McKenzie Pass (Hwy 242), connecting Central Oregon with the Willamette Valley, is opened for such a limited time each year that many of the available hikes and places of beauty are not as visited as those located off Cascade Lakes Highway in the 3 Sisters Wilderness. But the hikes off McKenzie Pass offer views of the Cascades that cannot be seen from other locations in Central Oregon - including vistas of the west side of the 3 Sisters (and Little Brother) plus Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson and Broken Top.

Our hike up Scott Mountain started at Scott Lake and then passed through old growth forest to Benson Lake and then further to Tenas Lakes before climbing more steeply around the back of Scott Mountain to the summit (a total of 1300 feet elevation change in around 4.1 miles). Wild huckleberries were abundant as were thousands of orange California Tortoiseshell butterflies.  The view from the top of Scott Mountain was fabulous - both toward the Cascade peaks but also west toward the Willamette Valley. The foundation of the old lookout tower was still in place, but we saw hardly anyone on this hike to the peak and absolutely no one at all as we came down the long way around by Hand Lake (where we saw a few families playing in the shallow water) back to Scott Lake (the huckleberries on this stretch of trail were hardly touched - and we wished we had thought to bring a bucket to gather some for home).  The walk along the lava flow before we reached Hand Lake was interesting and full of the butterflies. All in all, the total hike was a bit more than 9.7 miles with our side trip to Hand Lake's shore. 

For those who have never hiked in the Mt Jefferson Wilderness, the feeling of the forest is different than that of the 3 Sisters Wilderness. And the hike to the east side of 3 Fingered Jack through Canyon Creek Meadow is a lot of fun.  The Canyon Creek Meadow hike, which can be done on its own, is a 4.5 mile fairly easy loop taking hikers through the recovering 2003 B&B Complex burn through the beautiful, wildflower filled meadow, complete with the creek and stunning views of 3 Fingered Jack. A 3 mile round trip spur hike off the Canyon Creek loop will lead to a viewpoint on a flank of 3 Fingered Jack. This point provides fairly steep elevation change, loose stones and pumice on the trail and views toward the 3 Sisters, Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, the meadow just hiked and the turquoise Cirque Lake created by glacial runoff. If you look carefully enough, you may be able to spot the mountain goats perched on unbelievable ledges on the rock face of 3 Fingered Jack.

Our trip back to the trail head involved another .7 mile spur off to Wasco Lake which was also mostly burned in the B&B Complex fire. Although not heavily traveled, the hike off to Wasco Lake also can provide access to Pacific Crest Trail and further lakes and vistas within the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness.

Bend Real Estate Sales Were Exceptional in July 2020

We have been actively involved with Central Oregon real estate sales since 2000, and despite the boom and bust years, 2020 has proven, year to date, to be among the most phenomenal years we have ever seen - with July the pinnacle so far.

Ask any Bend real estate agent what is the situation with Bend home sales and they will tell you there is a severe lack of inventory. Many listings receive multiple offers, pushing the price up and discouraging buyers who lose out. Cash buyers have an upper hand, especially as prices reach a place where there is doubt the property will appraise. We are seeing new listings hitting the market at prices which just 6 months ago would have been unheard of. And we are surprised to see many of these homes selling even beyond that inflated price.

When July 2020 sales are compared with July 2019,  Bend single family home sales on less than an acre show the following trends:

• Average sales price up 12.1% to $612, 465*
• Median sales price up 12.6% to $529,000
• Average list price up 9.2% to $638,953
• Median list price up 5.9% to $524,450
• Number of new listings down 8.4% to 274
• Homes for sale down 75.6% to 244
• Pending sales up 153.1% to 620
• Sold homes up 31.1% to 320
• Months of supply down 81.1% to 1 month
• Average price per square foot up 7.9% to $286
• Median price per square foot up 10.2% to $269
• Median percentage of list price received 100%
• Dollar volume of sales up 47% to $195,988,952

Will the Upward Trends Continue for Bend Home Sales?

The two charts below show pending sales and months of inventory for Bend single family homes on less than an acre.  The demand is extreme and the amount of homes minute. While new construction is happening in Bend, it cannot keep up with the demand. As long as people continue to move to Central Oregon, these trends will remain.

We have hiked to Tam McArthur Rim in the past and we have hiked to Broken Top in the past, but we had never hiked to Broken Top from Tam McArthur Rim until last week. The hike starts at Three Creeks Lake located off Forest Road 16 (Elm Street in Sisters turns into this as you drive out of the city) and is heavily trafficked, rising over 1200 feet over 2.5 miles to the Rim viewpoint. Beautiful views of Three Creeks Lake and many of the Cascades are visible from the rim. Near the end of the initial trail is a sign near another trail heading off toward Broken Top which states "Trail Not Maintained."  We decided to take this 2.2 hike to Broken Hand, a rock formation between the Rim and Broken Top. While this hike, much of it in the sun, was initially not that tough, once we approached Broken Hand, the trail got decidedly sketchy with scrambles over and around boulders and loose stones required. To get past Broken Hand, the trail traversed through a snow field. But once past this, a faint trail continued on toward Broken Top and we ended up on the moraine overlooking No Name Lake. This additional distance made for a very full day (and of course we had to travel back to our car at Three Creeks Lake), but the experience and views (10 full Cascade peaks) were fabulous. This hike is not easy and not recommended for all.

After reading the Source's Restaurant Guide 2020, we had to try Aina Kauai Style Grill.  Named as Rookie Food Cart of the Year, we have to say their products did not disappoint. Located in the food cart lot associated with Bevel Brewing off Armour Road, this little tucked away gem is a Must this summer. 

We tried the Crunchy Poke bowl and the Kalua Pork. Here is the breakdown:

The Crunchy Poke bowl was incredible. The fish was fresh, the sauce used had a slight kick, the fried shrimp created a great crunch, and the kimchi and fermented veggies added a little authentic Japanese twist! For $16 we had a little piece of Hawaiian paradise right here in Central Oregon.

As for the kalua pork? Wow. Everything you'd expect and more. With a side of rice, macaroni, and a little treat of some tuna poke- this dish was fabulous.

We'd highly re...

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