Today we hiked the Nature Trail and Picnic Meadows Trail to a beautiful open meadow with several varieties of wildflowers for a total of 2 1/2 miles RT and only 296 foot gain. I have bursitis in my left knee so am not able to meander very fast or very far! :(! From the TH parking area across HWY 97 from the CG, we hiked on an old road through a forest of Ponderosa pine and Oregon white oak. Here we saw lupine of various shades of white, pink and purple. At the edge of the forest you reach a large open meadow where there is a picnic table nestled among the trees. This is where we had lunch on our return to the TH. Because of my knee pain, we had to turn around about 1/4 mile shy of what is called Picnic Meadows and the location of another picnic table. Flowers seen in the meadow were death camas, pearly everlasting, 2 species of onion, yellow desert parsley, 2 broomrape plants and yellow buckwheat. The day was sunny and warm. We could see Mt Hood and Mt Jefferson from the meadow. A local man and his dog were the only ones seen. There is no host in the CG and the only park person we have seen is an occasional maintenance worker whizzing by in a jitney so information about the park isn't readily available. The topographical maps available outside the Ranger Station aren't detailed so one needs to hike a trail to know what it is like. The trails we have done are nice and provide beautiful wildflowers in season.
We did talk to a park employee Wednesday AM before we left and he went over the map with us explaining the various trails which was very helpful. You used to be able to drive to the TH's, by driving the road to the Environmental Learning Center, but the road is now gated and only those staying there can drive through the gate. They built a short connector trail from the now TH parking and this takes you to a large TH sign which I pictured in our report of 5-23.
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