We explored the Songer Wayside Trail at Emigrant Lake on two separate hikes.

The scouting party went out Saturday morning to learn this new trail on the east side of Songer Peninsula. Jerry brought his friend Gary who's getting back into hiking and Liz and I were happy to welcome back Barry to our group.

We canceled a hike on Monday due to too much rain and wind. It was rescheduled for Tuesday afternoon and I was joined by Sunny as well as Linda and Randy. We had good photos from both hikes.

We were completing the first phase of our hiking project at Emigrant. Learning all the trail options around the peninsula and ways up to both Little Songer Butte and Songer Butte. We also got several views of Major Butte (3,385') across the lake and wondered if there might be access roads and paths up to that summit. That might be a project for late Spring or Summer.

On our way out to the Songer Wayside turnoff on Highway 66 we stopped across from the Greensprings Spur turnoff to view an historic marker. The yellow Applegate Trail marker signified the route of wagon trains through the Greensprings to the Applegate from 1846 to 1919 when Highway 66 was laid down.

Liz provided a brochure of a self guided tour of 14 such markers stretching along Highway 66 from the Emigrant Lake main entrance to the Jackson county line up in the Greensprings. Our marker was named Songer Gap after William Songer a pioneer from Indiana who farmed locally in the 1850's.

The final section of the Wayside Trail was a 5 mile out and back with a 330' gain.

Happy Trails,
Rich  

Track download: Songer Buttes Trail 1-2-21.gpx