Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin trail Date Climbed: 7/4/04
Out of shape, took 7.5 hours up and 4.5 hours down
Half way up, gave water to two kids who were coming down alone, no shirts?? Took the snow field and saved a lot of jarring and time on the way down. Anything with stoneworks built on top seems too low to be proud of.
Route Climbed: McLoughlin Date Climbed: 31 August, 2002
Arriving @ 4-Mile Lake (the nearest official campground) @ 3.15 the night before (the morning of?!), waking up @ 7.00, starting early was deemed 2ndary, & I left the TH (~5560') @ 9.11.
The 1st half of the journey worked progressively upwards through the forest, maintaining a steady (but not too steep) incline. The 2nd half was considerably steeper, including some 3rd class as well as steep sand-crawling sections. There were beautiful views on the way up, however. Mt. Thielsen could be made out (@ the summit, anyway), the rolling, heavily-forested Oregon Cascades (all volcanic- not what I was used to!) were all around, several mid-sized lakes were visible, & (at least on the ascent) Mt. Shasta made its presence felt to the S, its tall head rising above the clouds at its base, revealing its might & majesty. The weather was wonderful, being a bit on the warm side.
Arrived @ the summit @ 12.01, descending @ 14.34. Descent uneventful, & reached the TH @ 16.45.
All in all, a beautiful & nice hike. A great intro' to Oregon!
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: September 28, 2004
Camped next to the parking lot after a late arrival in the dark. Woke the next morning to crisp weather and a start about 8:30. Weather was exceptionally nice for early fall. The drive through Medford reveiled 92 degree heat.
It is the most rocky trail I have ever seen. Like a river bed at times. Enjoyed the large boulder hopping towards the top much more than the scree. We were able to make it down about a thousand feet without getting on any scree. Tennis shoes were awesome, expecially ones with sticky rubber. Great view from the top including Shasta, Mt. Ashland, Thielsen, South Sister. Good climb to do once if you don't live in the area.
Route Climbed: East Ridge Trail Date Climbed: July 24th, 2004
Weather couldn't have been better, but got a little warm (103 in Medford). Had to share the summit with two other climbers. If we left 15 minutes earlier, that wouldn't have been the case. Passed at least 30 on the way down. I would suggest an early start. Mosquitoes were really bad on the approach trail.
Route Climbed: East side trail Date Climbed: July 21, 2004
Climbed this one twice before - 7/25/00 and 8/24/97 but this was the the most enjoyable due to weather and getting an earlier start and not having to bust my ass getting back before dark!
The upper trail still sucks - what's with all that money we pay for passes!? We get a nice sign and an outhouse at the trailhead - is that it?
Ok, just had to vent a little - I could go on forever about that one..
2:15 up and 1:25 down. plus about a half hour at the summit to enjoy the view. Passed about 50 people this trip - the mountain is sure getting popular.
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin trail Date Climbed: Aug. 1998
The top affords a 360 degree view that is wonderful. The climb was one of my favorites due to the ample bouldering opportunites on the way up and down. Very little bouldering was required to summit so don't let that scare you off if you aren't a bouldering fan.
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: September 21, 2003
Good views and a high volcano experience, but the "trail" to the top quickly degrades into a very rugged marked route. It's apparent the USFS didn't improve it much a few years ago. Even below treeline it's narrow, steep, and loose. This one might be better done when snow covered.
Route Climbed: McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: 09/20/03
Boy was this HARD! It was a beautifull day, not a cloud around. I recommend LOTS of water, and plenty of determination. This was the first mountain my husband and I climbed together and was a very special moment for us as a couple. I had alot of fun and I wish everyone luck!
Route Climbed: McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: August 24th, 2003
Wonderful hike , awesome trail with very little scree ! Summited in 3.5 hours from TH with my 13 yo daughter, spent nearly 2 hours on top enjoying the gorgeous views of all the surrounding lakes and mountains . Be sure to stay on the ridge on the decent so you will connect with the main trail back to TH.
