Oregon Desert Trail (Seg. 9): Colvin Timber to Plush

Dogs Unknown

This section of the ODT passes through the isolated pine forest at Colvin Timbers, continues east on two-track roads through the Coyote Hills, and descends to the Hogback Road, which leads south to Plush. After leaving Colvin Timbers, the route is in exposed sage country, and the two-track roads climb and descend through the canyons of Coyote Hills. While the few springs are somewhat evenly spaced out along the trail here, many of them are unreliable, especially in dry years.

For more info and to download ALL of the waypoints for the ODT, visit ONDA.org.

From the southwest corner of Colvin Timbers (WB146), the ODT follows a dirt road east in the pines, descending to an unreliable outlet from Colvin Lake that crosses the road (WB149; some water July 2012, dry June 2013), and stays on the road until WB150. Here, to avoid private properties to the north and south, the ODT continues east cross-country, descending a short draw (WB151) and meandering northeast to a two-track junction (WB152). From here the ODT follows the two-track north over Snyder Creek (usually dry here) and climbs for about a mile to WB153. At this point the ODT leaves the road and heads east cross-country (this off-road stretch is to avoid a parcel of private land around Webb Lake to the north).

After crossing a small draw (WB154), the ODT meets back up with a two-track road east of Webb Lake (WB155) and continues east-northeast. The ODT crosses under a large transmission line (the same one that the trail crossed under near Christmas Valley) and climbs on the rough two-track road to a saddle to the east (WB157), where it meets with a more well-traveled two-track road and drops briefly to the next junction (WB158), then climbs again to the northeast to a fork in the two-track road (WB159).

Here the ODT takes the right (east) fork, climbs gently over a saddle and meets back up with a two-track road at WB161. From WB161 the trail follows the two-track to the east-southeast and, after a short climb, descends to a road junction just north of Mud Springs (WB162; dry). The ODT continues east on the two-track up and over another saddle, passing by a water trough (WB163; had a trickle of water coming out July 2012, dry June 2013; see photo) to another road junction at Juniper Spring (WB164; dry). The trail climbs steeply again to the northeast to reach a saddle (WB165) above Miners Draw, and passes by George Spring (WB166; full water trough with algae July 2012, dry June 2013) as it descends several miles down Miners Draw.

There is another unnamed spring at WB167 (full July 2012; dry June 2013) just below a road junction; this is the last potential water source until Plush. The ODT follows the two-track road as it winds down to the Hogback Road at WB169, with the mass of Hart Mountain standing in the distance. Turning south at the Hogback Road, the ODT follows this gravel-then-paved road to the Plush Turnoff (WB171) and then a mile later to the town of Plush (WB172).