MOUNT PISGAH ARBORETUM
Saturday was my birthday, and it was wonderful! Tom and I went hiking on Mt. Pisgah with my daughter Loreen, her husband Damon and my 14 month old granddaughter Beatrix. The weather was cloudy, but pleasant.
I recommend you do this on a cloudy day. Some of the hike goes through beautiful shady woods, but much of it is through hot sunny fields. The views of oak savannas and beyond to the city are magnificent! Mt. Pisgah is 209 acres with well maintained paths. The summit is at 1,531 feet, 471 feet above the valley floor.
Wildlife abounds. We saw deer and a lizard on this hike.
We took a small trail off the main trail. It stopped after a while and we had to backtrack, but it sure was beautiful. Wow, the ferns!
The summit has a panoramic view of the Willamette Valley. You can see Eugene to the northwest, Springfield to the north, Creswell and Cottage Grove to the south.
There is a bronze relief sculpture at the summit that is a memorial for Ken Kesey’s son Jed and Lorenzo West. Jed and Lorenzo were killed on the way to a wrestling match when the van they were in encountered white-out conditions and plunged over a 300 foot cliff.
While we rested at the top, we saw parachutes coming down near the strawberry fields on Seavey Loop. The U-picks there will be another blog when the strawberries are ripe!
We saw lots more wildflowers on the way down.
Filed under: Mount Pisgah, Outdoor Activities on June 12th, 2008
GREAT PHOTOS! THANKS FOR SHARING – MY FAMILY AND I WILL BE IN EUGENE FOR A WEEK NEXT MONTH AND WE’LL TAKE THE WALK UP MT PISGAH – AGAIN THANK YOU
If it’s a hot sunny day, you might like the Ridgeline Trail better. Wear a hat if you’re going up Mt. Pisgah on a sunny day.
I did not know Jed. I knew Lorenzo. I was at UofO from 1981-1985.
I met Lorenzo in at the dorms (I was a soccer player). His smile stays with me forever.
We played (he played trombone and I played saxaphone) in the dorms. He lit up the room wherever he was.
I know his family must miss him so much….I know exactly where he is.
I look forward to seeing Lorenzo in heaven!
Joe Dinneen
Thanks for the pictures. Can’t wait to see it. God bless
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