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: July 4, 2003
This was my first hike. I loved it, despite the 70+ mosquito bites I came home with. I'm the best bug repellent for anyone who is with me. The views were beautiful. The rock scramble to the top was a blast (like I said my first hike). I was graceful enough to knock my camera down inside some rocks at the summit. Much to the dismay of my fellow hikers it was successfully retrieved with a trekking pole. As we started the scramble back down we were advised that the snow was the quickest way down the mountain. My partner, Cornvallis, took to the snowfield like butter on bread, but once I got there (I have no snow experience at all) I took a couple of steps down the snowfield and quickly learned what glissading is. I lost 1000ft fast and uncontrollable! What a rush! Overall, a great beginning mountain for me. I couldn’t wait to do another.
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: July 4, 2003
Dean and I met in Klamath Falls the morning of the 4th and drove up to the trail. As he mentioned in his report, the mosquitos in the forest were voracious, and I got my legs royally drilled. Great hike with long views. It was my 23rd Oregon county highpoint.
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: July 4th, 2003
Beautiful day and an amazing mountain. Once above timberline the trail becomes hard to follow, so just aim for the summit above and enjoy the scramble. Incredible views of the glacier carved northe face along the ridge on the way up. Once on the summit we met fellow SummitPost members Dean and RBolton. Great guys who introduced me to this site. Thanks guys, I have been oh so productive lately spending all of my time on the computer ;-) They were warming up for climbing Thielsen the next day. We had planned on doing the same, but ended up spending the majority of the next day at this little lake on the way called Crater Lake. It deserved the whole day, so we decided to do Thielsen later in the summer. After a miraculous rescue of one of my cameras that was dropped in between the boulders piled up on the summit we headed back down. Got a little glissading in on a snowfield on the east side. Contoured back over to the ridge to find the trai, and headed back down the trail.
Route Climbed: Normal trail / ridge route Date Climbed: July 4, 2003
What better way to celebrate the 4th than climb a good sized mountain. RBolton and I made the effort to gain the highpoint of Jackson County and we were surprised by how nice the summit and the view we had were. Slightly hazy but all the mountains from the Sisters to the north to Shasta southward made their presence known. We spent a good hour on the summit enjoying the views and socializing with some great people we met up there We saw a miraculous rescue of a camera that had been dropped into the summit rocks proving once again the value of a trekking pole.
Mt. Thielsen was our objective for the following day and we had a good look at it from the summit of big Mac. Great day.
Don't forget your bug repellent for the lower reaches of the trail
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail 3716 Date Climbed: August 2002
Easy hike up to summit trail. Beautiful area and beautiful day. Hike to summit is fairly simple and few people are on this mountain. New climbers would benefit from this climb. Climbed McLoughlin as a warm up for Thielsen the next day.
Route Climbed: Summit Trail Date Climbed: late March, 2003
Summited on snowshoes. had nice views of Shasta. Saw 4 other people coming down as i was on my way up. Very fun hike except that i forgot sunscreen and got a pretty bad sunburn, but it was worth the pain. I won't forget sunscreen again.
awagher - May 30, 2005 3:51 pm
Route Climbed: East Ridge (Trail) Date Climbed: May 28th, 2005Good day out. 5hrs round round trip with forjan and Mathew Holliman.
Dennis Poulin - Mar 27, 2005 2:04 pm
Route Climbed: Northeast Ridge Date Climbed: 27 October 2002Tough, Tough scree climb from Fourmile Lake. This was my 7th time up Mt. McLoughlin.
onandupwards - Jan 22, 2005 11:34 pm
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin trail Date Climbed: 7/4/04Out of shape, took 7.5 hours up and 4.5 hours down
Half way up, gave water to two kids who were coming down alone, no shirts?? Took the snow field and saved a lot of jarring and time on the way down. Anything with stoneworks built on top seems too low to be proud of.
Diggler - Nov 8, 2004 3:12 am
Route Climbed: McLoughlin Date Climbed: 31 August, 2002Arriving @ 4-Mile Lake (the nearest official campground) @ 3.15 the night before (the morning of?!), waking up @ 7.00, starting early was deemed 2ndary, & I left the TH (~5560') @ 9.11.
