Once at the jct. with the Crater Rim trial, I went west-southwest 6 miles downhill to Paulina Lake. My brakes were smoking, my arms were rubber, and my adrenaline spiked as I left the trees at the lakeshore. At this point near the Newberry Welcome Station, you are presented with trail options. You can ride up the Paulina Peak road 3 miles (difficult) and access the Crater Rim trail there, or you can access the Newberry Crater Trail ride to East Lake where you connect back to the Crater Rim trail. I choose this route due to time concerns and I really wanted a swim in East Lake. Keep in mind that the trail to Paulina Peak is Hiker only, so those who bicycle have to ride the road to access the southern portion of the Crater Rim Trail. I rode out through the Cinder Hill campground at East Lake and continued up to the Rim, a steep 2-mile climb. There I encountered the only other person/biker on the trail, and he was surprised to see me!
At this point, it was starting to get dark and I still had 6 miles to go. I found the #61 jct. and headed north downhill. I was having so much fun blasting thru the scenery that I ended up on a snowmobile trail. And before I knew it I had probably dropped 2 miles or so down the wrong trail! So then with map and compass (which did not show the snowmobile road #48), I knew that northward would lead me to the 9710 road where my car was parked. But the idea of bushwhacking under headlamp and spending the night outdoors and missing work, made me turn around to find out where I went wrong. After backtracking for 15 minutes I decided to just follow the trail which was headed generally north. Luckily for me, I ended up on the 9710 road, Whoo Hoo! Now I just need to find my car under the moonlight.
Paulina Peak stretches nearly 8,000 feet above sea level and a hike to the top give you a birds-eye view across the High Desert. It is hard to fathom as you drive through the summit area that you are within a 17 square mile caldera at the summit of a 500 square mile volcano, a volcano that remains very active to this day. Newberry is both seismically and geothermally active. Geologists believe the caldera sits over a shallow magma body only 2 to 5 kilometers deep. Visitors see numerous cinder cones (over 400 throughout the area), miles of basalt flows, as well as rhyolite flows of obsidian. Miles of hiking trails run through the Monument, offering visitors year round opportunities for hiking and exploring.
One of the largest shield volcanoes in North America, Newberry Crater is all that remains of a mountain that once towered above the central Oregon basin. In the not so distant geological past this mountain was over 10,000 feet in height but centuries of violent eruptions and the eventual collapse of the entire summit have left only a huge crater in its place. The 21-mile long rim of this crater varies in height but Paulina Peak is clearly the high point at nearly 8,000 feet. This peak offers views of all the Cascade mountains from Adams to Shasta and of the Oregon desert to the Southeast.
The Crater Rim Trail really is one of Oregon's gems. Put it on your list of things to see.
Being on trail, leaving behind all the stress and worry of everyday living, is where I want to be. It can lead to satisfying lessons and challenging situations. You simply cannot know what you might find when you begin down a trail. The unknown is yours to discover!
Joey Michael Hodgson is a Fire Lookout, firefighter, kayaker, chainsaw carver, writer, and musician. Check out his blog @ https://thelookoutlife.blogspot.com and current music @ https://www.reverbnation.com/thelookoutsband
Facebook group page @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/Onthelookout/
