Scott and Obsidian Trails combine for challenging loop

It's always a treat to try new adventures, especially one as scenic and close to home as this one. Lately, my column has focused on short and middle-distance hikes. At 13.3 miles, however, today's hike offers the serious hiker more of a challenge.

This little adventure starts at the Scott Trail Trailhead on the McKenzie Highway, just a few miles west of McKenzie Pass. This route combines with the popular Obsidian Trail, to make one of the most scenic hikes imaginable. At a distance like this, however - with an option to extend it to 16.3 miles - this is not a hike for the casual hiker. Also, since it involves the Obsidian Trail, an advance special-use permit is required.

Scott Lake, Scott Mountain, Scott Pass, and the Scott Trail are all named for Felix Scott, Jr., who was instrumental in pioneering an east-west route through this area in 1862. At the end of this five-mile stretch of this historic trail, his route turned north along what is now part of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) toward Scott Pass.

When Scott pioneered this trail, he traveled with a thousand head of stock and nine big freight wagons. Existing roads at that time extended only as far east as Vida, about 20 miles east of Eugene. As a result, Scott's party had to hack their way through the dense forest on the western slopes of the Cascades, and it took them several weeks to do so.

The hike begins at a trailhead on the west (or north) side of Highway 242. The trail crosses the road and heads due east toward the PCT. The forest, at the beginning of this hike, is principally lodgepole pine but turns to mostly hemlock at higher elevations. Some firs also appear as the elevation increases.

About 2.5 miles east of the highway, the trail crosses in and out of lava flows and cinder deposits, and the hike becomes a window to the volcanic history of our region. Along the way, sweeping views of the mountains open up, and the trail also offers a good look at Collier Glacier, which has been rapidly retreating up its glacial valley over the last century. I remember that, fifty years ago, it looked more than twice as big from this spot. The trail also provides a rare perspective from which 7,810-foot high Little Brother is not totally overshadowed by his much taller Three Sisters.

Collier Cone, Yapoah Crater, and Four In One Cone are other prominent features seen from this trail that are not in the usual visual spectrum for residents of Sisters. My hiking companion, who has backpacked all of Oregon's PCT (and more), remarked that this area has the best scenery of all.

Having started at an elevation of about 4,800 feet, this hike tops out at 6,320 feet before descending into a huge, gorgeous meadow, where the trail joins up with the PCT. This area is a real wildflower hot spot in the early summer.

A small seasonal stream in the meadow dries up late in the season, but is still a nice place for a lunch break. Although the total elevation gain to this point is a little over 1,500 feet, the grade has been reasonable, giving the hiker a break for what is yet to come. The scenery here is unsurpassed. Close-up views of the western slopes of the North and Middle Sisters are unique to this trail.

This trail junction is where Scott turned north for the pass that now bears his name. However, today's hike turns south on the PCT and heads for the very steep Opie Dilldock Pass, named for an obscure cartoon character of the early 1900s. It was named by Forest Service packer Dee Wright and McKenzie Bridge District Ranger Ralph Engels in 1932.

The pair was having a tough time crossing through this area until they found this difficult route, and they thought of the cartoon character who was renowned for always finding a way out of ridiculously difficult situations. Feeling that they had found a solution reminiscent of one of Opie's escapades, they named the pass they found after the cartoon character.

Wright, of course, supervised the Civilian Conservation Corps construction of the rock observatory atop McKenzie Pass that bears his name. The lava-rock landmark was named in his honor after he died in 1934, prior to completion of the structure in 1935.

From the PCT junction, it is 3.7 miles over Opie Dilldock Pass to the next trail junction. The north side of Opie is steep, but the switchbacks descending the south side are even steeper, making a clockwise circuit of this loop a smart decision. Traditional south-to-north PCT hikers have to ascend this monster from the steep side!

Continuing south, the PCT meets up with the upper end of Glacier Way Cut Off, which is your cue to take this steep westbound trail 0.8 mile downhill to a wildflower-laced meadow. However, if a 13.3 mile hike is not enough, you have the option of adding three more miles by continuing south 1.1 miles to the junction of the Obsidian Trail.

With mountain streams and plentiful wildflower meadows, I have long considered the Obsidian Trail to be one of the premiere hikes into the Three Sisters Wilderness. The first time I hiked this route was in 1966 on the way to the summits of the North and Middle Sisters.

Another memorable excursion was in 1987, when one of my sons and I hiked from the McKenzie Highway to Century Drive. We hiked, on the west side, south as far as the saddle between the Middle and South Sisters. Then we crossed over to the east side through the Chambers Lakes and continued cross-country south into the Green Lakes Basin.

That sort of major expedition isn't necessary, though, to enjoy an outing on the Obsidian Trail. However, it has become harder to be spontaneous with this hike since a special entry permit is now required for the trail.

The Forest Service has designated the Obsidian Trail region as a "heavy-use area," and limited entry permits have been required since the mid-1990s. The purpose of the permits, of course, is to limit user impact. Prior to imposition of this requirement, the area was being significantly damaged by over-use.

The Forest Service considers that the permit system has successfully and significantly mitigated damage to the area. Permits are supposedly "free," but there is a $6 "transaction fee" associated with the permit process. Permits are limited to 30 day-use hikers per day and 40 overnight users.

The permit system is so effective in reducing traffic that, during this recent hike, we did not see a single hiker in the permit area. The only hiker we did see near the area was skirting the high-use area because he was unable to obtain a permit.

The reason for the Obsidian Trail becoming a high-use area is, of course, obvious. Spectacular vistas are seen in every direction. Obsidian Falls and a field of sparkling obsidian chips are a bonus for taking the longer route. The volcanic obsidian rocks, from which this trail takes its name, are especially abundant in this area and played an important role in the area's cultural history. For thousands of years, Native Americans sought out this area as a source for high-quality obsidian for the making of tools and weapons.

If you treasure the gorgeous high-mountain haunts of the Cascades, then this is a hike for you. Regardless of whether you choose the 13.3- or 16.3-mile versions, you end up at a trail junction where the Glacier Way Cutoff joins the Obsidian Trail. From here it is "only" four miles back to your car at the trailhead.

To enjoy this hike, take the McKenzie Pass Highway (242) west from Sisters. From the pass summit, continue west for another 5.6 miles and turn right (west) at the Scott Lake turnoff. There is a sign advising of the approaching turn, but there is an intervening turnoff, as well; so wait until you are abreast of the brown Scott Lake sign before turning off. Once off the highway, the Scott Trail parking lot is the next immediate right.

Almost the entire hike is within the Three Sisters Wilderness boundary, so wilderness permits are required and are free at the trailhead kiosk. Always be properly equipped for wilderness travel - particularly on a hike of this length and difficulty - and remember that weather conditions can change rapidly in the mountains.

Limited entry permits for the Obsidian Trail can be obtained online at http://www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Permits can be printed online within 14 days of use, so it is no longer necessary to obtain them directly from the McKenzie District Ranger Station.