Hike Coordinator: Lane Harris
Narration by Lane Harris
Lost Creek Lake sits smack dab between Medford and Crater Lake on Hwy 62. Amazingly though, when you mention Lost Creek Lake to most people, they have no idea where it is. At the size of 3,400 acres, this large body of water is popular for summertime watersports such as boating, skiing, wake boarding, tubing, and jet-skiing. And in the springtime, it’s a fine place to hike the surrounding trails.
On this day, the weather seemed to want to play with us, being a bit tempestuous at times on the drive south on I-5 from Roseburg. Was it going to rain? Was it going to be sunny? Or somewhere in between?…
When we arrived at the trailhead, we felt fairly confident the weather gods would be kind to us as we laced up our hiking boots. After I gave a quick brief, we walked across the road to the trail’s beginning and started the 1000 ft. climb.
This was my first hike with the club using my very first action camera, you know, like a GoPro. I told everyone not to worry about what they said as I filmed, as it would all be dubbed over with music. While that remark was received with some skepticism, no one seemed to mind the nerd with a small camera attached to the end of what appeared to be the world’s lamest trekking pole. I just held it high and proud, like a little kid who was nominated to be the flag-bearer in some sort of small-town parade, hoping that the big kids wouldn’t make fun of him later.
I knew that getting images of hikers in action would be the core of any hiking video I created. So how hard could it be? I mean, I hike with them, right? Well, as I was concentrating on getting some decent footage of our hike, I realized that every time I paused to film, the group would swiftly get further away from me. I would walk briskly to catch up, get some footage, and then rush to catch up again. Apparently, this would be my modus operandi for the rest of the hike. And quite possibly, for every hike from here on out if I was to capture the sleek, gazelle-like creatures, otherwise known as fast hikers!
While my legs ached and my shins screamed in pain, I contemplated the prudency of my decision in pursuing the fine art of producing amateur hiking documentaries. I think I can add “fast hikers” to what W. C. Fields famously said when he said “Never work with children or animals”. I mean, literally, what a pain!
I was fortunate enough to have some other not-too-fast hikers with me this day, so they were the lucky (?) stars that appear early on in my video production. Whether they were searching for the spotlight or just the mere reluctant recipients of being caught on video, I nonetheless appreciate their willing, or unwilling, participation.
Although the hike up to Viewpoint Mike gains 1000 ft from the trailhead, there are flat parts of the trail that one can just cruise and enjoy. Nestled between Hwy 62 and some private property, it at times feels like you haven’t gone very far off the beaten path. But when you turn a corner and disappear into thickets of pine and manzanita, you forget about how close to civilization you are. And speaking of manzanita, that was the crux of several puns we came up with on the trail. Example: What’s a manzanita on a hot, dusty trail? Water! (If you don’t get it, you’ve never hiked with me and Richard!)
At one point, a road walk is involved, but like my career in comedy, it’s very short-lived. The trail then begins the climb up, up, and up amongst a proper forest setting. This well-maintained trail is easy to walk on, and has one purpose: to get you to the top. The scenery on the way up may be unremarkable, but it’s certainly not disappointing either.
Within a quarter mile from the top, the trees give way to open, rocky terrain, giving hikers some hope that there must be something special up ahead. Upon reaching the top, we were rewarded with an amazing view of Lost Creek Lake to the north! And to the south? Just some stupid trees. But to the north, that’s where you look. And on this day, a rainbow had appeared as a bonus! We sat down and partook in the ritual which is lunch, and just generally had a swell time admiring the views. After our fill of sandwiches and rainbows, we promptly said goodbye to Mike and his viewpoint, and set off down the hill.
To the delight of my shins and legs, it was much easier keeping up with the gazelles heading downhill, as I filmed them prancing around in their natural habitat. Ok, so maybe the only prancing happening was me and my selfie-stick trying to get footage of our downhill escapades. (Is it just me, or does it sound wrong to use the word “selfie-stick” in ANY sentence?….)
As hikers spilled out onto the parking lot from the descent off of Mike’s quaint little viewpoint, we were thankful that the weather held and had provided us with another excellent day of hiking. And I, for one, am glad that no hikers were harmed during the filming of this hike.
Post-hike note: After the creation of my video, I must admit it came out pretty good! I won’t win any Oscars or Golden Globes, but at least I’ll always have my selfie-stick! (Again, that just sounds wrong…)
More pictures on Lane Harris’ Flickr page
Pictures below by Lane Harris
