Tag: Salt Creek

Head of Jack Creek (10/4/2025) & McCredie Hot Springs (10/5/2025)

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date October 6, 2025
No Comments on Head of Jack Creek (10/4/2025) & McCredie Hot Springs (10/5/2025)

Hiking took a backseat this past weekend as we headed to Bend for a joint birthday celebration for our son and Heather’s father. Both have October birthdays with a 50-year gap in between, and this year was 30 & 80 respectively. Despite those ages not seeming possible (or believable) celebrate we did.

On our way from Salem over to Bend we made a stop at Jack Creek Campground for a short leg stretching hike to the Head of Jack Creek.

From the end of the campground a wide, nearly level, 0.4-mile trail parallels Jack Creek leading to several springs.

Chipmunk

Jack Creek stays within earshot of the trail but glimpses of it are rare until near the springs.

The trail passes along the eastern end of the 2003 B & B Fire scar.

Larch tree starting to don its fall color.

Near the three-quarter mile mark we passed a bench at a junction with a spur arriving from the right. There is another possible trailhead, but there is little information on its exact location or on the condition of the access road.

Sign for the Head of Jack Creek at the end of the trail.

Head of Jack Creek

After seeing the springs we returned the way we’d come and finished our drive to Bend. We spent just over an hour on the 2.6-mile hike so there was plenty of day left to visit and celebrate with Heather’s family.

Heather had picked our son up in Eugene on Friday and we’d celebrated his birthday with my parents that night. Since we needed to drop him off back in Eugene before we headed back to Salem we took Highway 58 over Willamette Pass. I had been looking for a similar leg stretcher along this drive and decided to finally check out McCredie Hot Springs and make it a theme weekend. There is a day use area along Highway 58 just over 8-miles east of Oakridge with very short path leading to pools on the north bank of Salt Creek. A longer trail beginning at a pullout along gravel forest road 5875 leads to some pools on the south bank of the creek. This “longer” trail is just 0.4-miles making it another short hike.

Sign above the pullout.

One of two access points to the trail from the pullout.

The trail had a couple of downed trees along with some roots and rocks along with a little under 100′ of elevation change.

Salt Creek

These mushrooms were a color that we couldn’t recall seeing before.

McCredie Hot Springs. Please be aware that nudity is allowed at most hot springs in Oregon and McCredie is no exception. There were a couple of people in the hot springs on the north bank so there are no pictures of that side.

This was the largest pool. We wouldn’t call it hot but it was nice and warm.

This smaller pool was a little warmer.

Reflection in the hot springs.

After inspecting the pools we returned to the car and drove on to Eugene and then headed home. This stop was under a mile with around 75′ of cumulative elevation gain.

Both of these stops were nice breaks on the drives over the passes. It was fun to have them both involve springs but have them be such different types. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Head of Jack Creek & McCredie Hot Springs

Tags Head of Jack Creek, hiking, Jack Creek Campground, McCredie Hot Springs, Oregon, Salt Creek

Hiking

Marilyn Lakes and Betty Lake Trails – 10/19/2024

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date October 21, 2024
2 Comments on Marilyn Lakes and Betty Lake Trails – 10/19/2024

Snow returned to Cascades earlier in the week with the white stuff falling at elevations down to 4000′. While it didn’t stick around on the roads, we suspected enough snow fell for there to be some on the forest floor at lower elevations heading into the weekend. We tested our hypothesis by driving Highway 58 to Forest Road 5897 (Waldo Lake Road) for a pair 5+ mile hikes.

Our first stop was for the Marilyn Lakes Trail. There are several potential starting points for the hike to these two lakes. Hike Oregon recommends starting at the Gold Lake Sno Park for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in the Winter. Sullivan recommends starting at the Gold Lake Campground for the hike. (Gold Lake Road, aka FR 500, to the campground would be inaccessible due to snow in Winter.) We however chose to begin off of FR 5897 at a small pullout on the right just under 2-miles from Highway 58 where a pair of small signs marked a ski trail.
The pointer is for Gold Lake & Highway 58.

The pullout along FR 5897.

We set off on this trail and quickly came to the junction with the Gold Lake Trail where we turned right.
We were pleased to find that there was more snow left than we’d expected.

