Wavyleaf paintbrush (Castilleja applegatei var. pinetorum) and northwest balsamroots (Balsamorhiza deltoidea) in bloom along the Fremont National Recreation Trail #160, HagerMountain, Fremont-Winema National Forest...........June 18, 2020. The small trees are curl-leaf mountain mahoganys (Cercocarpus ledifolius).
Directions to Trailhead: Just east of the Silver Lake Ranger Station in Silver Lake, Oregon, head south on paved Forest Road #28, reaching the signed Hager Mountain Trailhead on the left after about 9.3 miles. This offers the longest roundtrip hike and greatest elevation gain. If you choose this hike, park here and walk back north about 100 meters to find the trail. Expect an 8 mile roundtrip hike with 1990 foot elevation gain from this spot.
If you'd like a shorter hike, continue south on FS Road #28 an additional 0.2 miles to FS Road #012 on the left, a dirt road leading uphill through the conifers. Continue uphill about 1.2 miles, passing masses of balsamroot and paintbrush under the trees to where the Fremont National Recreation Trail #160 crosses the road. The trail is faint, but a blue diamond on a tree at the right alerts you to the prescence of a trail. Park where you can (a wide spot in the road is about 50 meters uphill). Expect a 6.6 mile hike with approximate 1700 foot elevation gain from this trailhead.
If you'd like a shorter hike, continue driving uphill on Road #012 to the end of the road (a fainter road heads downhill at a sharp angle to the left). This trailhead has room for about 3-5 vehicles, depending on how everyone parks. This is the Hager Springs Trailhead. A trail sign directs foot traffic to the rightfor about 75 meters before reaching the Fremont Trail. Veer left up the hill, quickly passing fenced Hager Springs (not flowing in May 2016). The trail climbs steadily through conifer forest along the south edge of a clearcut, the path marked by numerous blue diamonds on the trees (put there to aid navigation for winter x-country skiers). After several switchbacks, the trail veers north passing above the old clearcut and soon begins to break out into flower-filled, bunchgrass slopes. At about 1.1 miles from the car, you will reach a signed junction. Veer left to stay on the Fremont Trail and pass along the north-side of Hager Mt., or continue straight on the trail to the summit of Hager Mt, first passing gently through more flower-filled meadows before climbing more steeply through coniferous woods to a shoulder on the south side of the summit. Proceed several hundred meters east, then switchback uphill to the left with the first glimpses of the summit. The trail wraps around the west side of the summit before switchbacking south and climbing directly to a picnic table and outhouse at the summit after a 1.4 mile climb from the previous junction. A fire lookout dominates the summit (7195'). This is manned during the summer. The lookout is available for rent from fall through mid-May, and sees heavy use during that time. Views east show Abert Rim in the distance and Winter Rim about 10 miles east. Views south include Gearhart Mt., Sycan Marsh, Thompson Reservoir and Mount Shasta horizon behind the reservoir. The tree-lined ridge of Yamsay Mountain (8196') dominates the western skyline, although several of the Cascade Peaks can be seen on a nice day. To the north, one can see the pyramidal peak of Bald Mt. (7393') with Newberry Crater behind, and Fort Rock and the Christmas Valley further east in the distance. Expect a 4.4 mile roundtrip hike with 1450 total elevation gain from this trailhead.
Weather: Temperatures in the mid 60s in the morning climbing to the mid 70s by the afternoon. Skies were mostly sunny and the air was clear for good visibility for viewing the Cascades (Mt. Hood in the north to Mt. Shasta in the south)!
* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.
Wolfbane Lichen: Letharia vulpina
California White Fir: Abies concolor x Abies grandis
Western Juniper: Juniperus occidentalis
Lodgepole Pine: Pinus contorta var. latifolia
Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa
* Mountain Brome: Bromus (carinatus var. marginatus ?)
* Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum
* Sandberg's Bluegrass: Poa secunda var. secunda
* Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata
Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus
Washington Lily: Lilium washingtonianum ssp. purpurascens - Blooming in a few days.
