Posts from August 2022

Canyon Meadow Loop and Three Fingered Jack is a Beautiful Summer Hike

Hiking to Three Fingered Jack via Jack Lake and Canyon Meadow Loop is an annual event for us. Located in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, access to the trailhead is outside of Camp Sherman off Hwy 20 via several paved and dirt roads. But once hikers arrive at the trailhead, the path is obvious. 

The trail starts next to Jack Lake, which reflects the burned trees of the 2003 B&B Complex Fire, but also the new growth that has come back since. It is evident that the new Wilderness Permits are required to take this hike.

 The trail opens at Canyon Meadow, which survived the 2003 fire unscathed. Canyon Creek runs through the meadow and during the summer, the blooming wildflowers, the sound of the creek and the beauty of towering Three Fingered Jack create an unparalleled Wilderness experience.

 Once hikers reach the base of the mountain, there is a moraine which can be climbed (a scramble up loose rocks) which provides a perspective of the glacial lake and, if you are lucky, a view of the mountain goats which are known to live in the area. 

For hikers who make it up to the saddle above the lake, the views of the Three Sisters and Mount Jefferson are amazing as are the close up views of the jagged rocks of Three Fingered Jack (the eroded core of an extinct 100,000 year old volcano). Hikers should be careful coming down from the saddle as the rock is loose and the grade exceeds 30 degrees in some areas. Overall, the hike gains 1600 feet in a little over 3 miles and the entire loop is under 8 miles.

What's in the August 2022 Newsletter?

• The Bend Real Estate Market is in Transition

• Green Lakes Hike - Toughest Ticket in Town

• Your August Home Checklist

• Housing Market Forecast for the Rest of 2022

The hardest tickets to get in Bend are not to the great acts at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater,  but rather the trail pass required to hike the Green Lakes trail. These tickets literally sell out in 60 seconds once posted on the Forest Service website.

The trail largely runs alongside Fall Creek, which you will cross three times.

And there is simply no shortage of beautiful waterfalls, wildlife, wildflowers, and amazing views along the way.

This trail is considered moderate due to it's length of 9.1 miles round trip and 1200 feet elevation gain, but it is pretty gradual almost the entire way and a very enjoyable adventure.  For the adventurous, taking the path past the last lake deeper into the Three Sisters Wilderness will result in views few experience, including the Northeastern flank of South Sister and Northwest sections of Broken Top, and vistas including Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, North and Middle Sister and Black Butte. A look back toward Green Lakes, if you can avoid looking the towering figures of South Sister, Mt. Bachelor and Broken Top, may make you think you are seeing the Great Smoky or Blue Ridge Mountains. If you opt to take this additional path, you will add a minimum of 500 feet of elevation gain plus 4 miles in and back. If you want to go even further in you can reach Golden Lake, which is an experience in itself.

The Bend Real Estate Market is in Transition

As we have been writing for several months now, the Bend Oregon real estate market is definitely changing. Mortgage interest rates have risen impacting the buying power of would-be homeowners, especially first time home buyers. The buying frenzy experienced in 2021 is gone and the inventory levels of available homes are growing. The days on market of active listings are rising, but so are home prices when compared with the year before. However, the trend lines over the past few months are showing a softening in the market with over 254 price reductions in the past week for all Central Oregon listings. When the market softens, those properties priced well as perceived by buyers are those that sell first.

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Maybe we're late to the game but for this month's review we finally tried Sebastian's at the Grove!

Let's start with the Fish & Chips. Some of you may know our personal affinity for the British, and their food fairs. Well if you are also have that same affinity, we would Highly recommend Sebastian's fish and chips. While it not an entire fish, the nuggets they serve are the perfect ratio of fish to batter to flavors. Their breading is not overly greasy or dense but has a beautiful delicate buttery, herbed flavor which pairs perfectly with the LARGE chunk of fish it encases. Two giant fish nuggets on a bed of "chips" goes stunningly with tons of malt vinegar and will only set you back $18; fish portions are worth the price tag.

We also had to try the Teriyaki Smoked Salmon Mix Bowl while we were there for our lunch. The hot smoked salmon was perfectly prepared...

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