Coming up on the Gold Lake Trail.

Trail signs at this well marked junction.

The Gold Lake Trail lost a little elevation as it descended for 0.2-miles to a parking area at the end of FR 500.
Campsites on the right at the Gold Lake Campground.

Looking back up the Gold Lake Trail.

We walked up FR 500 and crossed Salt Creek.

Downstream several miles Salt Creek flows over Salt Creek Falls (post).

On the far side of Salt Creek was the day use area (and start of the Marilyn Lakes Trail) to the right and the Gold Lake Shelter on the left.

Signs ahead for the Marilyn Lakes Trail.

The trail was a bit overgrown in spots but being a ski trail there were plenty of blue diamonds to help keep us on the right path.

After 0.4-miles we came to a junction where we turned right following a pointer for Marilyn Lakes.

The left-hand fork led up to FR 500. We took this fork on our way back.

Heading toward the lakes.

We came to a second junction in just 400′.
The right-hand fork is the start of the Lower Marilyn Lakes Trail.

We went right again and in another 400′ got our first glimpses of Lower Marilyn Lake.

The trail followed the lake for a third of a mile providing a couple of nice views.

Lower Marilyn Lake

The trail veered away from Lower Marilyn Lake and passed the SW end of Upper Marilyn Lake in an overgrown meadow. It was clear that the area between the lakes would be extremely wet/boggy in late Spring/early Summer. Mosquitos are a real problem that time of year throughout the Waldo Lake area making it a less-than-ideal time for a visit.
A lot of downed trees had been logged out.

We lost the trail briefly in this area and simply headed for the diamond in the distance.

Upper Marilyn Lake

Beyond the upper lake the trail gained 200′ of elevation to reach a small parking area off FR 500.

Canada jay

The cold air and moisture started fogging up my camera lens.

The trail got very overgrown just before reaching the road. We were pretty damp after passing through this mass of huckleberries.

We turned left onto FR 500 and followed it just over three quarters of a mile to a short spur on the left that led to another signed parking area.

We picked the trail back up here and followed it downhill a quarter of a mile to Upper Marilyn Lake.

Not sure what is going on with this mushroom.

A bald eagle was circling over the lake hoping to catch a fish for breakfast.

We watched the eagle for quite a while. It swooped twice but came up empty both times.

I had about as much success getting a picture of the eagle in flight as it had fishing.

After watching the eagle for quite a while we continued on the trail which followed the lakeshore.

Common mergansers

Diamond Peak (post)

Diamond Peak and Mt. Yoran with a few of the mergansers flying overhead.

The best views of Diamond Peak were found near the northern end of the upper lake.

The eagle was now watching us.

A tenth of a mile beyond the lake we found ourselves back at the second junction we’d come to. We turned right and made our way back to the first junction.

We went straight here this time and followed this trail 0.4-miles to FR 500.

We turned left again on FR 500 and followed it a third of a mile to the Gold Lake Campground.

After crossing over Salt Creek we detoured to the right to visit Gold Lake before returning to the car. This was a 5.4-mile hike with approximately 300′ of elevation gain.
Gold Lake

We got in the car and drove another 3.5-miles up FR 5897 to the large Betty Lake Trailhead on the left.
More fogging on the lens.

The Betty Lake Trail began with a slight downhill to cross a dry creek bed then climbed briefly to a wide saddle before dropping to Betty Lake.
The dry creek bed ahead.

At an unmarked but obvious fork we veered left to visit the lake shore.

Bear tracks. We weren’t the only visitors to the shoreline.

We followed this use trail along the lake for a while before heading uphill to rejoin the official trail.
Mount Ray

The trail made another brief climb through the forest before beginning a gradual descent past a series of smaller lakes before arriving at a junction with the Jim Weaver Loop.

Howkum Lake on our left was the first lake we passed by.

Reflection in Howkum Lake.

Nearing the second lake on the left, Horsefly Lake.

Horsefly Lake

The third lake, Tiny Lake, was just off the trail to the right.

Tiny Lake

The junction with the Jim Weaver Loop was next to a small unnamed lake.

We turned left onto the Jim Weaver Loop passing the unnamed lake and following the trail four tenths of a mile to another junction near the shore of Waldo Lake.

A different bear had been wandering around this area.

