Winter Falls Trail Running

Sometimes when I don't have a plethora of time, I'll head out to Silver Falls State Park. This day it was pretty rainy, thus I decided to slip on my rain jacket and do interval trail running (tip: interval heart rates helps burn fat).  

What I didn't know is that in true Oregon fashion, I would run into rain, sun, and hail.  The hail was pretty big and actually hurt to hit my skin.  Good thing I was running! 

An adventurous workout to say the least! Silver Falls trails are always great ones for trail running because they have a good amount of hills, well maintained paths, and a variety of routes that you can take.  

Date of hike: April 11th, 2015
Distance: 5 miles (loop)
Elevation gain: 670
Difficulty: Moderate
Mile Mark: 277

Shellburg Falls

The more I hike and the more I blog, the more people I find to connect on hiking excursions with.  For this time I had the pleasure to hike with some old camp friends, Tum Tum (aka. Ryan) and Senior Frijoles (aka. Andy). Additionally, the lovely fiancee to Senior Frijoles, Steph joined us. It was a delight to catch up with each other, talk hiking spots, and enjoy the amazing scenery of the Shellburg Falls area.

I've of course done this hike before so I was the lead on where to go. I took us on the traditional route from the road, hiked through the farmland, up through the falls area and rounded back down the road.  (See previous Shellburg Post for additional details on this hike)

After our hike, Senior and Steph have a tradition of burgers and beers so we headed off to Thompson's McMenamins.  Steph got to get another stamp on her passport and I enjoyed some good wine (Black Rabbit Red).

All in all, it was a feel good day filled with great views and even greater company.  Thanks everyone for coming out!


Date of hike: April 4th, 2015
Distance: 6 miles (roundtrip)
Elevation gain: 500
Difficulty: Easy
Mile Mark: 272

Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge

I still am quite unaware of what I did, but this week I hurt my knee. Which was a real bummer because I had a whole afternoon off after my clinical hours in Corvallis. I had planned on doing a nice hike in the Corvallis area, but after seeing my trainer at Courthouse Performance that morning, I was banned from my normal type of hiking.  He said nothing more than 2 miles and very limited elevation gain. Which to me feels like just a walk down a path in the woods, not a hike. But I knew that Aaron knows best and I wanted to preserve longevity of my body.

I've driven past Baskett Slough several times and have looked at it online in the past.  I never got around to going out there because it was short and seemed too easy.  I had no time for such frivolous jaunts in the woods that didn't end in a spectacular waterfall or a stunning view of a mountain.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that while yes it was an easy jaunt, it had some great views of Mt. Jefferson and it was just great to be out in the spring sun.  It was also nice having Caitlin with me to get some much needed fresh air on her Spring Break from school.

I highly recommend taking a little time to just explore this beautiful national wildlife refuge.

Date of hike: March 26th, 2015
Distance: 1ish Miles out and back
Elevation gain: 200
Difficulty: Easy
Mile Mark: 266

Abiqua Falls

I actually didn't realize on my way out to Abiqua Falls that I had been very close to it several times! In the summers we like to drive down to the Abiqua Creek to another relatively hidden spot where we can slide down the falls and jump right into the water. It is an amazing hidden gem. However, the road to it is pretty rough.

Had I known it was the very same road that led to this falls on the Abiqua Creek, I'm not sure I would have gone on this hike.  As I started driving down this road, I quickly realized how difficult it would be on my car. So, I opted to leave my car up the road and trek down the very rocky road.  This made my little one mile hike into more like five or six.  I followed the road to the end where the trailhead was, then veered left onto the normal trail.

Though the hike down to the falls is very short, it is not without its difficulties.  Almost immediately, you will descend pretty steeply down toward the creek.  Luckily, some people had come before me and secured several ropes to help provide stability and avoid falling down.  Not only was it a steep descent, but it was slippery from a previous rainfall.  I was very thankful for the secured rope both going down the trail and back up.

Turn left upstream along the creek, following a rough trail for another 0.2 mile or so. You will have to climb over and around rocks and logs, but it can be done. During periods of high water, you'll need to climb a steep slope to get around some logs, but during low water, it's easier to walk on the exposed river rock for much of the distance. The trail ends at the huge basalt bowl where Abiqua Falls plunges into a very big splash pool. There is a large rocky area jutting out into the pool from which you can admire the falls, or walk over the mossy rocks to the left around the edge of the bowl.

