Hikers enjoy the view from a dramatic rock outcrop along the Rye Spur Trail. 

Sometimes the best part of a hike is what happens after the hike.

It had been a good hike, one packed a lot of variety in five-plus miles. As he often does, trip leader Hans Kuhr had devised an interesting loop hike, one that began and ended at the Rye Spur Trailhead.

The trailhead, which is primarily used by horse groups and mountain bikers, is relatively little known. It’s reached by taking Highway 140 to the well-signed Fourmile Lake Road, Forest Road 3661, near Lake of the Woods. Instead of continuing all the way to Fourmile Lake, after about 3½ miles we turned right on spur road 360 and followed it east to where the road ends, the Rye Spur Quarry/Trailhead. The spacious parking lot, which has a restroom, is large enough for several horse trailers. Steps away is a large pond.

From the parking area/trailhead, there are two choices. The Swamp Lake Trail heads north to the North Rye Spur Trail, which later becomes the Badger Lake Trail and passes along the east side of Fourmile Lake before continuing to Woodpecker and Badger lakes. Another trail goes southwest and after about a half-mile reaches a dirt road.

We didn’t take either trail.

Instead, Hans led our group southeast into the woods from the trailhead-parking area. The cairns that he’d placed a few days earlier to mark the cross-country route couldn’t be found. We bushwacked for about a half-mile until reaching our goal, the Rye Spur Trail.

Because it’s designed as a pack and saddle trail, it has high clearance and wide turns. It extends north-south for more than 6 miles, with its signed south trailhead located directly off Highway 140. We hiked south, sometimes through dense and shady mixed conifer forests, sometimes along a ridge with openings providing views of the forest below. But, because of lingering smoke from forest fires, the sights were nearly or sometimes totally obscured.

Our reward came after about 1½ miles — a visually dramatic, rocky overlook that served as a lunch stop. Some climbed partway up the steep slope, but most of us lingered at the rocky perch.

After regathering, we continued south about three-quarters of a mile to a signed junction. We left the Rye Spur Trail and aimed toward the South Ridge Trail. But before we did, instead of immediately taking the route back to our starting point, we sidetracked to an opening with a broad-sweeping, majestic view of snowless Mount McLoughlin.

The trail back to the parking area soon became a little-traveled, pleasant-for-walking dirt road. And, after about 1½ miles, it transformed into a true trail, which we followed for about a half-mile to the Rye Spur trailhead/parking area.

Shortly after returning, most everyone hopped into their vehicles for the drive home. Most, but not everyone.

Niel Barrett, who is intimately familiar with the trails and features along Southern Oregon’s Cascades, had literally gushed about the joys of swimming in the large pond bordering the parking lot’s north end. He regards it the region’s finest place to swim. So, within minutes, he stripped down and slipped in. I was close behind. The water, as Niel promised, was cool and refreshing.

But part of the lure was a temptation we’d spotted earlier. It was too alluring to resist. At a corner of the pond were two inflatable water toys.

I swam over and retrieved the blue tortoise-like blowup and tried to hop on its back. Depending on my position, it twisted erratically, seemingly trying to roll me off sideways or, if I tried to position myself at its backend, it reared its head up high, causing me to nearly fall off backwards. We bounded around for several minutes. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to trying to ride a bucking bronc. I eventually paddled it over to Niel, who likewise had a short go-around.

When we eventually released it, the breeze swept it and the second floatie off to a distant corner of the pond.

The hike had been great, but swimming and rodeo ride in the pond was even better. It was an unexpected porpoise that added purpose to a fun day.