Hager Mountain Lookout via 160 Trail, 1981' e.g., 7.4 miles, 1 night

Hager Mtn Lookout Trail via the 160 Trail

Easily one of the best experiences in my life happened during a weekend in March, ten years ago, when I and three others had rented out the Hager Mountain Lookout. It took 7 hours on snowshoes to reach the summit. Two of us and a dog came up on a Friday, the other two the following day. So much fun. Mind you, it was an absolute slog getting up there.
You might imagine and you are correct, the sunrises and sunsets were spectacular! I'll tell you about it on trail--a lot of things happened over two days. Let's just say we ate and drank well.

You should know that this is actually quite a steep, long hike. The view however, STUNNING 360 panorama view of Christmas Valley and beyond. Bu-lieve me, we'll take all the necessary breaks to get to the top without killing ourselves.

Reports from the field is that the wildflowers are abundant (and have been historically towards the end of June), and only little talk of mosquitos. The gentle breezes near the top keep them away. 80% of the hike is shaded.

The plan: leave early, arrive trailhead, hike to the summit/tower. Perhaps we'll meet Fire Ranger Evelyn! Have a tour, lunch, descend to an area .5 to 1.5 miles below the summit, make camp. The following morning, it's a steep 2.4 or 4 miles hike back to our vehicles (depending on our campsite location).

THERE ARE NO WATER SOURCES ALONG THE ENTIRE TRAIL. Recommend bringing at least 2-3 liters of water. Consider cold-soaking your evening meal. We...melted snow for water.

What to bring: the 10 Essentials, TWO days worth of water, a packable lunch, dinner meal. Hiking poles are highly advisable. The cell-phone coverage is excellent at the summit.

I'll need a couple of drivers with permits to volunteer their vehicles. It takes approximately 2 hours to reach the trailhead. We all pitch in $5 for gas.

We are driving south past the Cowboy Dinner Tree; the trailhead is on the left. When we come back down following day, the plan is to 'debrief' at the Ol' Watering Hole in Silver Lake before we head back to Bend.