Cougar Bluffs, near the North Umpqua Trail

(Click on any picture for larger view and slide show)

Please excuse my blog tardiness, but I had issues with my computer not liking my blog site (hopefully the dislike is only from things electronic and not human). So after several months of no blog, I finally got it working. I will create some quick back-log blogs of my past hikes. Until then, here is this hike’s blogginess…

The trail is easy near the river

After browsing my Umpqua Forest map, I chose what I knew would be a very strenuous hike, starting from the Wright Creek trailhead on the N.U.T. then departing the N.U.T. and heading straight uphill  towards Cougar Bluffs. The multiple switchbacks and tight contour lines on the topo map indicated a definite uphill battle. In fact, I calculated a 3000 foot ascent from the Umpqua River up to Cougar Bluffs. Straight up. Someone please check my temperature, I must be a bit loopy for attempting this….

North Umpqua River in the morning

The hike began with a quick warm-up of about a mile of scenic beauty along the river, until I departed the saneness of the well-traveled N.U.T. and began my climb up the steep hill.

4 miles to Cougar Bluffs... and all uphill!

The sign near the junction said “Not Maintained”, which did not sound promising at all. Fortunately, the trail was actually pretty easy to travel on. Well, except for the steepness and all. Just a trivial matter I had to contend with….

A scenic yet cruel hillside

After quite a few back and forths across the hillside, the heavy breathing set in, along with the perspiration. I constantly scanned the trailside looking for opportunities to stop and take pictures of anything that would give me an excuse to take a breather. Those were few and far between.

Oh, what a tangled web thy weave, Mr. spider...

Oh, it’s here that I must pause and mention that stable people don’t actually hike this trail, thus, leaving the spiders the freedom to spread their sticky webs across the trail, all of which I’m sure I ended up on my sweaty forehead. Spiders don’t bother me like they do a lot of people. But honestly, can’t a guy enjoy a self-induced torture hike in peace without the constant thwapping of a spider web in his face?

Level ground... yeahh!!

I did have a little respite of sorts when the trail leveled off into a vast lushness of green trees and under-growth of the same. I even took a selfie! Which is, I set the camera on the timer to get a shot of me traipsing through the only level spot of this hike.

The trail eventually spit me out onto a rarely used spur road which I followed for about half a mile until it connected with another more used road. About 30 yards up this road, another trailhead continued my journey up the hill again.

More hill

More switchbacks. More spider webs. More sweat. I’m not complaining. Just stating the facts. The payoff would be at the top. And the downhill trek back would be my reward for this uphill struggle…

Oh, so pretty

I knew I was near the top when I saw rocky formations with all sorts of flora showing off their colorful blooms. (I bet THEY didn’t have to sweat to get all the way up here…)

Late spring is colored in yellow

Eventually, the trail again led me to another road near the top. Yes, you could drive up to Cougar Bluffs, but then it wouldn’t be called a hike, would it?

Mt Thielsen and Mt Bailey to the east

The first sight I saw was Mt Thielsen and Mt Bailey to the east, still capped with snow. The view around the entire bluff area was somewhat obscured with the tops of trees, but that didn’t matter. There were plenty of other things to look at. Like flowers!!

No cougars, just floral things

Ohh, purple!

Ohh, blue!

Thielsen and Bailey again

Looking north

Colorful bluffs

More color

After some picture taking, I shed the backpack and ate my lunch in the shade, soaking up the quietness all around me.

Just amazing colors!

When my much-deserved rest was over, I decided to begin my descent down the mountain. Funny, for some reason, it seemed to be much easier going downhill…

Can I take these home with me?...

I attempted to make good time going down the hillside, but as any hiker will tell you, it can sometimes be harder going downhill. Always putting the breaks on, your toes pushing the tips of your boots, shins straining against the… ahh heck, who am I kidding, this was much easier than going uphill!! Wheee!!

As I quickly made my way down, I thought to myself, who the hell would come UP this thing? It seemed much steeper going down than coming up. Weird…

A sight for sore eyes... and legs

Using my hiking poles as assurance against any unstable footing I may have and to off-set my exuberant speed I was enjoying, I safely made it to the river.

I had completed a 10 mile hike, ascended and descended 3000 feet, and was ready for flat ground...

Great river on a great June day!!

Seeing the river was like seeing a comforting face that said “Welcome back, you crazy, crazy man”.

10 miles and a 3000 ft elevation gain. What is wrong with me??! ;-)