|
Waldo Lake
There’s only one Waldo
There are over 500 named lakes in the Willamette National Forest, but there’s only one Waldo Lake. Waldo is one of the world's most outstanding natural features. At more than ten square miles, it's the largest natural lake in western Oregon, and the second deepest. Because of the large size of the lake relative to the size of the basin it drains, and because it has no permanent inlet, Waldo contains some of the purest H2O in the world.
Waldo’s vast volume of water is what scientists call “ultraoligotrophic”—a fancy word that means that the water is very unproductive, supporting little or no biological activity. The bottled water you buy at the store is probably dirtier.
Fall is the ideal time to enjoy Waldo. Shrubs and hardwood trees are turning crimson and gold, but more importantly, the mosquitoes have mostly died off. Camping during the height of the mosquito season from late June to early August can be thoroughly miserable.
To get to there, drive Highway 58 east from Oakridge. Three miles west of Willamette Pass, take a left on Waldo Lake Road (FS 5897). There are three campgrounds between mileposts 6 and 13 from which you can launch a boat, or start a hiking or biking trip.
One of the best ways to get to know Waldo is a mountain bike trip on the Waldo Lake trail, a 22 mile loop that circles the lake. Start off at the North Waldo Campground and head west. The first part of your trip takes you through the eerie bleached white trunks of the 1996 Charlton Fire. After four miles or so, you’ll cross the lake’s only outlet, the North Fork of the Middle Fork Willamette River, which flows through the 37,000 acre Waldo Lake Wilderness to its confluence with the Middle Fork Willamette forty miles downstream. From here, turn south along the west side of lake, which has several moderately steep grades and few views of the lake itself.
There are better views around Shadow Bay at the south end of the lake. From here you can cut up to the road you drove in on, or continue north on the trail to your vehicle. The total trip ought to take most experienced bikers 4-6 hours, unless you stop at one of the lake’s many sandy beaches for a swim and a long lunch.
If you have access to a sailboat or sea kayak, the trip out to the middle of the lake is unforgettable. All the sun’s rays except blue are absorbed by the deep water, leaving the water an intense indigo hue. Bring a large light-colored rock with you and drop it overboard-—you’ll be able to watch it spiral to the bottom of the crystal clear water to an astounding depth of more than a hundred feet.
Waldo is no ordinary lake, but the Forest Service treats it like it was. Current management plans allow gas motors on the lake and heavy recreational use of the lakeshore. Scientists believe that the combination of these activities is slowly eroding the world-class water quality.
To their credit, the Willamette National Forest is planning to change the rules to protect the fragile lakeshore and phase out gas motors. They need to hear from you, so as soon as you get back from your hiking, biking or boating, send an email to comments.pacificnorthwest-willamette@fs.fed.us and let the Forest Service know there’s only one Waldo and you want it to stay that way.
It's the Water
Hiking, biking, sailing, canoeing, and kayaking: Waldo Lake's got it all.
I am a serious football fan. In my universe, there's only a few things more fun than screaming your lungs out along with 60,000 drunken idiots in a certain over-sized concrete bathtub on the north bank of the Willamette River.
And you can do them all on or around Waldo Lake, nestled in a large alpine basin between Diamond Peak and the Three Sisters east of Eugene. To get there drive Highway 58 east from Oakridge. Three miles west of Willamette Pass, take a right on Waldo Lake Road (FS 5897). There are three campgrounds between mileposts 6 and 13 from which you can launch a boat or start a hike.
Waldo Lake is one of the world's most outstanding natural features. At more than ten square miles, it's the largest natural lake in western Oregon, and the second deepest. Because of the large size of the lake relative to the size of the basin it drains, and because it has no permanent inlet, Waldo contains some of the purest H2O in the world, similar in composition to distilled water.
If a city gone crazy with college football is getting you down, try renting a kayak or canoe and spending the afternoon on Waldo Lake. You can also bike or hike portions of the Waldo trail, which hugs the lake's 22 miles of shoreline. The prettiest part of the trail is along the southern shore. Rigdon Butte and the northern section of the trail provide great views of the gorgeous cobalt blue waters. You can also take excursions into the 30,000-acre Waldo Wilderness, which surrounds the lake on three sides. I like to pack a canoe full of food and camping gear and float around all day, then pull into one of the many sandy beaches in the evening and watch the stars while the waves lap at the shore.
I took my rusty trusty sailboat up to Waldo for a day trip last weekend. Every other vehicle in the parking lot has a big green "O" in the window, so I figure a good portion of the boobus americanus population will be at the big game this Saturday.
My old friend Dr. Jennifer M. F. Miller is my companion for this trip. Miller is an expert on the lives of medieval monks, just back from spending a year in the basement of a moldy monastery in northern France. She knows as much about college football as I do about nuclear physics. She's amused when I tell her our team's called the Fighting Ducks. "I can't imagine anyone takes them very seriously," she sniffs.
It's a perfect day for sailing—blue skies, a ghost-like crescent moon and big puffy clouds. The middle of the lake offers excellent views of Diamond Peak and the Sisters. The big attraction, though, is the water. Waldo Lake is a bad place to dump bodies. The water here is clear. As we glide across the surface we can see the shadow of our boat on the rocky bottom, more than a hundred feet below us. A shiny rock we drop over the side takes more than half a minute to disappear from view.
Waldo Lake has a thousand interesting places to visit. We take in rocky outcroppings, pearl white beaches and pleasant alpine forests. We cruise past Rhododendron Island, Klovdahl Bay and the bleached tree trunks of the Charnelton Butte Fire, which burned more than 9,000 acres along the north shore in 1996. One of the more interesting places to come ashore is at the northwest corner of the lake and the outlet of the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River.
We're having big fun on the lake. Jenny teaches me to swear in Latin and I instruct her in the intricacies of the nickel defense. And tell her about Judge John Breckenridge Waldo, an early Oregon conservationist who convinced President Garfield to establish the Cascade Forest Reserve in 1893. And about a time before clearcuts and motorboats when Judge Waldo shared the lakeshore with giant barren lands grizzly bears. I don't care for motorboats. For one thing, it is just as illegal to drink and operate a powerboat as it is to drink and drive. You can get as blasted as you like in a sailboat.
Not that I recommend drinking and sailing, which can lead to significant inconvenience. Later in the day I run us over some rocks and smash up the rudder (impudens es leno!). I get to row the boat to shore. Sailing is fun.
The real treat comes in the evening just as we reach the dock. The dying sun turns the indigo waters a fiery crimson. We Waldo junkies can stare into the mesmerizing depths of the lake all day. I'll take Waldo over Autzen Stadium every time.
By the way... Waldo Lake needs your help! The introduction of fish into the lake, increased camping pressure along the shoreline, sewage leaks from campgrounds and especially the use of gas motors has significantly degraded the world-famous water quality. The Willamette National Forest is currently preparing a new management plan for the basin. Comments on the plan are due by September 4th. You can urge the Forest Service to protect the only large wilderness lake in Oregon by recommending it as an Outstanding Natural Resource Water, restricting the use of snowmobiles, maintaining the surrounding area in a primitive/wilderness condition and phasing out the use of gas motors (electric motors are a cheap alternative). You can write or email District Ranger Rick Scott c/o Jim Williams, 46375 Hwy. 58, Westfir, OR 97492. Or email jwilliams11@fs.fed.us.
|
