largely the product of seasonal snow and ice melt, so the flow var- ies wildly from time to time; and that aspect of the stream is quite apparent on this segment of the trail. Of particular note on this hike are the streamside rocks, beautifully sculpted by the rock- and silt-laden high- water flows that occur with regularity Multiple falls and rapids roar through narrowly carved cuts in the rock, or pass be- neath log and debris jams that bear witness to the force and volume of dramatic seasonal stream flows. Wildflowers are not abun- dant but are still in evidence all along the trail. The last stretch of trail terminates at a junction with Metolius- Windigo horse trail and is also the location of two dispersed camping sites that can be reached by a quarter-mile trail from the end of Road 880. This access point also cre- ates the possibility of a car drop for a shuttle return, to either the Whychus Overlook Trailhead or the Whychus Creek Trailhead. Road 880 can then be used to reduce the hikes to two- and three-mile one-way options, respectively. Before returning toward the overlook, we wandered down the Metolius-Windigo Trail to where the horse ford crosses the creek, as the trail contin- ues on its way north. This hike offers dozens of great stopping places along the stream for lunch or sim- ple contemplative moments. There are perches where long stretches of the creek can be seen tumbling down from the mountains. From a few spots, the mountains themselves are visible; and there are many, photo by craiG f. eisenbeis rocks along Whychus Creek are scalloped and sculpted by centuries of wear from silt-laden glacial waters. many views of falls, rapids, and pools. The return hike was a dif- ferent view of the same coun- try, but there are new sights every step of the way. Two surprises awaited us after we returned to the Whychus Draw junction — one good, one not-so-good. The not-so-good surprise was that the first part of trail up the draw was a lot steeper than I remembered on the way down! The nice surprise, how- ever, was an unexpected peek at an unexpected peak. While approaching the overlook through a relatively barren section of the burn, we could see the summit of Mt. Hood! Our first reaction was, “What the heck is that?” But there it was on the skyline, partially visible at the notch between the northern shoulder of Black Butte and Green Ridge. To reach the Whychus Creek Trailhead, turn south off Highway 20 (Cascade Avenue) onto Elm Street, which becomes Three Creek Road (also Forest Road 16) and continue south for about 4.2 miles to a small gravel parking lot on the right. The Whychus Overlook Trailhead is about 5.4 miles down the same road. Quality Truck-mounted CARPET CLEANING Quality Cleaning 16 years in Reasonable Prices Sisters! — Credit Cards Accepted — ENVIROTECH 541-771-5048 Licensed • Bonded • Insured • CCB#181062 RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL WEEDS OUT OF CONTROL? Line Trimmer Grab Go and By Craig F. eisenbeis Knit Kit! Beginner-level scarf or sock pattern, includes needles and yarn, all in a handy “grab-and-go” knit kit. Brush Mower Weed Sprayer RENT IT, CONTROL IT! Great for travelers and kids, too! 506 N. Pine St. 541-549-9631 Sales • Service Rentals • Accessories www.sistersrental.com 541.549.6061 | 311 W. Cascade Ave.
