Hiking the Great Northwest

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

North Falls {Silver Falls State Park}

Surprise! It was a two hike weekend! It wasn't the plan, but that is what happened! An old friend from college made it their new years resolution to hike every weekend this year and called to ask if I would (in his words) "pop his hiking cherry." I had to go easy because this individual is not as seasoned in hiking as I find myself these days. Crazy to me, but this person had not even heard of Silver Falls State Park, so of course that's where we went! He was like a child seeing color for the first time, just amazed by the state of Oregon's only rain forest, running around like a tourist taking pictures of everything.

I switched this hike up a bit, as I have done it so many times. Traditionally, I start at the South Falls Lodge, but this time I went to the North Falls Trailhead and started there. We hiked first down to North Falls and took the junction to Winter Falls. From there we headed back up to the Rim Trail and back to the car for a nice little loop. Even though I know this park like the back of my hand it seems, it was a switch up for my brain to go in the opposite direction starting from another place. It was a little difficult to get down the stairs that lead to the bottom of the canyon as it was covered in fallen ice from the basalt formations. And my slogan was, "if you fall, I will not retrieve your body."

Date of hike: January 4th, 2015
Distance: 3 Mile Loop

Elevation gain: 1300 Feet

Difficulty: Easy
Mile Mark: 224

North Falls and his first time at Silver Falls State Park

North Falls

Monday, January 5, 2015

Peavy Arboretum {McDonald-Dunn Forest}

Happy New Year! It has been such an incredible year of hiking and exploring the Upper Left USA. I have been so humbled and inspired by the beautiful land that we live in, but also by the people in my life. I have had several times when people have come to me letting me know that they are hiking now and that they have goals to get outside and explore the great Northwest actively! I cannot express how much it means to know that I have inspired others by living my life a wholly as I can.

One of my best friends, Caitlin, has made her New Years Resolution to hike 100 miles this year. I am so proud of her goal and am blessed to be able to be a part of her life change. Our first hike for the year we did together. Caitlin had found Peavy Arboretum and asked if I had heard of it. In fact, I had because I just hiked near there at Vineyard Mountain last weekend. It was such a blessing to spend time with a good friend, and her little hiking poodle :), and enjoy the depths of the forest communally. We aren't sure if we did the official hike, but we followed the road up the mountain and looped around finding many trails.

The arboretum was dedicated by the university in 1926, operated as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp from 1933-1942, and reverted to College of Forestry management in 1964. While the CCC was active, they planted trees, expanded the nursery, constructed Cronemiller Lake, and built roads, trails, and firebreaks.

This hike takes you through the old growth forests, and forestry sections of the Arboretum. Pass by an old dynamite cap house, as well as Crone Miller Lake where the Oregon State logging club holds competitions.

Date of hike: January 3rd, 2015
Distance: 4 Miles (roundtrip) (I think...)

Elevation gain: no clue

Difficulty: Moderate
Mile Mark: 221

Happy hiking with Caitlin!

A little lake on our way through

Caitlin and Maci's first hike of 2015! 4 miles down, 96 to go!

I have been loving John Muir lately and found this bench on our path. It hit me to the core,

"Wildness is a necessity"

Vineyard Mountain {McDonald-Dunn Forest}

I have heard of McDonald-Dunn Forest a bit since working in Corvallis, but hadn't made it out to hike the area until just last weekend. I had found a site with a ton of hikes in this area and decided to do one called Vineyard Mountain Loop. I'm still not sure if I did the right one, but I hiked and got lost in the world of wild for the morning, which made me happy.

So I can't really recount exactly my hike like I usually do. The directions I followed didn't really add up with where I was, so I was just glad to have found my way back to the car! The directions I had said: From the Lewisburg Saddle parking lot from the northside orange gate, take the 500 road (the right one) and follow to the junction 5010, go right onto 5010 and follow to the top of Vineyard Mountain and the "Antennas". Go right around the loop and look for a single track trail on your right. Follow this trail down through the forest till it "T's" with another trail. Go right on this trail as left is marked private property. As you go right follow the trail down to the side access road and back onto the 600. Go left and as the road starts down, take a left on to the 5030 side road and follow it up till it ends, take the single track trail back down to the parking lot.

