Obsidian Trail to Collier Cone

Difficult day hike to the lava field just before Collier Cone. I left Portland at 4:30 am and arrived at McKenzie Pass via Detroit lake almost three hours on the nose later. Parked at the Obsidian Trailhead, having bought my $6 permit online last night. I chose the Obsidian approach rather than the Scott Trail or the one that goes past Matthieu Lakes because it seemed to be just a hair shorter. The first three miles of this hike are in dense dry forest, and run along the Obsidian Cliffs. Shards of obsidian litter parts of the trail. A short side trip leads to the Obsidian Falls, which I bypassed. The trail climbs gently through bug-and-flower filled meadows, and eventually meets the PCT, which takes you to the base of Collier Cone just before Opie Dilldock Pass. 7.5 miles in (I floundered at a junction a little, adding an extra half mile), staring up the red cinder cone in the sun and heat, I decided that it would be foolhardy at best to scramble 700 ft though pumice the way I was feeling. Another future overnighter, or maybe an October hike?