The 1st half of the journey worked progressively upwards through the forest, maintaining a steady (but not too steep) incline. The 2nd half was considerably steeper, including some 3rd class as well as steep sand-crawling sections. There were beautiful views on the way up, however. Mt. Thielsen could be made out (@ the summit, anyway), the rolling, heavily-forested Oregon Cascades (all volcanic- not what I was used to!) were all around, several mid-sized lakes were visible, & (at least on the ascent) Mt. Shasta made its presence felt to the S, its tall head rising above the clouds at its base, revealing its might & majesty. The weather was wonderful, being a bit on the warm side.
Arrived @ the summit @ 12.01, descending @ 14.34. Descent uneventful, & reached the TH @ 16.45.
All in all, a beautiful & nice hike. A great intro' to Oregon!
Pawkala - Sep 29, 2004 5:28 pm
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: September 28, 2004Camped next to the parking lot after a late arrival in the dark. Woke the next morning to crisp weather and a start about 8:30. Weather was exceptionally nice for early fall. The drive through Medford reveiled 92 degree heat.
It is the most rocky trail I have ever seen. Like a river bed at times. Enjoyed the large boulder hopping towards the top much more than the scree. We were able to make it down about a thousand feet without getting on any scree. Tennis shoes were awesome, expecially ones with sticky rubber. Great view from the top including Shasta, Mt. Ashland, Thielsen, South Sister. Good climb to do once if you don't live in the area.
millsb40 - Sep 29, 2004 12:37 am
Route Climbed: East Ridge Trail Date Climbed: July 24th, 2004Weather couldn't have been better, but got a little warm (103 in Medford). Had to share the summit with two other climbers. If we left 15 minutes earlier, that wouldn't have been the case. Passed at least 30 on the way down. I would suggest an early start. Mosquitoes were really bad on the approach trail.
Don Nelsen - Sep 24, 2004 8:23 pm
Route Climbed: East side trail Date Climbed: July 21, 2004Climbed this one twice before - 7/25/00 and 8/24/97 but this was the the most enjoyable due to weather and getting an earlier start and not having to bust my ass getting back before dark!
The upper trail still sucks - what's with all that money we pay for passes!? We get a nice sign and an outhouse at the trailhead - is that it?
Ok, just had to vent a little - I could go on forever about that one..
2:15 up and 1:25 down. plus about a half hour at the summit to enjoy the view. Passed about 50 people this trip - the mountain is sure getting popular.
Ol Walsher - Jul 19, 2004 9:23 pm
Route Climbed: Mount McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: July 10, 2004Hiked with my dad and his wife. An amazing summit with spectacular views. Weather was perfect. A bit of scramble at the top.
wolf - Feb 26, 2004 12:00 pm
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin trail Date Climbed: Aug. 1998The top affords a 360 degree view that is wonderful. The climb was one of my favorites due to the ample bouldering opportunites on the way up and down. Very little bouldering was required to summit so don't let that scare you off if you aren't a bouldering fan.
dkantola - Sep 22, 2003 2:00 am
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: September 21, 2003Good views and a high volcano experience, but the "trail" to the top quickly degrades into a very rugged marked route. It's apparent the USFS didn't improve it much a few years ago. Even below treeline it's narrow, steep, and loose. This one might be better done when snow covered.
poet221877 - Sep 21, 2003 7:29 pm
Route Climbed: McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: 09/20/03Boy was this HARD! It was a beautifull day, not a cloud around. I recommend LOTS of water, and plenty of determination. This was the first mountain my husband and I climbed together and was a very special moment for us as a couple. I had alot of fun and I wish everyone luck!