It really is a stunning spot and worth the rough terrain.  Also, in my opinion an excellent spot to pack a lunch to with a friend or on a date. :)

Date of hike: March 21st, 2015
Distance: 6ish Miles out and back
Elevation gain: No idea
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
Mile Mark: 265

Opal Creek

My friend Caitlin and I really wanted to hike, but knowing it was supposed to be rainy, I had to choose one that didn't have a view since we would be covered by clouds anyway. Caitlin hadn't been to Opal Creek yet, so that is the one I chose.

However, as we got there, it wasn't a normal Oregon light drizzle. It was more like a torrential downpour.  There was a girl and two guys at the trailhead who asked me if I thought it would be that wet the whole hike... which I was very confused by. Unless the weather changes in general, the hike will be just like the weather we were experiencing at that moment. Caitlin and I definitely exchanged glances and internally laughed at this girl.

Being tough girls we hiked on.  Though I did figure we should not do the entire 12 mile loop. We decided to get to Sawmill falls (about 2.5 miles into the hike) and then decide if we wanted to go on to Jawbone Flats.  We did decide to go on for another mile to Jawbone Flats, but only for a few minutes since we were drenched from the rain.  We were both soaked and as beautiful as it was, I wouldn't recommend this, or really any, hike in the rain we endured! Ack!

• Date of hike: March 7th, 2015
• Distance: 5 Miles out and back

• Elevation gain: 1500 Feet

• Difficulty: Difficult 
• Mile Mark: 259

Triangulation Peak & Boca Cave {Mt. Jefferson}

Let me preface this blog entry with the fact that this hike was crazy. Probably a little more treacherous than I would have hoped for, but absolutely stunning.  

I have had Triangulation Peak and Boca Cave on my list for a while now, but was encouraged to do it now from a friend a few days prior to the weekend. I posted it on my hiking group on Facebook and my friend Ryan was down to hike again! We headed out a ways past Detroit Lake to the trailhead. We felt a little lost on these rough back roads, and had to go though a bit of snow, but made it! I was kind of surprised to see snow since we have been having a early spring with near summer-like weather! I knew this was going to be a stunning hike because as we drove up, we got peeks of the view of Mt. Jefferson and those alone were amazing. The day was beautiful, clear skies and the sun was shining.  

Starting out at the trailhead we went through several patches of snow.  Some spots were alright, but Ryan and I were definitely thankful for the patches of dry land. Most of the trail was thin on a steep hillside making it difficult to navigate in the snow and both of us slipped several times. This was a little scary since there was a strong chance of slipping and falling right down the side of the mountain.  This was definitely a less traveled path as there were several trees down that we had to either climb under or over.  
Finally getting to the top was the most stunning view of Mt. Jefferson. The mountain was just right in front of us. We hung out at the top for a little bit just taking in the view. Not only did it have an amazing view of Mt. Jefferson, but it had a panoramic view of Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Three Sisters, and I think I could see Mary's Peak.  We came across a couple of guys who were headed back from camping up there the night before. They said that it was such a clear night that they could see Mt. Hood lit up on the ski slopes and they could see skiers and snowboarders shredding the mountain the night before.

At the top, we wanted to find Boca Cave.  We had some loose directions of where it was and another couple of people were up there looking for it as well. Though, the cave was not on his map, we all went in different directions.  Ryan and I found what we thought was a trail perhaps leading to the cave.  What we really found was a steep cliff that we managed to scale the side of, then realizing we made a huge mistake and we could be in some serious danger, we climbed back out of and made it safely back to the top.  The other group found the real trail that led to the cave and we headed out that way.  Due to the normal roughness of the trail on top of the snow coverage, it was pretty difficult to get to the cave. I had to attach my backpack to a tree in order to climb over the final ledge to get to the cave. It was really slick and tough to get to.  The cave did not disappoint though! It had a perfect triangle view of the mountain that Mt. Jefferson was framed perfectly in.  

