Posts from August 2025

The Obsidian Trail is a Favorite Central Oregon Hike

Before the National Forest Service required passes in 2021 for the most popular Central Oregon hikes, the Obsidian Trail had such a huge demand that trail passes were in place for many years earlier. The Obsidian Trail takes hikers from the trailhead off the seasonal McKenzie Pass Highway 242 up to the Pacific Crest Trail and through an area known for the obsidian rock that covers the ground. Before reaching the rock, hikers pass through wooded forest, climb lava flows, travel by Obsidian Falls and then reach the relatively flat land of the obsidian area.

There is a beautiful view point overlooking the climbing trail which some may take to summit Middle Sister. It is a logical place to stop and enjoy a snack or lunch before proceeding on to an area known as Sunshine which was a place many Pacific Crest Trail hikers or those planning to summit Middle Sister early morning would spend the night. Currently that location is undergoing restoration and not available for camping.

All in all, for those who wish to hike the loop from the Obsidian Trailhead, travel to Sunshine and return via Glacier Way (a side path that joins with the Pacific Crest Trail and avoids Obsidian Falls), the entire trek will cover about 11.5 miles and have over 2100 feet of elevation gain.

Now that the market is slowing down, homeowners who haven't sold at the price they were hoping for are increasingly pulling their homes off the market. According to the latest data from Realtor.com, the number of homeowners taking their homes off the market is up 38% since the start of this year and 48% since the same time last June. For every 100 new listings in June, about 21 homes were taken off the market.

And if you've made that same choice, you're probably frustrated things didn't go the way you wanted. It's hard when you feel like the market isn't working with you. But while slowdowns can be painful in the moment, history tells us they don't last forever.

History Repeats Itself: Proof from the Past

This isn't the first time the housing market has experienced a slowdown. Here are some other notable times when home sales dropped significantly:

• 1980s: When mortga...

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Tiffany Clark is "The Source Weekly's" Best Realtor In Central Oregon

Congratulations to Tiffany Clark, Bend Premier Principal Broker, for being named the Source Weekly's Best Realtor in Central Oregon for 2025. Our Brokers are the best and Central Oregon knows it as well!

If you tried to buy a home a few years ago, you probably still remember the frenzy. Homes were listed one day and gone the next. Sometimes it only took hours. You had to drop everything to go and see the house, and if you hesitated even slightly, someone else swooped in and bought it – sometimes even sight unseen.

That kind of intensity pushed a lot of buyers to the sidelines. It was stressful, chaotic, and for many, really discouraging.

But here's what you need to know: those days are behind us.

Today's market is moving slower, in the best possible way. And that's creating more opportunity for buyers who felt shut out in recent years.

The Stat That Changes Everything

According to the latest data, homes are spending an average of 58 days on the market. That's much more normal. And...

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Leave the Path to Find Little Seen Tarn Lakes Above Green Lakes

There are hidden treasures in the Three Sisters Wilderness which can be found for those willing to leave the path and follow a compass or GPS to locate them. In particular, there are several beautiful tarn lakes located roughly a half mile off the Green Lakes trail which connects the Green Lakes valley with Park Meadow over the pass between South Sister and Broken Top. There is no path to these lakes, but people good with following a downloaded map can find them. The first four lakes can mirror views of South Sister and their general location can provide views toward Golden Lake as well.

Past the four lakes walking toward Broken Top, hikers can follow a general topography line on a map and find the other two tarn lakes located just below Broken Top. These two lakes can more easily be accessed by following the path next to the creek which flows into Golden Lake. Both of these tarn lakes are located in a cirque bordered by a moraine. On the lower lake, the beautiful blue water was flowing over the top of the moraine forming a waterfall flowing into the creek below in early August 2025. At other times, the water which flows into the creek comes out of a spring at the base of the moraine. At the upper lake, sometimes the voices of people on the top of the ridge overlooking Broken Top's No Name Lake can be heard, although they are not seen due to obstruction from topography and vegetation. 

The more direct route back to the trail is following the path down the creek to Golden Lake and from there, rejoining the Green Lakes Trail. Hikers can either return to Green Lakes over the pass or travel northeast to Park Meadow and from there to the Park Meadow trail head near Three Creeks. This second option will involve hiking through over 4.5 miles of burned forest, however. Both methods can be done in a long day, those coming from Green Lakes hiking over 18 miles and those coming from Park Meadow close to 17 miles. Others could pack in camping supplies and better explore and enjoy the day in the area.