The neat stuff started right at the trailhead as we
were greeted by beargrass blooming in the forest
understory. The trail climbed steeply for a mile or
so and it was obvious I forgot to pack my uphill
legs, slow and steady was the pace for me. At the
mile mark, we walked around a small meadow with
grass and hellebore. There is just something about
a meadow that just makes me happy and I kicked up my
booted heels in joyful exuberation.
Shortly after the first meadow, we entered the massive Sheep
Creek Slide, a 3/4 mile grassy gash on Wagner's slopes that
marks the site where 3/4 miles of Wagner Butte peeled off
and rumbled down Sheep Creek, creating havoc with the Wagner
Creek watershed. A couple of decades later, the slide is
now a grassy meadow with creeks and flowers under a blue
sky.
Climbing steeply away from the slide, the trail continued
past a series of meadows before breaking out into "Eastern
Oregon", where sagebrush rules the southern side of Wagner
Butte. Obviously, the snow had been here recently as there
was a notable paucity of wildflowers, we were too early for
spring...in July!
The trail grade eased up a bit and the last two miles were
relatively level as we traversed a long sagebrush-studded
ridge under a cloudless sky. Somewhat out of place, there
is a stand of mountain mahogany and quaking aspen. Nearing
7,000 feet of elevation, we stepped over two small patches
of snow, and that was it for the winter contingent. Quite a
difference from the Cascades!
A
small, rocky tor on the ridge is the actual summit of Wagner
Butte and a brief, use-of-hands-required climb brought us up
to the summit and some outstanding views. There was a
little bit of haze but we could see Mount Shasta, Mount
McLaughlin, Grayback Mountain, Preston Peak, and Mount
Ashland. Mt Ashland is only 200 feet higher than snowless
Wagner Butte and there still was plenty of snow on Ashland.
We enjoyed bird-eye views of Talent, Ashland, and Medford.
Truly a vista for the ages.
After completing this 10.5 mile epic, I popped a tire and
being Saturday night in Talent, I could find no tire place
open. It was a long trip on the little spare wheel to
Roseburg. Oh, well.
For the rest of this superb hike, see:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/580517557fCIwlh?vhost=outdoors
