Suttle Lake a good early season hiking tune-up

Although the high country is still buried in snow, that doesn't mean hiking season has to wait. The loop trail around Suttle Lake is an excellent early season tune-up. At about three and a half miles in length, this easily accessible trail is flat, scenic, and well maintained. In fact, crews have already cleared the trail for the season. It can be accessed from either end of the lake and almost anywhere along the south side.

The closest public access is at Cinder Beach, a public day-use area at the east end of the lake. Heading west along the north side of the lake, the easy forest trail never leaves the shoreline. Midway along the north shore is a spot where the fires of 2003 crept to the lake's edge; however, most of the shoreline escaped the flames. Some nice views of Mt. Washington can be seen from the north shore trail.

The lake's west end is home to another public day-use area and one of the lake's four boat launch ramps. Follow the road across Link Creek. Link Creek links Suttle Lake to Blue Lake. In the fall, thousands of kokanee "trout" swarm into the creek to spawn. Fishing is not allowed in this creek. Suttle Lake is open to fishing all year.

Return to the trail at the lake's edge through Link Creek Campground, and follow the shoreline. A succession of campgrounds lines the shore. At South Shore Campground, we paused to watch a crew falling a giant dead ponderosa pine.

Bald eagles and osprey are often seen at Suttle Lake. Pairs of Barrow's Goldeneye ducks were very active last week. As the trail nears the east end, the lake narrows into the outlet that forms Lake Creek, a tributary of the Metolius River. The trail returns to the starting point by following Lake Creek downstream to the road bridge leading back to Cinder Beach.

Before construction of dams on the lower Deschutes River, Lake Creek formed a pathway to the sea for native sockeye salmon. Sockeye usually require a lake in their spawning system, and Suttle Lake provided that feature. Springs at the bottom of Blue Lake form the principal water source for the system, although Suttle Lake also has some springs of its own.

Today, efforts are underway to restore salmon runs to the region, but it remains to be seen if, and when, sockeye will once again swim in the waters of Suttle Lake. In the meantime, Suttle Lake's sockeye survive in their tasty, landlocked form as kokanee and are prolific enough to warrant a 25 fish per day catch limit! Any kokanee much over a foot is a big one, but that's a far cry from the 33-inch, eight-pound salmon of its genetic potential.

Whenever I write about Suttle Lake, my spellchecker always objects - and justly so. Not only is the not-so-subtle spelling a bit irregular, it's also a misspelling of its intended namesake, John Settle. Settle was a Lebanon-area pioneer who was a principal figure in the development of the early Santiam Wagon Road during the mid-nineteenth century. By the time the misspelling was noted, however, it was deemed too well established to be changed.

To enjoy this hike, take Highway 20 west from Sisters for 13 miles. The highway makes a sharp left turn; and, a half-mile farther, signs mark a left exit for Suttle Lake. Pass the forest information kiosk and follow the signs for a right turn toward Suttle Lake Resort. The public access to Cinder Beach is across the bridge and straight

ahead.