Hiking through the burn

It's been almost six years since the Booth and Bear Butte fires merged to become the B & B Complex and burned nearly 100,000 acres of forest that many of us considered our personal playground.

This hike begins at the well-known Jack Lake Trailhead, which is also the jumping off point for the popular Canyon Creek Meadows hike. Instead of going right to the lush meadows, however, we turned left toward Booth and Square Lakes on our way to Round Lake.

It's an eight-mile jaunt, so we dropped off a car at Round Lake. It turned into a bit of an adventure, especially since there was quite a bit of snow when we made this trip in early June. By now, the snow will be mostly gone, and the trail easier to follow.

Even without the snow this trail is something of an obstacle course with all the fallen dead trees.

This hike is entirely within the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Area, so be prepared for wilderness travel and pack accordingly.

Before you dismiss this as a miserable trek through an unsightly wasteland, consider that there is much to see in this dramatically altered forest. Yes, the forest that I once knew is gone, certainly for my lifetime; but something new and different has taken its place.

Vast vistas across Central Oregon have been opened up amidst the stark beauty of the burned-over landscape.

Destruction and recovery are just a blip in time for the forest, which is already reclaiming its territory. Young lodgepole pines by the thousands are among the first to pioneer the newly opened spaces. A few young firs are staking claims of their own and manzanita is thriving, along with a surprising array of wildflowers.

The lakes along this route provide the signposts, because you won't find any trail signage until Square Lake. Heading south toward readily visible Mt. Washington, the first leg of this trip is the longest - four miles to Booth Lake, ground zero for the Booth Fire.

Pay attention to time and distance, or you may not see Booth Lake until you've already passed it. The trail passes through an open grassy area, and a treed moraine along the eastern edge of the lake hides it from view. One clue: there are living green trees that survived the fire on the lee side of the lake.

When I hiked to the lake two years ago (from the opposite direction), it was during the late summer; and I went for a swim after lunch. On this occasion, however, an ice shelf still covered part of the lake, and there was no such temptation.

From the southeast corner of Booth Lake, it's about a mile and a half to Square Lake on a trail that can be hard to follow even without snow cover. The trail switchbacks over an erosion-prone ridge and heads generally south-southeast into a valley draining toward Square Lake.

It's pretty easy to lose the trail anywhere along this stretch, but it's also pretty hard to get lost. If you do lose the main trail, Square Lake is visible from a high, rocky part of the ridge on your left; and you can see how the contour of the land funnels everything down to the lake. A multitude of informal trails wander toward the lake. If you encounter the large boggy area north of the lake, bear left (east).

The north and northeast edges of Square Lake also sport a swath of living green trees that survived the fire in the lee of the lake. Follow the lakeshore trail to the left to reach the Round Lake Trailhead. This last stretch of trail is in much better condition, with fewer downed trees. With thunder in the distance, we covered the last two miles in about 30 minutes. Shortly after reaching the car, the hailstorm started.

To experience the aftermath of the B & B fire on a lesser scale, simply park at the Round Lake Trailhead and hike to Square Lake. Including a walk to the north side of the lake, the round trip is only about 4.5 miles.

Round Lake is off the Jack Lake Road (Road 12), which is a right turn 12 miles west of Sisters on Highway 20. Take the Round Lake turnoff about a mile on the left, and follow a gravel road for five miles to the lake. Upon reaching the lake, follow the main road to the left; and a road sign will point right onto a dirt road to the trailhead. On my last visit, there was no fee station here.

There is a fee requirement at the Jack Lake Trailhead, which is reached by continuing another three miles up Road 12 from the Round Lake turnoff. There, the road curves to the right; take the Jack Creek turnoff to the left (Road 1230). It's easy to fly by this junction if you're not paying attention. Cross the creek, and a mile later take another left onto road 1234. Signs point the way to Jack Lake.