Mt. Bachelor has 56 inches of snow, Mt. Hood Meadows has 34 inches at the base and 58 inches mid-mountain and Hoodoo describes their runs as “lots of bare areas with some new snow.” The forecast for a big winter snowfall doesn’t look promising.
For many of Eugene’s winter recreation enthusiasts, the lack of snow has caused
a case of cabin fever. To beat the blues, many have tried seeking new activities at a local venue. That something new could
be found at Skinner Butte Park, a 100 acre property just across the train tracks above downtown Eugene.
With the clear skies and high temperatures of late, the activities at Skinner Butte provide many outdoor recreation opportunities for students. The park features baseball and softball areas, a community garden, picnic tables, a playground with slides and swings, a climbing area, and numerous walking and hiking paths.
A popular park attraction is the overlook area where people can stand on this summit and view the entire city, including the University neighborhood and many downtown landmarks. The Three Sisters and the Willamette river are also visible , making it possible to capture the town and surrounding environment with one quick click of a camera shutter.
“It gives you this great overview of the community to get the lay of the land and check things out,” said Robin Hostick, a landscape architect for the City of Eugene Parks and Open Space Division.
The park has about four miles of trails, some branching directly off the summit. Most aren’t very challenging or lengthy but provide a nice walk in nature. Some trails are paved and lined with moss-covered rocks and ferns; others are dirt and go deeper into the woods. Wooden stairs aid hikers in steep areas.
Arguably the biggest draw of Skinner Butte is an area known as The Columns. Located on the west side of the butte, it has become a well-known public climbing area. Best of all, it’s free. Left over from a basalt quarry that operated between the early 1890s and 1930s, The Columns provide superb outdoor urban climbing.
Lo Williams, a student at Oregon State University, drove to Eugene to check out REI and The Columns. She started climbing a year ago and was able to adapt to her ideal route on the rocks. The difficulty of routes increases from left to right, making The Columns a good place for both experienced and inexperienced climbers.
Kim Haase, an Oregon student who works at the Crux Rock Climbing Gym in Eugene, said it is a good place to train and learn how to use rock climbing gear.
“It’s a gym for crack climbers,” she said, explaining that places like The Columns offer a more realistic experience for climbing than gyms do.
The Columns get busy when the sun
is out, so now is a perfect time for gear-laden climbers to acquaint themselves with
the structure.
Dedicated in 1914, Skinner Butte has been providing recreation opportunities for many years and is one of Eugene’s oldest and most diverse parks.
“One thing it offers is a sense of Eugene’s past,” Hostick said. “It’s not the city’s oldest park, but it is the second oldest. It has been a center of activity and recreation for the city for decades.”
Whether students are looking for hiking, climbing, history or a spectacular view, Skinner Butte is worth the five-minute drive from campus. Why not make it a complete outdoor experience and hop on a bike to get rid of that cabin fever?