Ryan and I definitely wished we had brought a lunch because we were starving by the time we started heading back down the mountain.  So I definitely recommend bringing food and plenty of water.  I also wished I had worn my hiking shoes that are waterproof, but I had on my normal tennis shoes. But with the rough terrain, you'd be better off in hiking gear and even some hiking poles would have been nice. I really need to get some of those! 

It was a huge bummer I packed my nikon camera, but getting to the top I realized I forgot the battery! So sad! Luckily I still had my GoPro and my iPhone takes pretty great pictures.

Anyway, maybe this hike is better for summer, but it was by far an amazing hike and as difficult as it was, totally worth it.

• Date of hike: March 7th, 2015
• Distance: 5 Miles out and back

• Elevation gain: 1500 Feet

• Difficulty: Difficult 
• Mile Mark: 251

Ryan and I at the top!

 The start of the trail covered in snow!

Some pretty rough snow patches

 Incredible view of Mt. Jefferson

 Panorama

 View from inside Boca Cave

The sun was definitely shining! Such an amazing day!

And even Freud joined us for the adventure! If you don't know, Freud is passed around to each therapist at my internship site every month! And this month he was passed to me because apparently he wanted a little adventure! He sure got it!

Latourell Falls {Columbia River Gorge}

I was up in Portland at my parents house for the weekend, mainly to do a little shopping :), so I decided to hit the Columbia River Gorge while my mama was at her exercise class.  Latourell Falls is the closest hike to the Portland area and was a relatively shorter hike.  

Beginning from the Latourell Falls Trailhead, follow the paved viewpoint trail up to the viewpoint. From there, a dirt path leads away to the left, steeply around the basin. Look for side views of the falls, particularly at this time since the trees didn't have any leaves. The trail climbs for about 1/3 of a mile to a bench at the top of the falls. There's a side trail here that drops down to an unimproved log that functions as a bridge of sorts. This side trail shortcuts the loop, shaving about a mile from the trip. But I did not take the bridge, kept going southward.

The main trail continues southward beside the creek. The trail here is rocky in places and the undergrowth next to the trail is very thick, blocking most views in the summer. The trail crosses four small wooden bridges and then comes to Upper Latourell Falls. This waterfall is a two tiered drop, first a block fall that's almost hidden and then a plunge into a pool. The trail crosses Latourell Creek at the base of the falls and heads back down the west side of the creek.

Past the log "bridge", the trail comes to a bench overlooking a rock point. It's obvious that many people venture past a cable and out on to this point, but it's equally obvious that one false step or gust of wind will plummet those people 249 feet down to the splash pool. The main trail climbs to another bench at a viewpoint that's overgrown with new fir trees. Then the trail slabs down the ridge to the Highway.

Hikers can return to the trailhead by hiking across the bridge, but there's more trail fun to be had. Across the road, there's an old set of stairs that start a trail dropping down into Guy Talbot Park. Guy Talbot is the man that owned Latourell Falls. The trail drops down to a parking area with picnic tables. From there another paved trail head back under the highway bridge to the base of Latourell Falls. At the falls, the lichen covered columnar basalt formations around the falls steal the show. From here, it's a short, paved, uphill hike to the lot.

It was a wonderful easier hike to do on days where you don't have much time, but still want to get out there and get a little bit of a workout! Afterward I drove by Crown Point and had to see that amazing view from there as well! Such a stunning day!

Later that evening I went out to McMinnamins Edgefield, which isn't too far from this hike. I highly recommend doing a day trip of hiking in the morning and then headed out to the original McMinnamins here! It was my first time and I loved it! It feels like Vegas or its own little world! :)

• Date of hike: February 21st, 2015

• Distance: 3 Mile Loop

• Elevation gain: 520 Feet

• Difficulty: Easy

• Mile Mark: 246

At Upper Latourell Falls

 Beginning of the trailhead

 Upper Latourell Falls

Lower Latourell Falls

 Upper Latourell Falls

 It most surely was!

The bridge, dating from 1914 is interesting in its own right, with special lightweight construction due to the instable soils in the area. 

View from Crown Point :)

 Later that night I went wine tasting at McMennamins Edgefield! My first time there! It was so lovely!