We wanted to go snowshoeing but decided to wait for a refresh of the snow before we do that.  Instead, we chose to enjoy this "short and sweet hike" closer to home.  I'm glad we did.  We took a leisurely approach, both with a late start time (1:00) and the pace, which suited both of us just fine.  There are plenty of small details to enjoy along with the nice views of the river and Russian Butte on the other side.  We started at the second lot (toilets were in good condition) and chose a clockwise route for the loop.  Considering that this was a holiday, there were surprisingly few people on the trail with us.

The early morning fog and the protected river valley kept temperatures in the mid 30's with pockets of frost alongside the trail, but generally good trail conditions.  We detoured out to the river for a bit, where there was a bit of warm sunshine to enjoy, and unobstructed views to the mountains on the other side.  Soon we arrived at the bridge across the outlet and saw a thin sheet of ice over the lake at that point.  From there the trail heads gently uphill, skirting above the entirety of the U-shaped lake.  Lots of nice viewpoints along the way and moss, lichen, and ferns in every direction.  Occasional sunlight filtering through the forest provided backlighting that emphasized the beautiful moss on the trunks and branches.  

There is a wonderful old cedar stump partway up the trail with trees growing on the top sending roots down along the surface of the stump.  We kept our eyes peeled for hair ice but only found one decent example early on.  With the cooling trend as the week progresses, I expect that there will be quite a bit more in a few days.  I've seen it here before.  Especially look for it on the fallen alder branches and logs.  

2.2 miles, 90 feet gain.  Quite the tame hike.

Happy winter solstice! And happy year of monthly Oxbow Loop hikes to me! I’ve visited this trail every month in 2025, and it’s been rewarding to see how it changes with the seasons. It’s been such a meaningful experience for me during a difficult year. Also lucked out today and hiked during a break in the rain.

If you take the side trail to the river, you’ll see how high the recent floodwaters were. I hiked with my dad, who’s 5’6, and there were signs that the water would have been above his head during the recent storm. It was pretty wild to imagine. It also looks like the river reconnected with the lake during the flood; the lake is the highest I’ve seen it and colored with river silt.

SE Lake Dorothy Rd is still closed, so you have to take the Middle Fork road in. There’s one short section that is one-way due to, I’m assuming, slide danger. There are some branches from blowdowns jutting out into the road in a few places, so drive aware.

The trail is mostly clear, there are a few small blowdowns but they weren’t difficult to step over.

Short solstice walk in the wools. Saw one other party. Plenty of blowdowns from recent storms but not hard to get around….

I met up with a friend for a post-Thanksgiving hike on this trail since they had never been to the Middlefork area before. We hiked from the second lot, including the connector trail - the mountain/river views from that section were fogged in when we started but clear on the return trip. It was more crowded than I was expecting today, even for a holiday Friday (got the last spot in the larger parking lot at 10am), but the weather was gorgeous so I’m glad people were getting outside. Lots of families, dogs, and kids on the trail.

There were two trees down across the trail, one shin-high at the lowest end and the other about knee high. Both were fairly simple for mobile adults to step over but since this trail sees a variety of users I wanted to mention them. Other than that the trail was in great shape, and not much mud or any standing water even after all the recent rain.

Restrooms were open and stocked, and trash was being picked up as we were leaving. The door for the toilet on the right side does not lock but the lock on the other one was functional.

This morning I did a quick stop at the Oxbow Loop Trail as a warmup for Otter/Big Creek Falls and Garfield Ledges. Nobody was in the parking lot or on the trail at 7:45, and I traveled at 3.5 mph along a raised gravel path in great condition, taking in the birds (golden-crowned kinglets, a thrush, a downy woodpecker, stellers jay, raven, towhee, Pacific wren, and a few frogs) as I went. 

No trees or branches blocked the path, and without a drop of rain all day I was able to shoot a few photos of the lake from the bridge before heading back to my car. I covered .93 miles in 17 minutes as a great warm-up for the rest of our hiking.