It was beautiful, foggy, and cold. John Muir said that “No synonym for God is so perfect as Beauty. Whether as seen carving the lines of the mountains with glaciers, or gathering matter into stars, or planning the movements of water, or gardening - still all is Beauty!” I saw that in the stillness, in the quiet of the woods with the only sound that which rung from when my feet and the earth meet. I descended into a place that seemed like how the bible talks about the dwelling place of the Lord.

So even if it wasn't the path I was supposed to be on (or maybe it was, who knows!) I still was able to retreat from the noise of the world and enter into the dwelling place.

Date of hike: December 27th, 2014
Distance: 3 Miles (roundtrip) (I think...)

Elevation gain: no clue

Difficulty: Easy
Mile Mark: 217

Entrance to the hike, Road 500

McDonald Dunn Forest is a research forest maintained by Oregon State University. This Forest is extensively used for university instruction and research. Four distinct forest management themes, even-aged, two-storied and uneven-aged, plus reserved old-growth stands, allow side-by-side comparisons of the effects of implementing these themes.

I took a right turn off of Road 500 here

At the top of the hill was this fireplace, cozy?

Off of the road, on to the beaten path

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Misery Ridge {Smith Rock}

I have been looking forward to hiking Smith Rock for months now and in December, I finally made it! Typically my family spends a week in Bend each winter, but due to my schedule I was only able to stay for the ending weekend. If I was there longer, I would have also hiked a few others like Tumalo Falls. Anyways, Caitlin went with me for a much needed getaway and I was glad to have the company, especially on the icy drive over the pass!

Smith Rock State Park has several options for hiking, but I chose the one that would take me to the very top (and more challenging). This loop is called Misery Ridge, and the name is not an exaggeration. We descended down to the crooked river bridge and took a left to follow the Canyon Trail. This winds around following the Crooked River flowing through the park as you are towered over by the rock formations. It is a very popular spot for rock climbing and it is fun to stop and watch the climbers scale the massive rock wall. As we were hiking along the river, a beautiful Blue Herron was relaxing by the river and he was an incredible sight. After a few miles, you'll come to a junction and take the Mesa Verde Trail. This ascends continuously until it meets with the Misery Ridge Trail itself. By this time you will have some great views of Monkey Face. Monkey Face is a 350 foot pillar that overhangs on all sides. And it looks like a giant monkey. For climbers, it contains some of the most difficult climbs in the world. Misery Ridge Trail is a little hellish containing 7-8 switchbacks climbing straight up to the top of the rock. I just kept telling myself that my butt would thank me for that later. Once at the top, make sure to breathe. Not only because you'll be pretty out of breath from the climb, but also because the view is stunning.

We spent a little time exploring on the top and watching the crazy climbers who made it to the top of Monkey Face. We then came back down on the front side of the trail that meets right back at the Crooked River Bridge. However, it is a little scary descending the many switchbacks on the front trail as it is very steep and the ground is a lot of loose rock and dirt. I've concluded that I am going to need some hiking poles soon.

It was a cold, killer, and stunning hike. Misery Ridge has definitely been one of my favorites in 2014. Although, I'll admit, every time I go hiking to a new place I say this. I love them all!

Date of hike: December 13th, 2014
Distance: 4 Miles (roundtrip)

Elevation gain: 1000 feet

Difficulty: Difficult
Mile Mark: 214

Crooked River Bridge

Beautiful Blue Herron on the River

Ascending to Monkey Face

Switchbacks from hell

On top of Smith Rock

On top of Smith Rock (Caitlin)

On top of Smith Rock

Monkey Face

Smith Rock

Monkey Face

Caitlin and I on top of Smith Rock

Panorama of the incredible view

Monday, December 15, 2014

Lake Sacajawea

My mom and I drove up to Longview for some time with our cousins. Before we met them, my mom had a function to attend and since I did not want to go to that, I dropped her off and took a nice trek around Lake Sacajawea. It was a gorgeous day and I enjoyed the scenery, although for some reason it did not smell pleasant there. My other recommendation for this location is to use the restroom before you go. They do have a public bathroom there, however, it is the most disgusting bathroom I have ever experienced and I am fairly certain it isn't often used for releasing bodily fluids more than it may be a spot to shoot up heroin or engage in some other type of drug use. And that is putting it lightly. I am forever traumatized from that bathroom.

