Trekks and Travels: Jefferson Park via Park Ridge and the "bad" road/1 night backpack 19-20 Sept 2015

Ann and friends headed into Jefferson Park on Friday via Whitewater TH but I thought it might be fun to go in a different way - via the Breitenbush TH and have them meet me part way. I had never hike over the ridge before. The road (4220) is horrible. It took me 50 min to go 6.5 miles. But, praise God, I did make it without meeting anyone in a tight spot, without shooting any rocks up under my car and damaging something, and without getting a flat tire from all the rocks. The only battle scars were a few new scratches along the sides, but that is no biggie.
I arrived around 11:30a and started hiking. Right away the scenery is very pretty, especially because of the fall foliage. The vistas open up pretty early on and by the time you are a mile and a half in, you have views all around. The landscape immediately north of the ridge is all rocks and tarns with views to Eastern Oregon and to the north. Hood and Ollalie Butte stand out. Getting to the top of the ridge is like the Wizard of Oz moment when Dorothy steps out of the house into muchkin land...the whole of Mt Jefferson and Jefferson Park is at your feet. Ann and I scrambled up the ridge to the point where it becomes more dicey to explore and snapped some photos before heading down. We camped at Russell Lake near the little outlet stream. Nice and convenient for sunset/sunrise photos and getting water. It was pretty crowded but the team had arrived early Friday and snagged the spot before it was taken (the party was at Scout and Bays Lakes - they were elbow to elbow!). I explored around Scout Lake over to Park Lake and up to the South Breitenbush trail before dinner for some more sunset photo ops. The next morning we explored north of Russell Lake - an area I had never see before - and it was so pretty in the morning light! Can't wait to return.

map to Jeff Park
Jeff Park back to TH