Avoiding Cascade fires from Mary’s Peak

ByMichael Goatbells

Wednesday’s hike at Willamette Pass and Maiden Peak gave first hand / eyeball experience of what the fires were doing. Thursday’s weather was worse; stagnant air, more smoke and additional fires created dangerous conditions to be outside & active. I held a day hike permit for Obsidian TH to PCT in 3 Sisters, but need an alternative.

From the morning’s weather report, Mary’s Peak would be the only decent nearby hike without bad air – a non-health threatening hike. I decided to go, but with some trepidation as Mary’s Peak has proven a sterile environment … (that opinion would change).

The Route

The day was a ‘cover the hill’ going up / down from all 3 trailheads – mountain dancing. From East Ridge TH (Conners’ Camp) just about dusk – headlamp for 10 minutes to the Summit Trail to Mary’s Top, then down to the campground and back to top; then down to North Ridge TH (almost) and back to the top; down Summit Trail to Tie and took Tie to North Ridge and then back to car.

Sunrise

The decision to avoid the bad air in the Cascades was proven correct as soon as I had a sunrise view.

Looking east, looking west

One of the best parts of Mary’s Peak is its view to the east(cascade) and west (coastal mountains and Pacific). The contrast between the two today was remarkable: east = smoke; west = fog.

Forest floor

Mary’s Peak forest has always seemed sterile to me – an artifact of the way it was replanted after being farmed imho. This trip, however, was different. Birds were singing; one birder guy found a pygmy owl; deer tracks were plentiful in the summit meadows; and another regular hiker also stated that life is coming back! … Mary’s Peak animals are waking up, and the forest floor is magical.

Really?

Around 5:30 while still very dark, driving up the Mary’s Peak road, I saw all these lights across the valley (not that far) – looked like a deep sea mining set up, but just loggers working in the dark? I thought weird, until I saw what it looked like on way home. – they flatten hills to do this.

Data Geek Cellar

  • Shoes: Altra Lone Peak 7 mesh uppers
  • Pack: Gossamer Gear Fast Kumo. 36
  • Upper Layers: 1 (Far Pointe Sun Hoodie)
  • Upper shell: none
  • Trekking Poles: Gossamer Gear
  • Approximate Times: 06:15 – 1:30
  • Carbon ratio: 6.25 hours (1.5 hours driving: 7.75 hours hiking); YTD = 144 hours banked
  • Notes:
    • Photos: few
    • Speed: fast
    • Difficulty: moderate with 3x up Mary’s Peak

3 Comments

  1. Not sure about usfs and timber “targets,” but the BLMs have been increased to a frenzy. Nice
    Photos of the sunrise:-)

    1. I’ve noticed several areas recently cut that are ‘road visible’ like this one; earlier days road corridors were left unfarmed – on different note, I saw a sign outside lumber mill: “97% of forest fires are on managed land”

      … managed 2 by 4 with roots and needles is a forest?

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