Anyway, as long as you keep those two things in mind, this is a beautiful loop around the lake in the middle of town! I even came across a bench that was donated from the high school and my great uncle's name, Bud Gauthier, is on it! Fun!

Date of hike: December 6th, 2014
Distance: 3 Miles (roundtrip)

Elevation gain: 35 feet

Difficulty: Easy
Mile Mark: 210

The great lady Sacajawea and her son are featured along this walk

Snowy Shellburg Falls

While hitting my 200 mile mark was incredible, it was just one mile mark on my journey. For my next trip, I had originally planned on hiking out to Cape Lookout on the Oregon Coast, however, I caught news that the coast weather was pretty nasty, windy, and hiking up to the cape might be dangerous. Therefore, I switched gears to a more local hike at Shellburg Falls. And my friend Heather joined me again for this hike.

Shellburg Falls and I have quite the history actually. When I was 18 years old, I started working at YMCA Camp Silver Creek. And just so you know, I had never hiked in my life. I also had been very sedentary during my freshman year of college and was completely out of shape. My first week with kids, I was working with teenage Leaders in Training. During that week, we planned to hike to an overnight spot, stay the night, and return the next morning. I was already nervous at the sound of hiking anywhere, let alone when I found out that we were headed to Shellburg Falls. Our camp was a good 8 miles from Shellburg Falls. I might also add that the hike starts climbing significant elevation, surfacing out for a while, and then straight down for a while down into the ending place campsite where we would stay the night. As we set out, about 30 teenagers and 8 counselors, I hung back with the medic at the back of the line. The terrain was rocky and the elevation was something my muscles had never experienced. Every single step was a struggle. I was unstable in balance and could never quite catch my breath enough. After settling at our campsite, we then took the kids down to the falls, which was more hiking for me. I slept deeply on the forest floor that night. On the return hike, I tripped and fell several times and ended up significantly behind the rest of the group.

Although I struggled with every step, I had two amazing counselors who stuck by my side and encouraged me the whole way. A special thank you to Pancakes (Sam Lewis) and Strider (Joseph Carlisle) whom I will never be grateful enough for your encouragement and sticking with me on that hike. They countered the internal battle of shame I had running through my mind. Like many times in my life when it comes to health and fitness, shame gremlins always creep in with messages telling me that I'm not good enough. On this hike it was a spiral of those messages and the fact that I couldn't keep up was just proving that message. I was thoroughly ashamed that I had a hard time keeping up, that I was breathing hard, and that I couldn't keep my body stable enough not to fall repetitively. As I shared that experience of struggle with two incredible human beings, my shame was quieted. That hike became a point of reference for the rest of the summer and what would be the rest of my life thus far. I always refer back to that hike thinking, if I could do that hike, I can do anything; I can do this challenge in front of me right now.

So as I hiked the Shellburg Falls area, I was transported back to my 18 year old self and remembering my camp days, but also reminded of the immense strides in health I have made in the last 6 years.

Our hike started off at the Shellburg Falls Trailhead on Fern Ridge Road. The weather as we started was overcast, but fairly cold. As we got to Upper Shellburg Falls, it began snowing. The magic and beauty of Oregon wilderness in the snow is indescribable. I tried to capture it in photograph, but it just couldn't do it justice. As we hiked up and back around behind the falls area, it started hailing profusely. Finally, in the last leg of our hike back the sun came out and shone on us highlighting the beautiful country field that we came back through. Needless to say, we had an entirely Oregon experience, featuring 4 different weather patterns within 2 hours.

Date of hike: November 29th, 2014
Distance: 5 Miles (roundtrip)