News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Cynthia Brown Grochowski and her husband Glen Grochowski headed out with another couple and a dog to the Pole Creek Trailhead Saturday, September 8.
"We were just going to hike into the Camp Lake area, overnight, and hike out Sunday morning," Cynthia told The Nugget.
Change of plans.
During that Sunday-morning return trip, they spotted something in the air.
"We were on a ridge, and we did see a little smoke," Cynthia said. "We brushed it off as dust in the air... we were confident it was just a truck driving down the road."
But about four miles from the Pole Creek Trailhead, the hikers saw "a sizeable plume" and they knew they were looking at a wildfire.
The hikers contacted 911 via cell phone to get information and advice on a course of action. They decided to backtrack toward Camp Lake to get away from the fast-growing fire. They linked up with another group of hikers who had the same plan and eight people and two dogs moved out.
As they looked back, they saw big black plumes billowing into the blue sky. They tried to make light of it, saying, "That's your car. That's my car."
In the Grochowski's case, the black humor was rueful. They would discover later that their Jeep Liberty was, indeed, completely destroyed by flames.
"Unfortunately, we were probably watching our cars blow up in front of us," Cynthia said.
The group of hikers determined to hike over the saddle between Middle Sister and North Sister and trek out to the Obsidian Trailhead on the McKenzie Highway. They checked in with the sheriff's department to make sure that was a good course of action and headed out.
By this time, Cynthia and Glen were short of food. Fortunately, members of the other party they'd linked up with had some extra and shared it. They'd need the fuel.
"It was a difficult hike," Cynthia acknowledged.
The climb over the saddle was tricky, with rough terrain and scrambles over areas where there was no trail and a slip could mean a serious fall.
Night fell long before they reached their destination; they hiked a good eight miles in darkness lit only by their headlamps.
But the group was steadfast.
"Everybody was confident in the group we were with and we just pressed on," Cynthia said.
Cynthia estimates that the group trekked about 25 miles to elude the blaze and get to safety. On Tuesday morning she was still sore - and carless.
The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office retrieved the 21 vehicles that had been parked at the Pole Creek Trailhead. Four were destroyed and several were damaged.
"I went to see my car last night," Cynthia said. "It's just a shell and a bunch of ashes."
The only thing found intact was a bright medallion that read: "Trail Rated Vehicle."
The Grochowskis will keep it as a memento of a backcountry outing that turned into an adventure that will be forever burned into their memories.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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