Bessie Butte is a Little Known Bend Hike

Just a short drive east on China Hat Road in SE Bend you can find Bessie Butte. A quick 1.5 mile round trip, the hike has 500 feet elevation gain and easy access. Although not as well known or used as Pilot Butte, Bessie Butte is a great hiking option and provides for wonderful views from the top.

On Sunday, March 22, 2020, after being at home during the Covid-19 pandemic, we drove the short distance to the Bessie Butte trail head and hiked to the top. During the walk, we did pass several parties coming down, but there were plenty of places to step aside and keep the distance needed to maintain safe separation. It was a beautiful day and although we wished the hike could have been longer, the views were stunning.  

If you have hiked Pilot Butte State Park in the past and want to experience a d...

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Whitewater Creek Trail Open

Jefferson Park, located on the north side of Mt. Jefferson, Oregon's second tallest Cascade mountain, is a hidden gem with stunning views, pristine alpine lakes, and beautiful meadows full of wildflowers during the mid summer months. Two years after the lighting caused Whitewater fire closed the most popular access trail to Jefferson Park, the Whitewater Creek trail opened this month. Last Saturday we hiked the trail to this popular destination.  

The Whitewater Creek trail head is at the end of a 7.4 mile gravel road off Hwy 22 ten miles east of Detroit. The area was burned during the fire and while loggers have removed much of the dead trees around the parking lot, there are still slash piles which impact the number of cars which can safely park. We arrived just before 9:00 am, but shortly after we parked, several cars came and the available parking was already gone.

The first 4 miles of the hike to Jefferson Park is in an area hard hit by the fire which burned roughly 25 square miles. Acres of burned old growth trees are abundant, but signs of life are returning with ferns, blackberry, Oregon grape and other plants growing among the blackened tree trunks. Very young seedling trees are starting to emerge from the soil, but it will take decades for the area to fully recover. 

Shortly after you leave the burn area and cross Whitewater Creek, you join up with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) which runs through Jefferson Park itself.  Once you reach the park, several side trips provide access to Bay, Scout, Park and Rock lakes, all clean and clear alpine lakes with sandy bottoms with many camping areas nearby.  We hiked to Russell Lake, the furthest lake, and enjoyed our lunch on the shore. The hike back to the Whitewater trail head went relatively quick, allowing for stops to make way for the campers coming up the trail, and we arrived back at the parking lot with plenty of time to get back to Bend before evening.  This hike is sure to become one of our favorites and a "must do" for many summers to come.

Has Spring Arrived in Central Oregon?

After the coldest March in 100 years, yesterday we noticed the first flower of spring. This lone crocus has emerged and its purple bloom is brightening the dead yard.  While the grass is still yellow, there are signs of spring with buds appearing on the flowering trees and a hint of green in the yards of some Bend homes.

What Does Spring Mean for Bend Oregon Real Estate?

Spring brings back longer days, more outdoor recreational opportunities, and buyers to our Central Oregon real estate market. If you were waiting to get through winter to list your property, now is the time. Bend Premier Real Estate Brokers are ready to help you with listing tips, staging advice, and top notch marketing to get your home sold quick.  Plus we may already be...

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Take the Path Off the Green Lakes Trail to Find this Hidden Gem

We have hiked the Green Lakes trail into the Three Sisters Wilderness many times over the years we have lived in Central Oregon. Located off the Cascade Lakes Highway, the hike to Green Lakes is among the most popular in the Cascades and is well worth the experience; we have blogged about this hike in the past -  see our Green Lakes Blog. Today, however, we took the path to the left at roughly 2 miles into the Green Lakes hike and walked another 1.5 miles to find Moraine Lake.

The path from the Green Lakes trail took us through old growth forest with beautiful trees and absolute silence. It is the...

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Bend Residents Float the Deschutes River

When the summer temperatures soar, Bend residents relax in the water. Whether it is driving up to the Cascade Lakes and enjoying windsurfing at Elk Lake, paddling in a kayak on Todd Lake or water skiing and house boating on Lake Billy Chinook, Central Oregonians enjoy the water during the summer months. One of the recent additions to the water recreational opportunities in Bend is floating the Deschutes River. Unheard of 10 years ago, during warm summer days thousands of people enjoy floating through Bend's Old Mill District from Farewell Bend Park, past the surfers at the Whitewate...

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