“I don’t think he’s going to have a lot of fun
over the next 31 games... but it could be
worse. He could be going to the Clippers. ”
Bill Fitch on interim Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale
The views and
varied terrain of the
2,062-foot-high
Spencer Butte
attract leisure
hikers and avid
runners alike.
Hikers can see the
Willamette Valley,
Fern Ridge
Reservoir, the
Three Sisters and
the city from atop
the Butte.
**-v **"'
...
■ Outdoor recreation
view
from the
Nicolf. Barker | Photographer
butte
Spencer Butte boasts two trails
of varying difficulty that lead to
a panoramic view of the valley
BY ASHLEY GRIFFIN
OUTDOOR RECREATION REPORTER
Eugene seems to have as many buttes as it
does coffee shops, and like espresso drinks,
everyone has his or her favorite.
Spencer Butte, located five miles south of
downtown Eugene, provides a steep 1.5 to
2-mile hike just minutes from the city’s edge.
The park at the base of the butte has a ropes
course, picnic tables and a fire pit, but it is
the hike to the butte’s peak that draws the
most visitors.
Spencer Butte loop is part of the South Hills
Ridgeline Trail in a forested area filled with Dou
glas Fir and Sword Fern. In choose-your-own
adventure fashion, the hike starts just outside
the small parking lot with two trail options.
The main trail is a straight shot from the
parking lot and is slightly longer than the
trail that veers to the left. This one-mile trail
begins as a broad dirt path through a mead
ow and eventually becomes a rocky climb
toward the butte’s peak.
For those who prefer a looped or steeper
route, the left-veering trail is the best option.
This trail begins as a rough path that continues
for .4 miles and leaves hikers to blaze their own
paths over the summit’s bare rock. To finish this
loop, hikers descend on the far side of the
summit and hike down through the forest until
they reach the parking lot.
On either route, hikers will be rewarded with
a sweeping panoramic view of the city and
beyond. Hikers can stand or sit on top of the
2,062-foot high butte and see Willamette Valley,
Fern Ridge Reservoir and the Three Sisters in a
matter of minutes.
The view is particularly beautiful during
morning and evening hours. Many hikers climb
to the summit to watch sunrises or sunsets on a
clear day. The park is open until 11 p.m.
“I think seeing the sunset was the most
magnificent part of it all and then seeing the
moon come up ... it was very surreal with
the view of the mountains,” said freshman
Patricia Miesch, who hiked the butte at night
for her first time in February.
Josh Keller, a grad student who joined Miesch
on the Outdoor Program sponsored hike, had
similar sentiments.
“As the sun sets, the lights in the city appear,
and with darkness the whole city is lit up,” he
said. “To the east, toward the Cascades, it is all
black. The moon rising was orangish-yellow
and huge. The Butte was bright like the day, we
could almost see our shadows. ”
He added that walking back in the dark
forced him to rely on the feel of the trail and the
sounds of the forest as his guide.
“It’s a very typical lush Oregon forest. It can
get pretty wet,” said junior Emily Monfort, who
works for the Outdoor Program. “I think it’s just
gorgeous. There’s a meadow with wildflowers
in the spring. ”
Keller, who has hiked the butte at least 10
times, agreed.
“Moving between ancient forest and second
and third growth sections provides a clear exam
ple of the diversity and beauty of an old growth
forest,” he said. “Breaks in the canopy offer nice
views of the city. Lush ferns are everywhere. ”
The trail can also be used for more than
simple outdoor enjoyment.
Monfort used the steeper trail to train for a
backpacking trip she took in Canada. Strapped
into her backpack, she physically prepared her
self for the trip by doing laps that broke in her
new hiking boots in the process.
The Club women’s soccer team ran the
trail in the fall for weekend training. Many
local runners use the butte as a hill workout
to add variety to their training.
The butte is a well-known location to
local runners as part of the annual Butte to
Butte run. The 10K run and 4.5 mile
Mayor’s Walk are Fourth of July traditions.
This year will be the 32nd occurrence of the
event, which begins on Donald Street.
Last year’s youngest participant was
4 months old and in a stroller; the oldest was 79.
“With both a competitive run and a fitness
walk, there is something for every ability
level,” said Tom Jordan, the co-race director.
