Crescent Mountain

Summer break is the time to get out and enjoy the outdoors. I did not have anything pressing going on and I needed a break from the running that I had been very consistent with. I decided to just pick a place on the map that I had never visited. So I drove up 126 to the junction with the road to Albany. I took a left and then the first right was the Lava Lake road. That led me to the 508 road and soon on my right was a parking area. I parked there and headed down the trail. The trail stayed fairly level at first going slowly downhill toward the creek. The forest was very peaceful and the trail in excellent condition. The temperature was cool, but not cold. The forest provided shade from what was sure to be a sunny day. 

The trail continued mostly flat and sort of downhill until I got to the creek. A nice bridge crossed it and then after that, it went uphill. The trail was still in good shape and the forest still very peaceful with big trees. After just a couple of miles, though, I needed a break. I was feeling a bit low energy on this day, so I ate my sandwich that would have been for the summit. That seemed to help out after a bit and gave me some calories to burn.

The trail continued going uphill passing several extremely large anthills. Eventually it popped out of the trees into a nice, big meadow. This meadow had many dead trees which was a little odd and they all had their bark cut in a circular pattern along the base. My guess was that it was purposely done, maybe to prevent the spread of a disease or insect? I did not know, but it was certainly done on purpose. The trail continued climbing through the meadow with impressive views all around. Then it went back into the trees and became a little bit more steep. At this point, I knew I was near the top. I felt good, though, and when I got to the top, there was another group of two people there with a very friendly dog. 

I talked with them for a little bit. They were older and from Sisters. They had been enjoying the Old Cascades which is the name of this area. We talked a bit about trails in the area. I enjoyed the summit area. There was the remnants of an old lookout. The foundation made a great spot where I could sit and enjoy views of the surrounding mountains. I walked the length of the summit and there was a nice view down to the turquoise blue waters of Crescent Lake below. I spent a good 15 minutes on the summit and then it was back down the trail. Even though I had just been to this area hiking up, there is always a new perspective to be seen on the hike down.

I especially enjoyed the meadows with views out to the Three Sisters and Mt. Washington. The flowers were abundant and I knew this would be a great place to take the family. Going down the trail, I realized how steeply it climbed. In all, I had 2300 feet of elevation gain and loss on this hike over 9.5 miles. It was exceedingly pleasant and quiet without the sound of traffic or anything other than the birds, creaking trees, and the sound of flowing water as I hiked near the creek by the trailhead. I would definitely recommend this hike and I am sure that I will end up coming back to Crescent Mountain again.