On October 6th, a brilliant autumn day, five CONC members set off on a hike that embraced several of the Newberry Crater National Monument signature features. The hike was led by Jacque Tennant and assisted by Roz O’Donoghue. The hike began near the base of the Big Obsidian Flow. This is one of the monument’s youngest features, having resulted from eruptions only about 1300 years ago.
From there, the group hiked to the Rim trail, zigzagging upwards besides the obsidian flow with view of Paulina lake and East lake. Up on the Rim were views southward, including Fort Rock and Hager Mountain. The group then continued on the Rim trail to the summit of Paulina Peak, a lofty 7,948 ft elevation, stopping for a lunch with spectacular views of the lakes 1650 ft below. After lunch the group descended down the Rim trail to Paulina lake. The next 3 miles were along the lovely shoreline of Paulina lake, with the beginning of fall colors in the forest. The group completed the hike on the Silica trail, returning to the cars. It was a full day, with 13 miles walked and over 1600 ft of elevation gain. The tired yet content hikers agreed it was a day well spent.