We could tell it was a different bear because the prints were noticeably larger. (11 1/2 shoe size for reference.)

Signs at the junction.

We had passed this junction in 2015 during a lollipop loop into the Waldo Lake Wilderness. We started that hike from the Shadow Bay Day Use Area and used the Shadow Bay Shoreline Trail to reach the Jim Weaver Trail. There wasn’t a clear view of Waldo Lake from the junction, so we headed left on the Jim Weaver Loop to find a spot where we could access the rocky shore.
View from the junction.

I dropped down to the shore on the other side of this footbridge.

The longer hump to the right in the distance is Waldo Mountain (post). The west side of the lake and the wilderness were heavily burned in the 2022 Cedar Creek Fire.

Fuji Mountain (post) is just barely visible over the left shoulder of hump in the foreground.

After getting an unobstructed view we headed back. It was a pretty uneventful return. We dropped down to Betty Lake to hike the use trail along the shoreline instead of staying up in the forest.
Tree reflecting in snowmelt.

Betty Lake had some nice coloration.

Mount Ray from Betty Lake again.

There were about a half dozen cars at the trailhead when we got back, but we hadn’t passed anyone on the trails during either of our hikes. There had been a family loading up their car when we first arrived at this trailhead and one occupied campsite at the Gold Lake Campground, but the hikes themselves had offered solitude.

The hike to Waldo Lake and back came in at 5.3-miles with approximately 450′ of elevation gain which was very similar to the Marilyn Lakes stop.

This brought the days total to 10.7-miles and around 750′ of elevation gain.
A look at the two hikes proximity to each other.

Longer or shorter hikes could be done from either trailhead. With a number of other trailheads in the area as well it’s no wonder the Waldo Lake area is a popular destination. This was our seventh visit to the area and there are still many miles of trails we’ve yet to be on. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Marilyn and Betty Lakes

Hiking Mt. Adams Trip report Washington Washington Cascades

Labor Day Weekend – Mt. Adams Wilderness Day 1

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date September 7, 2017
4 Comments on Labor Day Weekend – Mt. Adams Wilderness Day 1

We are in the midst of a horrible wildfire season which only seems to be getting worse. Our original Labor Day plans literately went up in smoke due to the Separation and Nash Fires burning in the Three Sisters Wilderness among others. Our next plan was to spend the weekend in the Olallie Lake Scenic Area but the air quality in that area due to the aforementioned fires as well as the Whitewater, Scorpion, and Devil’s Fires (and so many more) made attempting to camp in that area unappealing so we kept looking.

After consulting several fire maps we determined that either the Indian Heaven Wilderness or the Mt. Adams Wilderness were our best chances for relatively smoke free hiking. The closest fires to those areas were the Indian Creek Fire burning along Eagle Creek in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness to the south and the Norse Peak Fire in the Norse Peak Wilderness to the north.

We settled on the Mt. Adams Wilderness. Our plan was to hike north on the Pacific Crest Trail from the Williams Mine Trailhead to Horseshoe Meadow where we hoped to set up camp. From there we would take the Round-the-Mountain Trail SE to the South Climb Trail and also visit Lookingglass Lake at some point along the way.

We set off on the PCT a little before 8 o’clock on Saturday morning.

After crossing Swampy Creek on a footbridge the PCT entered the Mt. Adams Wilderness.

It was a warm morning but more importantly it was smoke free. We were greeted by blue sky as the trail entered the fire scar from the 2012 Cascade Creek Fire.

A few wildflowers remained and lots of ripe huckleberries were available for picking as we went.

It was just about six miles from the trailhead to Horseshoe Meadow most of which was in the burnt area. Along the way we passed a some nice meadows, a few green trees and had views of Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and a smokey Mt. Hood.

At the junction with the Round-the-Mountain Trail we turned and promptly arrived at Horseshoe Meadow.

Cascade Creek flows through the meadow but was a little too silty filter so we debated on weather to set up camp there or continue on, possibly as far as Lookingglass Lake. After a little more consideration though we decided the location and view from Horseshoe Meadow was too good to pass up so we selected a tent site in some trees.

We had each started the day with 3 liters of water in our Osprey reservoirs and had brought full 18oz. Hydro Flasks. We also had an extra 96oz. Naglene Canteen and another small collapsible container that we decided to take with us on our afternoon excursion and fill them up on the way back to camp.

