Posts with tag 'Places to See in Central Oregon'

Tumalo Mountain Trail Covered With Snow

We typically hike Tumalo Mountain once a year - usually late spring/early summer once the snow melts. However, we have been anxious to get back into the Cascades after a winter of hiking in the High Desert and the opportunity to tackle Tumalo Mountain arose last Saturday. Tumalo Mountain, just north east of Mt. Bachelor, has a height of 7,779 feet. The hike up to its peak climbs over 1400 feet in two miles and is considered difficult due to its steepness.  However, we have never attempted this hike with snow on the ground and found the trail challenging. The snow drifts were from 3 to 6 feet, although the snow was compacted and we managed with a GPS to somewhat follow the trail to the summit using trekking poles and micro spikes. Once reaching the summit, the views towards Mt Bachelor and towards the Three Sisters and Broken Top were outstanding. After enjoying the views and a quick lunch, the return trip had additional challenges as the snow softened with the warm weather. All in all, we saw only one other hiking couple and a pair of paragliders jumping from the peak on our return. It will be awhile before the snow fully melts in the Cascades after the winter storms. But in the meantime, we will take advantage of any hike we can access as soon as it becomes passible. 

Paulina Creek in Late Fall Worth Seeing

We have hiked the Peter Skene Ogden trail many times, but we never tire of doing this when the weather turns cold.  Paulina Creek freezes and the multiple waterfalls along the trail turn into beautiful works of art with ice sculpted into interesting shapes. The sounds of the running water are also muffled when the ice gets deeper and the quiet and isolation of the hike will amaze. On November 26, 2022 we hiked Peter Skene Ogden trail from McKay Crossing campground up Paulina Creek planning on going as far as the early snow permitted.  We we pleased to find we could trek the entire way to Paulina Falls using our micro spikes as the trail was icy; the deepest snow was roughly a foot in a shadowed gully roughly 2/3 of the way to Paulina Falls. During the hike we enjoyed total privacy with no other hikers seen the entire day. But the views of the partly frozen waterfalls were lovely and the 13 miles in and out were well worth the experience.  We highly recommend this hike in the winter, but be prepared for deep snow as the season progresses.

Green Lakes is One of Central Oregon's Most Beautiful Hiking Destinations

We have hiked to Green Lakes many times over the years, with each visit unique and special.  However, the hike we experienced 10-29-22 has to have been among the very best, something we would call magical. The first snow of the season had fallen earlier in the week, but the day was brilliant with clean, clear air (all summer forest fires finally out due to the snow). The trail was a bit icy, but with microspikes, the packed snow was easy to manage.

The early snow covered a lot of the fall foliage, but Fall Creek with its numerous waterfalls was full and beautiful. And every now and then some lovely fall color could be seen.

When we reached Green Lakes, the handful of people we saw during the hike all traveled to the peninsula on the main, largest lake.  However, we hiked to the first, smaller lake, post-holing through one foot of snow to the far side of the lake which provided us with stunning views of South Sister mirrored in the lake water. We sat on a fallen tree trunk and watched the lake and mountain for 45 minutes, seeing the clouds near South Sister's summit eventually blow away. During this time, we didn't see another person. On our return to the main trail, the views of Broken Top were the best we had ever seen from Green Lakes. It was truly a magical day.

Lots of Sun and Exposure on Little Belknap Crater Hike

Wear a hat and have good shoes if you decide to hike to Little Belknap Crater. With little shade, summertime temperatures can be high, so a fall hike is recommended. This was the second time we hiked to Little Belknap, so we knew what to expect.  We took this hike on October 15, 2022, the last day for the required 2022 Central Cascades Wilderness Permits and we saw a total of 10 other people the entire time. It was a beautiful fall day with temperatures reaching the 60's, and despite some haze from the Cedar Creek fire which has been burning in the Willamette National Forest since early August, the views were good.  After taking in the sights from the top of Little Belknap, we elected to continue on the Pacific Crest Trail to see if we could reach George Lake near Mt. Washington, a place we have never been.

As we hiked past Little Belknap and the end of the acres of lava rock, we entered the forest and enjoyed the trees and fall foliage before, to our surprise, we were back trekking through lava rock interspersed with dead trees, the result of the 2017 Milli Fire. However, there were signs of new life with young trees and plants and even chipmunks and ground squirrels.  Once we reached the end of the lava, the PCT turned left and the trail continued around the flanks of Mt. Washington. However, we had already hiked over 5 miles. Knowing we still had to hike out, we turned around and returned the way we came; we will have to find George Lake another day. All in all we traveled over 10.5 miles with 2000 feet of elevation gain mostly over difficult hiking conditions with the loose rock. 

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.