Last week the weather in Eugene was absolutely amazing! Temperatures were warm, the rain was gone, and everyone was outside enjoying what Eugene, Oregon has to offer. I hiked Spencer Butte from both the Fox Hollow and Willamette trail heads last week and it was beautiful! Wildflowers are blooming and the underbrush is thick and green. Spring is definitely the best season to hike up Spencer’s. Despite rain the weeks before, the trails are drying quickly and park crews have improved some rocky sections of the upper trail (thank you butte workers and volunteers!) These improvements should continue to make the butte one of Eugene’s gems.
Alton Baker Pond: A Great Place to Fish!
Fishing has been great over the past few weeks. Alton Baker Pond has been stocked multiple times and people are catching limits almost daily. The McKenzie and Willamette rivers from Armitage Park downstream have been fishing extremely well. In a few short hours, three of us were caught and released over 50 native fish! Tan Quill bodied March Browns seemed to be the fly of choice, but an Adams Irresistible was also getting it’s fair share of hits. Most of the fish were pretty small, 6-10 inches, but we did land a few fat 12-14 inchers. So far this has been one of the best fishing seasons in years!
Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end, especially during the Spring in Oregon. This week has brought unwelcome wet and rainy weather; even some snow in the high foothills. Fear not, we all know that April showers bring May flowers. Over the next few weeks the Oregon Rivers should be rocking and primed for some Spring rafting! I know I’ll be hitting up the McKenzie: Finn Rock to Prince Helfrich stretch in the next few weeks, perhaps even the North Umpqua or the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival on May 15th and 16th.
I’ll be hitting up the Wild and Scenic Section of the Rogue River this weekend. Flows should be around 7000 cfs at put-in, a bit high, but that just adds to the fun this time of year! Hope you have a great one and enjoy the Eugene Outdoors!
-AdventureMaster