Hot weekend day at the Black Butte Ranch. What better way to spend the afternoon than climbing to the summit of 6,436-foot Black Butte? Nothing that I could think of. Fired up the Merc and off I drove. The last few miles to the trailhead were on a dirt road that got progressively rougher as the 4,900-foot trailhead was approached.
Soon the daypack was on and the steep two-mile, 1,600-foot elevation-gain trail was begun. Except for my lack of higher-elevation lungs, it was a very enjoyable hike with splendid views of all the nearby snow-covered peaks – – – the Sisters, Broken Top, Mt. Washington and Mt. Jefferson.
Initially the trail climbed through large Ponderosa pines before breaking out into the open alpine area with scattered white-bark pines. A pleasant hike indeed.
Golden Mantle giving me the boot
Cascade Lilies
Ladybug enjoying a Balsamroot
Mt. Jefferson
Orange Honeysuckle at 6,000 feet (who would’ve guessed?)
Snow Brush
Original Black Butte Lookout built in 1924 (Three Fingered Jack in background)
Great photos! It certainly does look like a sweet place for a hike.
The Lookout is cool. I wonder what was involved the building. Like backbacking in some of the materials.
As George said, that doesn’t look like the 3 Fingered Jack’s we know!!
I suspect its name originated around a campfire late at night after many fingers of good buorbon were imbibed.