After car tenting at Pine Rest Campground (Camp Sherman) the night before, around sunrise I topped the Santiam Pass and headed for the Upper Mckenzie River Trailhead just downriver from Fish Lake. I hiked this section of the trail earlier in season, and a late season repeat through magnificent old forests and Clear Lake sounded incredibly peaceful. But, at the TH, a sign was posted with trail closure (fire related?) without much reason. I headed down the road <2 miles to Clear Lake Resort and no closures (yet).
While this section of the River Trail does have highway sounds bleeding through, I find it worth the walk due to both water and forests … just look at the photos.
The upper river trail was closed downriver from FS Road 770, but the upper TH was closed.
The Route
I started at Clear Lake Day Use then proceeded south along the lake to the Mckenzie River trail junction – then north on that trail along the other side of the lake for sunrise photos. About mid-lake, I turned around and went down river until the closure, then reversed and went on River Trial to the Upper TH. Finally, from the TH using the Clear Lake Tr back to the resort for a hot coffee. About 9 miles of absolute solitude – no humans on trail, ducks on the water, osprey in the tree and 2 fisher guys on the water (until back to the car).
Lake and river
At the end of the lake a solitary tree stands with a sign warning boaters of the river flowing out of this end of the lake.
The best fisher?
Earlier in morning, an osprey call was barely audible. Later from across the lake, one of the best fishing skills sat ready, watching …
Clear Lake
Sometimes when humans name natural wonders the name works, sometimes they don’t. Clear Lake’s name works, imho.
There’s even a lava flow
[…] McKenzie River Trail – nothing strenuous, just beautiful old forests along the river (Middle, Lower, Clearlake) […]