| Date: May 17, 2007 |
| Location Soda Springs Hike |
| Where: Umpqua National Forest |
The plan for the day was to hike a section of the North Umpqua Trail starting where the trail crosses Medicine Creek Road, hike along the north side of Soda Springs Reservoir to the Soda Springs Trailhead, cross the river, and hike back on the access road on the south side. However, Pacific Powerand Light is doing major work on the dam and powerhouse and they have closed the access road to the reservoir.
|
 |
We had a very enjoyable hike down the North Umpqua Trail as it wove its way through the forest above Soda Springs Reservoir. Arriving at the Soda Springs Trailhead, we found that a giant pile of gravel had replaced the parking lot. We ate lunch with our backs to the gravel pile in an attempt to ignore it.
|
 |
Consulting the map, we hatched up the plan to make a loop by taking the Soda Springs Trail under the huge water line and up to where it joined the Bradley Trail. From there we would hike east and use the Bradley Trail to access the Medicine Creek Road and our car.
|
 |
Soda Springs turned out to be kind of an ugly spot, but beautiful white Iris, which turned out to be the flower of the day, were particularly abundant on an old burned section of the Bradley Trail.
|
 |
| Soda Springs |
 |
| Iris |
