Day 42: To Umpqua hot spring

August 20, 2009

I slept until 8. Today will be short and easy, mostly downhill. I got on the road at 9:25, then 3 miles later stopped at the Diamond Lake resort to buy groceries and enjoy the view and warm sunny weather.

I forgot to take a picture of the superb view of 8363-foot Mt. Bailey from the Diamond Lake resort.This picture is from 2 years earlier when I hiked to the summit. But it looked about the same this year.

Then up a hill to connect with Highway 138 west. From there I began a long gentle 2900 foot descent through the dense forest to the North Umpqua river. I visited 3 waterfalls on the way down. Clearwater Falls is 1/2 mile off the highway on a spur road.

Clearwater Falls drops 30 feet in segments.

Whitehorse Falls is only a couple hundred yards off the highway, in a small campgound.

Whitehorse Falls drops 15 feet into a punchbowl.

Watson Falls is 1/4 mile down a spur road, then 1/4 mile hike up a trail.

Wind-blown Watson Falls drops 272 feet. Tallest waterfall in southern Oregon.

Creek below Watson Falls. Moss everywhere.

2.2 miles past the Watson Falls turnoff I turned north onto Forest road 34 to Toketee Lake. The road crosses a huge wooden pipe that diverts much of the North Umpqua river into hydroelectric turbines.

Enormous wooden barrel pipe for the North Umpqua hydro project.

Then the road goes along the shore of Toketee Lake. It's a small reservoir, part of the hydro project.

Past Toketee Lake I turned onto gravel Forest Road 3401 and pedaled 2 miles to the Umpqua hot spring area. I arrived at 12:30PM and set up my free campsite 200 feet from the North Umpqua river, at 2500 feet elevation. I made lunch and relaxed for a long time, enjoying the old growth forest and trying to stay cool in the afternoon heat. Today's high temperature was 88F, same as yesterday. That's surprising, considering how much elevation I lost today. There's a vault toilet nearby and I filtered water from the river.

Free campsite next to a 5 foot diameter Western Red Cedar, with a handy stump table.

Much later I hiked 1/2 mile to Umpqua hot spring. The upper pools are best when in the shade.

Log crossing on the trail to Umpqua hot spring. The footbridge has been out for 3 years.

Upper pools at Umpqua hot spring. The 110F source pool is in the lower right.

The lower pools at Umpqua hot spring have a dizzying view down a steep slope to the North Umpqua river.

I had a long evening soak and didn't get back to my tent until 12:30AM. Several other people came and went but the atmosphere was quiet and mellow, no obnoxious drunks.

Today I was on the bike for not much more than 2 hours. I'm well rested for tomorrow. Home is 77 miles away.

Distance: 30.5 mi (49 km), 2 mi (3 km) on gravel

Climbing: 775 ft (235 m)

Average speed: 14.1 mph 22.6 km/h)

Max speed: 38 mph (61 km/h)

Hiking: 3 mi (4.8 km)

Today's ride: 31 miles (50 km)
Total: 1,808 miles (2,910 km)

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