* False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule - In bloom around Hager Springs.
Fremont's Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum nudum var. pubiflorum - In bud.
Cushion Buckwheat: Eriogonum (ovalifolium var. purpureum ?) - In bud. At the summit.
* Sulfur Flower Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum var. aureum - Beginning to bloom.
* Nevada Sulfur Flower Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum (var. nevadense .... or var. modocense ?) - Beginning to bloom.
* Douglas' Knotweed: Polygonum douglasii
* Erubescent Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. depressa
Douglas' Campion: Silene (douglasii ?) - In bud at the summit.
Menzie's Campion: Silene menziesii
* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum
Brown's Peony: Paeonia brownii - Past bloom.
* Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens
* Secund Rockcress: Boechera retrofracta
Daggerpods: Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides - Numerous fruits forming at the summit.
* Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum
Saskatoon Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. alnifolia ?)
Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intermontanus
Cinquefoil: Drymocallis sp. - Only basal leaves.
* Broadpetal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. glauca
* Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum ssp. ciliatum
* Oregon Crabapple: Malus fusca ?
Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata
* Common Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa
* Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Still in bloom at the summit.
Rocky Mountain Mountain Ash: Sorbus scopulina
Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp. venosa
* Western Blue Flax: Linum lewisii var. lewisii - Beginning to bloom.
* Mahala Mat: Ceanothus prostratus
Snow Brush: Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus - In bud.
Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium
Large-fruit Desert Parsley: Lomatium macrocarpum
* Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum
* Green-leaved Manzanita: Arctostaphylos patula
Prince's Pine: Chimaphilla umbellata
Pinedrops: Pterospora andromedea - This year's stems beginning to emerge from the ground.
White-veined Wintergreen: Pyrola picta
Spreading Dogbane: Apocynum androsaemifolium
* Yellow-staining Collomia: Collomia tinctoria
* Scarlet Gilia: Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. aggregata - Beginning to bloom.
* Pinnate Ballhead Gilia: Ipomopsis congesta ssp. congesta
* Whiskerbrush: Leptosiphon ciliatus
* Prickly Phlox: Linanthus pungens
* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis - Fading out of bloom.
* Spreading Phlox: Phlox diffusa
* Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata
* Variedleaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla ssp. virgata
* Linear-leaf Phacelia: Phacelia linearis
* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale
Mountain Balm: Monardella odoratissima - Along trail below summit.
* Wavy-leaf Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei var. pinetorum
* Green-tinged Paintbrush: Castilleja chlorotica
* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora
Hotrock Penstemon: Penstemon deustus (var. pedicellatus ?) - In bud.
Creeping Snowberry: Symphoricarpos mollis
* Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus ?
Yarrow: Achillea millefolium
* Mountain Agoseris: Agoseris monticola
* Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria pulvinata
* Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia - Fading out of bloom.
Sagebrush: Artemisia arbuscula
Mountain Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana
* Northwest Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea - Just past peak bloom.
* Rough Eyelashweed: Blepharipappus scaber
* Tapertip Hawksbeard: Crepis acuminata
Gray Hawksbeard: Crepis intermedia - In bud.
Western Hawksbeard: Crepis occidentalis - In bud.
Rabbitbrush Goldenweed: Ericameria bloomeri
Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericamaeria nauseosa (var. speciosus ?)
* Yellow Desert Fleabane: Erigeron linearis
Yarrow-leaved Eriophyllum: Eriophyllum lanatum var. achilleoides - In bud.
Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri
* Woolly Groundsel: Packera cana
* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus
* Salsify: Tragopogon dubius
eBird lists for Hager Mountain
Chipmunks
Red Squirrel
Bald Eagles
Turkey Vultures
Ruffed Grouse - Drumming.
Williamson's Sapsucker
Stellers Jays - Heard
Black-headed Grosbeaks
Mountain Bluebirds
Yellow-rumped Warblers
Dark-eyed Juncos
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Ant Lions
Milbert's Tortoiseshell