Alright, let’s talk about this Henry Hagg Lake, ya know, the one they got on them maps. I ain’t no map expert, mind you, but I can tell ya a thing or two about places, seen enough of ’em in my days.
First off, they say it’s near some place called Gaston, Oregon. Never been there myself, but folks tell me it’s a pretty place. Now, this lake, it ain’t natural, no sir. They went and dammed up a creek, Scoggins Creek they call it, and made a big ol’ puddle. A big ‘ol puddle they call Henry Hagg Lake, sounds fancy, don’t it?
They got a trail all around it, a long one too, more than 13 miles, they say. Takes near five hours to walk the whole thing! Who in their right mind would spend five hours just walkin’ around? My old bones would be achin’ somethin’ fierce. But the young’uns, they like that sort of thing. They say it’s good for bird watchin’, hikkin’, and even ridin’ them bicycles with the fat tires, mountain bikes, they call ‘em.
- Elks Rec Area – Sounds like a place for them fancy city folk to go play.
- Rainbow View – Probably pretty, rainbows always are. Hope they ain’t got no pot o’ gold there, too much trouble with folks fightin’ over it.
- South Shore 1 & 2 – Shore is shore, I reckon. Don’t know why they need two of ‘em.
Then there’s a bunch of other spots, The Peninsula, Meadows, Turtle, Gandalfs, Disc Golf, Owl, Sain… sounds like a whole bunch of nothin’ to me. But folks seem to like it. They even got a website for it, *, somethin’ like that. Full of fancy pictures and whatnot. I ain’t got no use for that internet stuff, give me a good old-fashioned map any day, though I can’t read ‘em so good no more.
Now, about that map. If you’re lookin’ for this Henry Hagg Lake on one of them fancy maps, the kind the government makes, you gotta look for some numbers. Latitude and longitude, they call it. Something like 45.4833262 and a whole bunch of other numbers I can’t remember. Sounds like a bunch of gibberish to me, but I guess it helps them smart folks find their way around. Me, I just follow the sun and the stars, or ask for directions. That’s how we did it back in the day, and we got along just fine.
This lake is in Washington County, they say. Never been there, like I said. But I heard it’s nice. Lots of trees and such. Probably good for fishin’, too. I always liked fishin’. Nothin’ like sittin’ by the water, waitin’ for a bite. Though, these days, my hands ain’t so steady no more. Hard to thread that line through the hook, ya know?
So, this Henry Hagg Lake, it’s a man-made thing, but folks seem to like it. They go there to walk, ride bikes, look at birds, and probably do a whole bunch of other things I don’t even know about. If you’re lookin’ for it on a map, remember them numbers, and that place Gaston, Oregon. And if you get lost, well, don’t come cryin’ to me, I told you I ain’t no map expert!
And they even got that disc golf there. Never played it myself. Looks like frisbee but with a bunch of chains and baskets. Sounds complicated. Give me a good ol’ horseshoe game any day. At least I know how to throw one of them!
They got all sorts of parks around there too, Scoggins Valley Park being one of them. Probably got picnic tables and swing sets and all that. Good for the kids, I reckon. Keeps ‘em outta trouble, at least for a little while. Though, kids these days, they’re always glued to them phones. Don’t even know how to play outside no more.
Anyway, that’s about all I know about this Henry Hagg Lake. Not much, I admit, but enough to get you started. If you want to know more, go look it up on that internet thingy. Or better yet, go visit the place yourself. Just remember to bring a good pair of shoes, that trail is mighty long!
Tags: [Henry Hagg Lake, Gaston Oregon, Scoggins Creek, Scoggins Valley Park, Washington County, Hiking Trails, Fishing Spots, Bird Watching, Mountain Biking, Outdoor Recreation, Lake Maps, US Topo Maps]