“Entire families often take part, some in the
run and some in the walk. And the run
course is challenging, with a steep uphill at
the start.”
ashleygriffin@ daily emerald, com
IN BRIEF
Ducks look to break series tie
with Portland State Vikings
The 21 st-ranked Oregon softball team
plays Portland State today at 3 p.m. at
Howe Field.
The two teams split a doubleheader
Feb. 20 at Howe Field after games at the
UC Riverside Invitational were canceled
because of bad weather.
In the first game, freshman Alicia Cook
started for her first time at home by tying the
third-best single-game strikeout performance
in Oregon history with 12. The Ducks won the
game, 2-1, as Cook allowed only three hits and
no walks.
The Vikings struck back in the second
game with home runs by Kayla Lewis and
Alayna Petersen to beat the Ducks, 6-5.
Lately, Beth Boskovich has been leading
the Duck offense. The junior first baseman
went 5 for 8 with a home run, two doubles
and four RBIs at the UNLV Rebel Classic last
weekend. The Camarillo, Calif., native is hit
ting .333 on the season and is tied as the
team leader in RBIs with 10.
On the other side, Kimi Daniel has been a
solid contributor for Portland State. She is hit
ting .333 with a home run and six RBIs in 12
games this season.
Providing power batting for the Vikings is
Lewis. Though she is only hitting .194, four of
her five hits this season have been home runs,
and she also has six RBIs.
Leading the Vikings on the mound is
Michelle Hext. Despite a losing record (1-2),
she has a 1.59 ERA and 24 strikeouts in
22 innings.
— Clayton Jones
■ Club Sports
Disputed
call costs
volleyball
tourney title
An ace secured victory for Boise
State after a call gave the team a
one-point lead and possession
BY LUKE ANDREWS
DAILY EMERALD FREELANCE REPORTER
The Oregon Club men’s volleyball team
advanced to the championship game of its
home tournament this weekend, but after a
controversial call, lost the final game to the
Boise State Broncos.
The Ducks hosted, in addition to Boise State,
Humboldt State, Simon Fraser, Western Wash
ington and Step-Up, an adult club team from
the Eugene area.
After defeating Simon Fraser, Boise State and
Step-Up, Oregon marched into the champi
onship game Saturday to meet Boise State for
the second time.
This time, the Broncos answered the challenge.
Boise State took advantage of two momen
tum-swinging runs and the Ducks’ inability to
overcome their errors to cruise to a 25-18
victory in game one.
It was more of the same in the second game
for the Ducks as they handed the Broncos eight
points on service errors.
However, Oregon kept battling. Boise State
needed two points to win the game and take
the tournament championship, but the Ducks
came back from six down to tie the game at 24.
However, the next play resulted in a
questionable call that gave Boise State both
possession and the lead.
Tied at 24, Oregon’s Judson Mead attempted
to tip the ball over the net, but a whistle was
blown as a Boise State player blocked the ball
back onto Oregon’s side. The referee ruled that
Mead reached over the net to hit the ball, and
because the ball bounced on Oregon’s side after
the block, Boise State was awarded a point to
make the score 25-24.
“The call was wrong,” Mead said. “It was
mishandled, and I was very upset. When a
game is that close and at the very end, the
referees should not influence the outcome as
much as they did.”
Boise State got an ace on the next serve to
pick up the 26-24 victory and the tournament
championship.
The Ducks, who travel next to Las Vegas,
recently switched to jump serving, and while
the adjustment paid off for the team in the earli
er games, it proved costly in the championship.
“We kind of expected the service errors. We
just wanted to focus on things that would help
us in the long run,” said Derek Olson, one of
three returning players. “But I know we could
have beaten (Boise State) regardless.”
Earlier in the tournament, the Ducks devas
tated Simon Fraser — last year’s tournament
winner — winning two of the three games.
Oregon’s jump serving provided a useful tool
as the team racked up the service aces in a
dominating 25-13 win in game one. Oregon
took control again in the second game, winning
25-17 to get the victory over the Clan. Simon
Fraser eventually defeated the Ducks in the
meaningless third game, 25-23.
“(Simon Fraser was) not able to stop our
attack, and we pretty much controlled the game
from the beginning,” Olson said.
After the victory, Oregon faced Boise State
for the first of their two meetings of the day.
The Ducks were sluggish in the first game,
VOLLEYBALL, page 6