A Hot Day on Black Butte

Three Finger Jack from Black Butte

It was Fathers Day and I wanted to go for a hike.  Black Butte trail, from the bottom, all 3,300 feet of it was my choice.  It was a hot day.  We got a late start.  This is why teenagers hate their parents.  Nonetheless, it was a great hike - crowds and heat be damned.  Good views the whole way, and I was enthralled with the smells and sounds of the woods.  I clearly do not get out enough.  Thanks to my family for putting up with this one! I had a great time!

Maria and Will descend

Return to the Owyhee

The perfect pass; so inviting we had to come back

 When we were roaming around Chalk Basin in April, a perfectly rounded pass to the north caught our eyes.  After returning home and consulting maps, we became intrigued by Chalk Basin's much larger neighbor to the north; Bull Creek Basin.  We had to go back, so we did.  This time, we went straight to the Chalk Basin campsite, parked, and backpacked in for two nights.  We were not disappointed.  Bull Creek Basin is seldom visited, filled with wildflowers including, it turns out, at least one on the Oregon rare plants list.  There is something about exploring an unknown place that gets under your skin and makes you want to come back.  I have a feeling we will be returning.

Looking into Bull Creek Basin

The Owyhee River in the distance

Owyhee River

Looking down the Owyhee

After a passing shower

Bull Creek pour off 

Nice rock

Memorial Day Rendezvous Camp out at Bear Springs

Mt Hood from near Bear Springs

 We revised an old tradition this past Memorial Day with a rendezvous camp out.  With friends and family strewn across the Pacific Northwest, a central location is found, a date set, and a group converges.  This year it was Bear Springs campground just outside of the Warm Springs Reservation near Mt Hood.  Maria and I spent the better part of one day exploring by mountain bike.  We rode down into the White River Canyon to a place called Keeps Mill; an old lumber mill site in a narrow canyon.  It was good to see some new territory.

White River at Keeps Mill

Crane Prairie Paddling

Out on the water

One of my pet peeves is when a reservoir is referred to as a lake.  Crane Prairie is certainly not a lake, it is an engineered impoundment that plays a significant role in turning the Deschutes River into a glorified irrigation canal.  But on a May day when the reservoir is at full pool, it almost feels like a lake.  And it is a good place for some easy paddling, since boat speed limits are 10 mph and most of the boaters are content to bob in place while fishing and enjoying the same views as us.

View from Crane Prairie Reservoir

An Evening Bike Ride up Tumalo Creek

Tumalo Creek, looking upstream

Nine miles up the road and a world away.  One of the great benefits of living in Bend is our proximity to public lands, including the Deschutes National Forest to our west as well as huge swaths of BLM lands to our east.  This time of year, with our long days, I love to grab a bike, either mountain or road, and head out after dinner.  In about half an hour I can be riding in the mountains, which is a glorious thing.  My go to ride is up Skyliner Road to the bridge of Tumalo Creek.  The road turns gravel here so it is a good turnaround spot.  It is also a great spot to pause and admire the waning evening light on the creek and take in sounds and smells of our east side pine forest.  Sometimes a getaway is not that far away.

Evening light on Tumalo Creek