23 miles of hiking • 2000' elevation gain • 1 night
Lavapalooza, Day Five! This one was totally off my radar, but a friend had mentioned she wanted to go see it, I took a quick look at the 'net, and couldn't have been happier to accompany! What a treat. The water has a mystical blueness to it that defies the imagination. Tamolitch Pool, aka "Blue Pool", is positively electric! Never seen such a stretch of beauty before.
We started out about 2 miles south of Blue Pool, and warmed up with a brisk walk up to that, which we were able to enjoy entirely by ourselves at this early hour. Continuing on past the Carmen Reservoir, we crossed the river and walked beside countless waterfalls along the east bank of the McKenzie. While Koosah and Sahalie were the standouts, there were numerous little cascading steps that offered pool after pool of stunning blueness. A bit past Sahalie Falls, we found one such pool to provide the perfect lunch spot!
After lunch, we continued north, and then along the eastern edge of Clear Lake. Again, the color of the lake was just stunning. The water so clear! There were several lava fields to cross, which were a cause of concern since we had a dog along with us. As it turned out, all but the last had a paved pathway through, making it far easier for our barefoot companion. Vine maples were already beginning to turn, and the scenery was just delightful.
Rounding the lake, we discovered even more deep aquamarine pools. Just incredible. At about 15 miles in, we were realizing how much of our water we'd already consumed! Luckily, we were right at a little group of cabins, and came across a potable water spigot to refill at. The rest of the southward return was rather non-eventful, and somewhat hurried, as our imagined 17-miler had mysteriously grown by another 30%!
If you find yourself in this neck of the woods, this National Recreational Trail is surely worth a run!
