It was the last weekend in October. I awoke to rain and cold, gusty winds.
Leaving the warm and dry room at the Lodge at Detroit Lake, I drove to the Whitewater Trailhead on the western boundary of Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. On a hot summer day the parking lot would have been full of vehicles. Today, I was the sole visitor.
For the first 1 1/2 miles the Trail climbed through an old-growth forest before reaching a ridge, passing Douglas fir trees five and six feet in diameter. In another mile the Trail passed through a saddle and some sun breaks began to occurr.
For a short while I was granted some grand views of Mt. Jefferson, Pamelia Lake and Grizzly Peak.
At four miles the Pacific Crest Trail was met. Heading north on the PCT, Jefferson Park arrived in less than one additional mile. (“Park” means a large, sub-alpine meadow.)
Jefferson Park lies at the 6,000-foot level and covers a large area west of the mountain with many lakes.
Storm clouds returned and I was subjected to a continuing deluge with heavy gusts of wind. Nonetheless, I continued to hike north through the meadows to Russell Lake, passing Scout Lake on the way.
The summit of Mt. Jefferson was only 2 1/4 miles in the distance as the crow flies, but with a torturous 4,500 feet of additional elevation to be conquered to reach the top.
No one else was in Jefferson Park – – – amazing!
As I began the return hike, the temperatures had dropped enough for the rain to turn to a rain/snow mix.
By the next morning, a foot of snow had arrived in the high country and will continue building throughout the late fall and winter seasons.
No one else will visit Jefferson Park by foot for many months (unless an unseasonal warm spell occurs), although a few folks on snowshoes will make the difficult trek.
What a nice gift to be likely the last hiker of the year to visit such a spectacular location.
One of the few views of the summit of Mt. Jefferson
Pine Squirrel
Park Butte from Jefferson Park
Waldo Glacier
Colorful Vine Maple leaves
Small ponds in Jefferson Park
Scarlet leaves of Huckleberries and Bear-grass along the trail
Meadows in Jefferson Park
Jefferson Park Glacier
Vine Maple leaves bringing vibrant color to the forest views
Small pond in Jefferson Park
Gorgeous photos, John. I’m glad the “last person” in Jeff Park this season had a camera to record the beauty.
Thanks Debbie. The nearest person was probably five miles away. It was truly a wilderness experience.
great shot John!
Thanks. It’s a beautiful place to visit.
Great pics John. Kinda doubt you will be the last person in this season. Great place to snow shoe to.
Tom
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Agreed Tom. I may be the last hiker, but I surely won’t be the last visitor. It would be an outstanding winter destination on snowshoes.
Great pics John, and always a little heart tug at the end of a season, but the wilds need their sleep.
Thanks Geoff. It is a season of change. The lakes will soon freeze over, the depth of snow will be measured in feet, and all the trees and plants will become dormant.
John,
Beautiful pictures. Please be careful when you’re out in the wilderness.
God Bless
Ed Lyon
Community Director, FCA Ventura County
P.O. Box 6033, Ventura, CA 93006
805-746-4725
elyon@fca.org
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