The Strawberry Mtns: Onion Creek Loop Trail, 16 m, 5200' e.g. 2 nts

Onion Creek Loop Trail is a 16 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Prairie City, Oregon that offers scenic views. Alltrails rates this loop as difficult, but that only if you were stupid enough to hike it counterclockwise. We will be traveling clockwise. This way, the initial climb past the lakes will be more gradual. This hike is suitable for an intermediate backpacker. Someone with all their gear but hasn't been out for a year or two, but is reasonably fit.

This outing will be our 2nd time there. With luck again, we'll see many mountain goat. But wait til you see the views!

Attractions: Strawberry Lake, Strawberry Falls, Little Strawberry Lake, Strawberry Mtn.

What will capture your attention is the variety of lichen. No where else in the northwest is home to such diversity of color and propensity.

It takes 3.5 hours to drive there from Bend. I'll need 2 drivers to volunteer their vehicles. We all chip in with gas money.

ITINERARY:
Friday - arrive TH, hike 7 miles to Strawberry Lake. If it's too congested, we go another 1.5 miles to Little Strawberry Lake. Camp #1

Fill up on water here. There is a small babbling creek just before the ascent of Strawberry Mtn; it 'might' be running. But after that there are no more reliable water sources for the remaining 9 miles of our hike.

Saturday - 5 miles to the cliffs just below the summit of Strawberry Mountain. Camp #2

Sunday - our final descent, 4 miles. On our drive back to Bend, we'll stop in Mitchell to debrief at Tiger Town Brewing.

End time is approximate.