Hike coordinator: Lane Harris
Narration by Lane Harris
If I’m being honest, I have to tout this as the EASIEST CLUB HIKE EVER. Yes, we’ve had hikes shorter than this 6 and a half miler. But, have we had any with almost zero elevation change? I think not! Distance, of course, matters. But it’s the elevation change that truly determines the difficulty of any hike. Ok, so level hikes in the hiking community aren’t something that you would necessarily be proud of doing, but regardless, this was a club first.
I had intentionally wanted an easy hike in the middle of summer to take a break between much larger, grandiose hikes (Sawtooth Mtn, Tipsoo Peak, etc) and to also take a break from the heat that certainly would befall us in August here in the Umpqua Valley. As it turned out, the temperature was rather pleasant everywhere, and there was no heat to escape from. This was okay with me, as we still enjoyed a fine, leisurely hike up in the Cascades.
We were pleased to have the cool air and warm sun greet the eighteen of us, plus one four-footed friend, as we gathered up at the south shore boat ramp of Diamond Lake. This was much preferred over the mosquitoes, which had long disappeared from these parts earlier in the summer. Before long, we were headed west along the paved bike path which goes around the entire lake. We would only step foot on a few miles of this 11-mile pathway today, as it really is more for bikes, which we would see plenty of before the day was through. (FYI, if you have never biked around Diamond Lake before, you’re missing out! Enjoy the ride as you whiz past trees, meadows, and awesome views of the lake! Follow this link to just one of the many bike rides I’ve taken around Diamond Lake)
Our first points of interest were Teal Lake and Horse Lake. These are short loops totaling about a mile, with the one around Horse Lake taking us across the road. After that, it was a short walk to Silent Creek which flows into Diamond Lake. You can’t miss the turn up Silent Creek, as the footbridge there is a major landmark.
The path stays paved all the way to the road, where we crossed and continued up on a dirt trail, which reminded us that, oh yeah, we’re hiking! This is where Silent Creek really shines. Beginning from the road, this first half-mile is a pleasant and serene experience, and truly silent. The creek makes nary a sound, as it winds its way through the forest, creating horseshoe bends and delicate curves. There are no thundering rapids or waterfalls here. Just the quietness of a high Cascades creek doing what it does.
After about a mile up the dirt trail, we turned around and made our way back to the footbridge and then turned west. About a half-mile later we arrived at a large, open meadow with a great view of Mount Thielsen. Each hiker claimed a piece of meadow and proceeded to eat whatever lunch had made it into their pack. We spent some time just relaxing in the late summer sun and sharing conversation with each other.
From the meadow, it was a short walk back to the parking lot, finishing up this very easy 6.5-mile hike. And, even if this was the EASIEST CLUB HIKE EVER, in no way does that title take away any of the beauty that this little gem of a hike has to offer. (Gem of a hike near Diamond Lake… see what I did there?…)
Pictures below by Lane Harris
(This was considered the uphill portion of the hike)
John sure does look tired!
