Tidbits Mountain

Inspired by a recent article by local author William Sullivan in the outdoors section of The (Eugene) Register-Guard, longtime trail partner and former EWEB colleague Steve Still and I decided to hike the route to this little-known mountain near the hamlet of Blue River in the upper McKenzie River Valley on Wednesday, July 9.

The trail traverses through an old growth Douglas fir forest with giant trees -- some of which are six feet in diameter -- which provided a shady canopy on what would be another scorcher of a day. Wild rhododendrons, gentians and trilliums led to patches of beargrass with spectacular flowers resembling a Fourth of July mortar burst (below).

The trail features cliffs with interesting pinnacles -- the digit-like “tidbits” that give the mountain its name -- and a rockslide near the summit with cheeping pikas known as “rock rabbits.” At the top, the forest transforms from large firs to diminutive, wind-swept Alaska yellow cedars, with a groundcover of colorful pink penstemon.

The summit, an old lookout site, includes sweeping views of the Cascades from Mt. Hood on the north to Diamond Peak on the south. Despite the 1,300-foot elevation gain from trailhead to the top of Tidbits, the grade is oh-so-gradual, making the hike relatively easy enough that you can bring the kids if you like.