After getting camp situated we headed toward the South Climb Trail on the Round-the-Mountain Trail.

We’d made the South Climb Trail our turnaround point because our first and only other visit to the Mt. Adams Wilderness was a 2014 hike to Iceberg Lake via the South Climb and Round-the-Mountain Trails.

The trail continued through the Cascade Creek burn with views south to Mt. Hood which remained mostly hidden by smoke.

Before long we began to find some forest that had been spared from the fire.

About a mile from Horseshoe Meadow we came to a small stream with some little pools just big enough to filter water from.

Just beyond the stream we passed the Lookingglass Lake Trail.

We decided to make that side trip on the way back and then we could fill our extra canteens on the way back to camp from the little stream.

There were a number of creeks and streams with flowing water beyond the Lookingglass Lake Trail junction. The first set all eventually flowed into Cascade Creek further down the mountain.

Much of the area we were now passing through contained debris flows from massive avalanches from the Avalanche Glacier. In fact there had been a warning at the trailhead that a crack in the glacier could trigger an avalanche at any time. The Round-the-Mountain Trail was shown as just outside the danger area but it was obvious from our surroundings that the location of the trail had been in the danger zone in the past.

The next set of creeks were all tributaries of Salt Creek, most of which flowed from large glacial moraines.

Others came from springs, one of them just below the trail.

Two and a half miles from the Lookingglass Trail we came to a junction with the Shorthorn Trail.

We passed more creeks including one with a nice little waterfall surrounded by lush green vegetation.

It was just over another 2.5 miles to the South Climb Trail from the Shorthorn Trail which made it about 6 miles from Horseshoe Meadow, a little longer than my initial calculation had been.

After a break at the junction we headed back and turned down the Lookingglass Lake Trail.

It was about a mile downhill to the lake. The trail passed through more forest affected by fire and crossed several creeks including one with a number of frogs.

We made our way around the lake and sat on a little hill facing Mt. Adams where we ate dinner.

It was a little after 6pm when we finally left the lake and headed back up to the Round-the-Mountain Trail. As we climbed we were looking back at the lake when we noticed a smoke plume that we had not seen on the way down to the lake.

Based on its location in relation to Mt. Hood we wondered if the Indian Creek Fire had exploded or if this was some new fire in the Columbia River Gorge.

On Monday we learned from a northbound PCT hiker who had been evacuated from Cascade Locks that what we had seen was the new Eagle Creek Fire apparently started by teenager playing with illegal fireworks. What an idiot. As I write this trip report much of the gorge west of the Ruckle Creek Trail including Multnomah Falls has been affected.

We were still planning on getting water on the way back to Horseshoe Meadow at the little stream but we had forgotten how close it was to the Lookingglass Lake Trail and walked right past it. We didn’t realize our mistake until we’d reached the edge of Horseshoe Meadow. We decided that we would make due for the night with what we had left over in our packs (which wasn’t much) and our Hydro Flasks which we’d left at camp. In the morning we’d get water at either Sheep Lake or Riley Creek if no other sources could be found before then along the PCT.

The shadows were growing long back at Horseshoe Meadow.

We were pretty tired and ready to crash but then we spotted a waterfall across the meadow and just had to check it out. We also thought there might be another water source that wasn’t so silty around. There wasn’t. The waterfall was nice though but it was the color of chocolate milk.

We wound up moving our camp further from the trail due to a large group that had arrived and were a little louder than we preferred. After reestablishing camp we watched the last light hit Mt. Adams and turned in for the night.

Happy Trails!

Flickr: Mt. Adams Day 1

Tags Avalanche Glacier, Cascade Creek, Cascade Creek Fire, Eagle Creek Fire, Horseshoe Meadow, Lookinggalss Lake, Mt. Adams, Mt. Adams Wilderness, Pacific Crest Trail, PCT, Round-the-Mountain Trail, Salt Creek, Shorthorn Trail, Williams Mine Trailhead

Diamond Peak Area High Cascades Hiking Oregon Trip report

Salt Creek Falls

It’s July and that means mosquito season in the Cascades. We had our first real run in with the pests on our 4th of July hike at Salt Creek Falls. Through June I had seen only one mosquito which managed to get me on top of Salmon Butte. For the next month or so we will be faced with a dilemma, brave the hoards of bloodsuckers in order to see some of the best wildflower displays of the year, or play it safe and wait them out missing the best of the flowers.

