3 of us set out from the parking lot just after 7:30 this morning for a stellar hike of McClellan Butte in perfect conditions. It was the first time for my 2 hiking partners. The last time I did it was on 5/28 with my dog, when we had a ton of snow on the north side in the runnels (that report and photos for comparison - I love seeing changes in routes over the seasons -- at https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report-2024-05-28.155945340511)
There are tons of mushrooms and a few blueberries up high. Not a lot of fall color yet, just starting. We saw some slugs, chipmunks, and squirrels, and heard a pica and 11 bird species. Nobody with dogs (mine doesn't scramble so I left him home). We chose to have a lunch picnic just below the scramble after exploring partway up the route and deciding not to go all the way to the top.
The latrine was out of toilet paper when we arrived, but someone had resupplied it by the time we came down, along with a ticket for my companions' car. The permit for McClellan Butte is NORTHWEST FOREST PASS. There were 5 cars in the lot when we arrived at 7:30 and about a dozen at 1:45 when we returned. Shoulder season on a beautiful Saturday means space and solace on popular trails! Get out and enjoy.
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