Bit of a hazy, humid day with temperatures climbing into the high 70s.

This is an interesting way to get to Wagner Butte. The trail is most obvious on the two ends. In the middle there is a bit of bushwhacking in fairly open forest helped along by cairns and flagging tape.

We were on top of Wagner Butte by 12:15 for a leisurely lunch. We had views from Shasta to Crater Lake and possibly Bachelor. After lunch the group split with about 1/2 going down the Wagner Butte trail and the other half returning to the cars on FS 20. Not to worry, we did pick up the Wagner Butte group and we all headed to the Caldera Tap house for well earned refreshment.

Overall we rated it as an interesting, if challenging, hike. The main issue is the amount of uphill after lunch, which is in direct contravention of AHG bylaw 1.1 of no uphill after lunch. Some in the group, not naming names, felt that 1,500' after lunch was a bit much. When we got back to McDonald Peak that final 160' looked like climbing Everest.