We chose to brave the danger (annoyance at the very least) for this waterfall hike. At 286′ Salt Creek Falls is Oregon’s second tallest and is conviniently close to Hwy 58 making it easy to make a quick stop. We tend to avoid quick and easy but trails leading past Salt Creek Falls head up into the Diamond Peak Wilderness passing a couple of lakes and two additional waterfalls giving us a good excuse for a visit.

We were the first car in the parking lot and apparently the mosquitoes were waiting because I had one land on me almost immediately after I got out of the car. Luckily we had come prepared. We were all wearing long pants/sleeves and sported less than fashionable bug net hats. After a good dousing in DEET (a necessary evil) we headed down the short path to the Salt Creek Falls viewpoint.

After viewing the falls we headed for the Vivian Lake which was 4 3/4mi away and our turnaround point. Shortly after crossing Salt Creek the trail split making a loop to Diamond Creek Falls possible. We headed right and soon came to Too Much Bear Lake. Despite the name we saw no sign of bears but the pretty lake was lined with blooming rhododendrons and reflecting the surrounding trees.

As we continued toward Diamond Creek Falls several signs announced viewpoints. Perhaps we had been spoiled by the views on our last few hikes, but the view from these viewpoints was a bit of a let down. Diamond Creek Falls on the other hand was lovely. A short side path led down into a narrow canyon and across Diamond Creek on a footbridge. Not long after the crossing Diamond Creek Falls came into view through the trees. It was an impressively sized 100′ cascade that fanned out over the rocks as it fell into a cozy grotto.

We returned to the main trail and continued past an upper viewpoint of Diamond Creek Falls to a second fork in the trail. The left fork would take us back to the parking area while the right continued on toward the wilderness and Vivian Lake. Before we made it to the wilderness we crossed Diamond Creek on a road bridge and passed over the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks. When we reached the sign board announcing the start of the Diamond Peak Wilderness we found that there were no self-serve entry permits left in the box, but there were plenty of mosquitoes buzzing around. The forest was full of white flowers, bunchberry, anemone, and queens-cup with an occasional beargrass thrown in. Many of the rhododendron were in bloom as well. The trail followed Fall Creek up to a viewpoint of Fall Creek Falls, a smaller 40′ cascade lined at the top with pink rhododendron blooms. The viewpoint proved a good place for a brief rest as it was an exposed rocky outcrop and almost devoid of mosquitoes.

Another mile of climbing brought us to Vivian Lake but before we would reach the lake shore we had to cross a “meadow”. The meadow was still quite damp from recent snow melt but we did our best to stay on the driest part of the trail. Shooting star and heather blooms dotted the green meadow while frogs hopped toward the water where they joined tadpoles that had not yet emerged. Unfortunately it was also a perfect spot for mosquitoes and a large number of them swarmed the air just waiting for us to stop so we quickly made our way across to drier ground and followed the trail to the shore of Vivian Lake. We worked our way around the shore until we got a good view of the top of Mt. Yoran which reflected in the water. This would have been a wonderful spot for lunch if we hadn’t been on the menu. We stayed long enough to snap a couple pictures then headed back to the viewpoint above Fall Creek Falls where we had a better chance of a mosquito free lunch.

We made great time on the way back to the car as we tried to stave off the skeeters but we did stop when we spotted a golden mantled squirrel and later a cascade frog. We saw only one other hiker on the trail but the parking area was full of people and cars when we got back. Heather got the worst of the bites but still only about a half dozen, Dominique had a couple and I miraculously escaped with only one. Hopefully our next few hikes will have less mosquito activity, but we’ll be ready for the little buggers if need be. Happy Trails

Facebook photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10201511921867112.1073741840.1448521051&type=1
Flickr photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9319235@N02/sets/72157634489510254/

Tags Diamond Creek Falls, Diamond Peak Wilderness, hiking, mosquito, Mount Yoran, Oregon, Salt Creek, Salt Creek Falls, Vivian Lake