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APPEAL TRIBUNE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017
Life in the
Valley y
sanews@salem.gannett.com
PHOTOS BY ZACH URNESS / STATESMAN JOURNAL
Kelsie Lechleiter, Lucy Urness and Steve Lechleiter on Stahlman Point Trail.
High and dry above Detroit Lake
ZACH URNESS
STATESMAN JOURNAL
At some point during a trip to De-
troit Lake, it helps to do something off
the water.
The reservoir east of Salem is so
ideal for boating, fishing and swimming
that it’s easy to transform into a water-
logged pile of sunbaked flesh after a
couple of days.
To counteract that — and shake the
water from your ears — take a hike that
celebrates everything scenic about the
Detroit area.
A hike up Stahlman Point offers
shaded forest, wildlife and striking
views of the lake and Mount Jefferson
from a former lookout site.
The hike starts from the lake’s south
shore and runs 4.5 miles round-trip
with 1,325 feet of climb. It’s a gradual
uphill trek best for motivated older
children and adults in halfway decent
shape.
I climbed Stahlman last week with
my 2-year-old daughter, Lucy, and our
hiking friends, 9-year-old Kelsie Le-
chleiter and her dad, Steve.
Kelsie, who plays soccer, had little
trouble reaching the top.
“It was tough, but the view is so
pretty,” she said. “So, it’s worth it.”
A nice thing about the trail is that it’s
almost completely shaded. The forest is
dense, and there are a few segments of
old-growth after about a mile on the
trail.
We stopped to count the rings on a
downed tree and estimated 80 to 100
years.
Highlights for the kids were found in
the flora and fauna. We saved a banana
slug from death by boot by moving him
off the trail. The girls were thrilled and
grossed out by the slug’s optical tenta-
cles, which could extend and retract.
Closer to the top, we discovered a
collection of sugar pine cones. The
giant cones are the size of a football
and provided another fun moment.
As we made our way uphill, we
caught a few glimpses of Detroit Lake,
but the trail was mostly a green tunnel.
That’s what made the top so cool.
From the forest, we emerged on a
rocky point with panoramic views that
included Mount Jefferson looking us
straight in the face.
Concrete footings from an old look-
out tower still reside here, even though
the tower was removed in 1966. What’s
left is a small, flat area that feels as
though you’re on the tip of a pen. Steep
cliffs drop away on every side, which
was moderately terrifying with 2-year-
old Lucy roaming around. It took a
team effort to ensure she never wan-
dered too close to the edges.
While views of Oregon’s second-
tallest mountain steal the show here,
the sight of Detroit Lake is also excel-
lent. The reservoir looks a bit like a
wide river, curving its way around the
green island of Piety Knob.
The blue view is enough to get you
thinking about how good a swim will
feel once you hike down from the top.
Stahlman Point is a hike that pro-
View of Mount Jefferson from Stahlman Point.
Stahlman Point
In a nutshell: Steep-ish hike to a beautiful
viewpoint above Detroit Lake
Distance: 4.5 miles round-trip
Climb: 1,325 feet
Difficulty: Moderately challenging
Highlights: View of Detroit Lake and Mount
Jefferson; dense and shady forest
Crowds: Not overly packed, but small parking
lot often fills by noon during height of tourist
season (July and August)
Nearby campgrounds: Cove Creek,
Southshore, Hoover, Santiam Flats, Detroit
Lake State Park
What’s with the name? The point was
named for Fred Stahlman, the first U.S. Forest
Service ranger at Detroit.
Directions: From Salem, drive east on
Highway 22 to Detroit. Follow Highway 22
another 3 miles north and turn right on
Blowout Road 10. Follow the winding paved
road 3.7 miles, and turn left at a sign into a
small parking area and trailhead.
Trailhead coordinates: N44 42.416 W122
09.673
vides a rare dry adventure at Detroit
Lake, but ultimately, this area always
draws you back to the water.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors
writer, photographer and videographer
in Oregon for nine years. He is the au-
thor of the book “Hiking Southern Ore-
gon” and can be reached at
zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or
(503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at
@ZachsORoutdoors
Kelsie Lechleiter holds up a sugar pine cone.