The valley was to have late morning fog, but the foothills warmer and fog-free earlier. Logical good hike -> Alpine Trail from the best Willmatte National Forest TH @ Westfir Covered Bridge park. Driving from Hwy 58 to Westfir, frost was everywhere in the hill’s shadow sparkling in headlamps, and on the park lawn too….
Weather in the 60s with blue sky and sun in February. Close-in short hike at Mt Pisgah was the call. Left the North TH about 10:30 and headed to the north and east side of the hill. From the first time atop Pisgah, it was clear that bad air (stagnant) remains in Willamette Valley. Coyote…
After alternating Pisgah and Ridgeline hikes, a farther-out hike in the snow-less foothills (sadly) was the call. I debated between Alpine Tr from Westfir or Hardesty Mt Tr from Lowell area. The weather was about the same – 40-50 and small chance of rain. The 40 min less total drive time to Hardesty won the…
The below freezing temperatures may be over for now in the valley, but the stagnant air remains – at least until a rain scours it out. I left home after breakfast knowing that sunshine would be scarce if any and left the car-full North TH around 10:45. With the air conditions and valley people still…
The weather peeps said Oakridge 33-50 degrees with fog early and some sun; Eugene was 26-45 with same fog and sun combo. Alpine Trail was a good idea, but driving an hour longer for just a tad more solitude? – no, Pisgah was carbon karma rational destination. Started from the West TH (the BIG one)…
Due to the illness floating around our house, I stayed close to home. Dense, thick fog just off the ground filled the valley this morning with temperatures above freezing. Patiently waiting for the fog to lift in early morning (it didn’t), I hit Spring Blvd TH around 11:00. Cold and foggy with the trees dripping…
After head cold forced downtime, crisp frosty weather delayed a short hike until later morning. Around 10:45, I landed at the North Pisgah TH with the sun shining but frost lingering in the shadows. Water streamed out of sources I do not know. Does the hill just absorb water like a sponge and then it…
A cold morning around 30 degrees with possible sunshine after the fog … snow at lower elevations in the foothills, and Ridgeline Trail hiked last week. I decided to head to Mt Pisgah for a solid ramble around the hill. I left North TH around 7:00 with headlamp on and went to Pisgah Summit arriving…
Hiking Ridgeline Trail and Spencer Butte has become a Winter Solstice tradition over the last 3-4 years. This year, however, was the worst weather. Rained for the first 2 hours and then just foggy and misty with just very little sunlight reaching through clouds at times. Gortex top-to-bottom and an umbrella … Once the rain…
As with several recent hikes, I make a plan the night before with great ambition and motivation, but had a contingency or two in back pocket to manage OR weather. I wake up and review the weather and combine everything into a simple balance: how much carbon will burn (gallons of gas) and what is…