Michelle Vestal
mtndave - Aug 28, 2003 9:59 pm
Route Climbed: McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: August 24th, 2003Wonderful hike , awesome trail with very little scree ! Summited in 3.5 hours from TH with my 13 yo daughter, spent nearly 2 hours on top enjoying the gorgeous views of all the surrounding lakes and mountains . Be sure to stay on the ridge on the decent so you will connect with the main trail back to TH.
annaleiserabinek - Aug 26, 2003 12:47 pm
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: July 4, 2003This was my first hike. I loved it, despite the 70+ mosquito bites I came home with. I'm the best bug repellent for anyone who is with me. The views were beautiful. The rock scramble to the top was a blast (like I said my first hike). I was graceful enough to knock my camera down inside some rocks at the summit. Much to the dismay of my fellow hikers it was successfully retrieved with a trekking pole. As we started the scramble back down we were advised that the snow was the quickest way down the mountain. My partner, Cornvallis, took to the snowfield like butter on bread, but once I got there (I have no snow experience at all) I took a couple of steps down the snowfield and quickly learned what glissading is. I lost 1000ft fast and uncontrollable! What a rush! Overall, a great beginning mountain for me. I couldn’t wait to do another.
Bob Bolton - Jul 17, 2003 7:47 pm
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: July 4, 2003Dean and I met in Klamath Falls the morning of the 4th and drove up to the trail. As he mentioned in his report, the mosquitos in the forest were voracious, and I got my legs royally drilled. Great hike with long views. It was my 23rd Oregon county highpoint.
Cornvallis - Jul 16, 2003 11:49 pm
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: July 4th, 2003Beautiful day and an amazing mountain. Once above timberline the trail becomes hard to follow, so just aim for the summit above and enjoy the scramble. Incredible views of the glacier carved northe face along the ridge on the way up. Once on the summit we met fellow SummitPost members Dean and RBolton. Great guys who introduced me to this site. Thanks guys, I have been oh so productive lately spending all of my time on the computer ;-) They were warming up for climbing Thielsen the next day. We had planned on doing the same, but ended up spending the majority of the next day at this little lake on the way called Crater Lake. It deserved the whole day, so we decided to do Thielsen later in the summer. After a miraculous rescue of one of my cameras that was dropped in between the boulders piled up on the summit we headed back down. Got a little glissading in on a snowfield on the east side. Contoured back over to the ridge to find the trai, and headed back down the trail.
Dean - Jul 6, 2003 2:15 am
Route Climbed: Normal trail / ridge route Date Climbed: July 4, 2003What better way to celebrate the 4th than climb a good sized mountain. RBolton and I made the effort to gain the highpoint of Jackson County and we were surprised by how nice the summit and the view we had were. Slightly hazy but all the mountains from the Sisters to the north to Shasta southward made their presence known. We spent a good hour on the summit enjoying the views and socializing with some great people we met up there We saw a miraculous rescue of a camera that had been dropped into the summit rocks proving once again the value of a trekking pole.
Mt. Thielsen was our objective for the following day and we had a good look at it from the summit of big Mac. Great day.
Don't forget your bug repellent for the lower reaches of the trail
Dan Winter - Jun 25, 2003 11:01 pm
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail Date Climbed: 6-14-03It was a nice day, and only a few other hikers out. The ranger nabbed me for no trail pass. Oh well it was worth the 6 bucks.
nicci_lee - Jun 22, 2003 10:18 am
Route Climbed: Mt. McLoughlin Trail 3716 Date Climbed: August 2002Easy hike up to summit trail. Beautiful area and beautiful day. Hike to summit is fairly simple and few people are on this mountain. New climbers would benefit from this climb. Climbed McLoughlin as a warm up for Thielsen the next day.
cmc56789 - Apr 27, 2003 11:58 pm
Route Climbed: Summit Trail Date Climbed: late March, 2003Summited on snowshoes. had nice views of Shasta. Saw 4 other people coming down as i was on my way up. Very fun hike except that i forgot sunscreen and got a pretty bad sunburn, but it was worth the pain. I won't forget sunscreen again.
ktnbs - Mar 8, 2003 11:39 am
Route Climbed: Trail Date Climbed: August 1982, October 1984stoned again on mt. pitt