Cline Falls

Cline Falls, Deschutes River

I have driven by Cline Falls State Park, between Sisters and Redmond, countless times over the years.  Never have I stopped.  Until recently.  The Deschutes River was running oddly high for wintertime, so we decided to check out the park and its eponymous falls.  Well worth it, I say.  Cline Falls is actually downstream from the park, but an easy walk.  It reminded us of Benham Falls.  As the river level drops it will be less interesting, I suppose, but I was captivated by a dipper (ouzel) that I watched come and go from behind part of the waterfall.  Nesting, perhaps?

Crooked River Canyon Overnight

Lowell gets out of the garage, finally.

This past Saturday Maria and I decided to head out for an overnight camping trip.  It had been way too long.  Since the camper is basically already packed, it is very easy to hit the road.  And since we live in Central Oregon, there were plenty of places to head to.  We decided to head northeast an hour to the Crooked River canyon below Bowman Dam.  The campgrounds were mostly empty and we snagged a nice riverfront spot.  Very relaxing, even the steep scramble from the campground to Chimney Rock.  Luckily there was a trail back down, saving us from a tricky descent.  We enjoyed the sounds of a canyon wren, the antics of a fishing osprey, and the surprise appearance of a bald eagle who came in out of nowhere in an attempt to steal the osprey's catch of the day.

Crooked River from the hike to Chimney Rock