During our time in Oregon, our time to be able to venture outside has been limited due to rain and other inclement weather. Which is a shame, because the geography is so beautiful. But, when it is not raining, or even better, when the sun peeks out from behind the clouds, we have learned to reschedule our day and hit the great outdoors.
One such time arose this past week, Tuesday the 24th of January. Mama Nomad said it was supposed to be in the 50s and the sky was clear. I, of course, told her I was game and the day was rescheduled. She found a hike that would only take a couple of hours. We did not want to get on a mountain side and it begin to rain on us. So, in the late afternoon, we headed for the Spencer Butte Trailhead on the Ridgeline Trail System.
You can access the trailhead from Spencer Butte Park located at 85401 S Willamette St, Eugene, OR 97405. The trailhead is immediately off of the parking lot. When you get started, there are two ways to reach the summit, which is 2055 feet above sea level, with the base of the butte being around 1300 feet above sea level. You will see a choice to go right or left. No matter which direction you choose, I would suggest hiking boots.
The trail to the left has a rating of difficult. You climb over 700 feet in 0.6 miles. This is the route Mama Nomad and I took. Almost the entire hike is of steep grade and there are many areas where the trail is not clearly defined. I had to look for patches of ground that looked like they had traffic over them. In a few places we had to do some light rock climbing to continue onward and upward.
After about an hour or so, we reached the top of the butte. The hike, although strenuous, was completely worth it. Aside from the exercise and fresh air, when we got to the summit, it was just in time to see the sun begin to set behind the mountain range in the distance. It was causing the evergreens to look like they were on fire due to the red and orange glow. It was a wonderful show that Mother Nature put on for us as a reward for ascending the butte.
We went down the other way. The path that you would take if you went to the right. It ascends 700 feet in just over a mile. So, the grade was not as steep and the path was easily marked and recognizable the entire way. As we headed down, we had to stop at points just to take in the glow from the sun on the trees. Our camera does not do the scenery justice. We meandered down the marked trail and arrived back at Ebony just before it became dark.
Quick couple hour hike to one of the tallest points in this region. We did it without hiking back in complete darkness and without getting wet. I call that a success! Safe Travels.
