SOUTHERN CASCADE HEAD TRAIL

ALMOST SPRING

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We took our first hike of the 2004 season on March 10, ten days before spring officially arrived. It had been cold and rainy but clear weather was predicted for the day. For once the prediction proved accurate. We chose the southern part of The Cascade Head Trail in the Siuslaw National Forest for our first hike because we believe it is not too difficult and just about right for hikers who got out of shape during the winter. Also the trail is fairly well sheltered and level, not too dense or muddy, and usually not many fallen trees, berry bushes or landslides block our way this early in the season. (Click link for directions to the trail.)

The entire trail is about six (6) miles one way and twelve (12) miles round trip. Hikers have several choices: the entire trail can be hiked in one trip; a car can be left at both the north and south trailheads and the trail hiked one way from either trailhead; or one portion of the trail can be hiked round trip, the other portion being saved for another day. We chose to park in the small parking lot by Three Rocks Road trailhead, the south section, and hike to Cascade Head Road and back in one trip, a seven (7) mile trip.

After leaving the parking area one is immediately in the Siuslaw Forest. We started out wearing turtlenecks, sweat shirts, jackets and mittens. As we hiked into the sheltered forest trails it grew warmer and warmer and we started shedding our outer clothing until we were down to our turtlenecks, our jackets tied around our waists and other clothing stuffed into our back packs.

Immediately we see a glob of Witch's Butter, Tremella mesenterica, on a tree branch beside the trail. We have no idea if this fungi is edible or not but as it does not look too appetizing anyway, we leave it for the witches.

Most of this trail is fairly level, compared to other forest trails and it is is in comparatively good condition for this time of the year before much clearing of the trail has occurred.

Later in the season some sections of the trail become overgrown with berry bushes making hiking in those areas uncomfortable and difficult and blocking visibility of the surrounding forest. Occasionally the bushes are cut back but more often, at least in our experience, they are not. That is another reason for hiking this section early in the season.

A few early Western Trillium dot the edge of the trail and hundreds of Wood Violets, grow singly and in clumps along the sides and in mossy tree trunks and snags.

Western Trillium Trillium ovatum

Wood Violet Viola glabella

Wood Violets Viola glabella

Several sturdy wooden bridges span creeks and wetlands and care must be taken not to slip as the wooden planks are still soggy from the winter rains. Skunk cabbage emerge from wetlands like hooded cobras.

Bridge and Creek

Skunk Cabbage Lysichiton americanum

Wetland Skunk Cabbage

Snags in interesting shapes, some covered with moss, rise out of the forest floor and the trail begins a steep ascent. Soon we reach Cascade Head Road and the trailhead pointing the way back to the Three Rocks Road parking lot, and we begin the three and one half mile trek back to our car.

Snags

Ascent

Trailhead

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