Take a road trip to the Oregon Coast this winter and bring along this perfect itinerary for the gastronomically inclined.

Winter in Central Oregon is gorgeous, but sometimes the ocean calls you away from the mountains for a weekend getaway. Four hours west and you’re in the land of sand, sea and salty air. At the beach, the flavors of the ocean, forest and farm come together under the skilled hands of local chefs to create delicious foods and crafted beverages. At the beach, don’t practice restraint. Taste everything. Here’s our suggested coastal foodie tour weekend itinerary.

Begin with a Friday night pint of pale ale at Astoria’s Buoy Beer Company, housed in a 100-year-old warehouse on piers overlooking the Columbia River. Dinner is at the Astoria Coffeehouse and Bistro, where the halibut tacos are fresh and the ambiance vintage Americana. Grab an ice cream cone for dessert at Frite and Scoop, to the sounds of the sea lions barking on the waterfront.

Saturday brunch is in Manzanita at Yolk, where you might linger over eggs benedict or fresh tuna salad long enough to make it to happy hour, offered with class at MacGregor’s Whiskey Bar down the street. Craft cocktails and a menu of more than 200 brown liquors are offered in this locals’-favorite gathering place with a fire pit out front.

Grab some chowder for the road at Buttercup Ice Creams and Chowders in Nehalem, where freshly made seafood soups range from Thai to Indian to good old-fashioned clam chowder. Your dinner destination is Local Ocean Seafood on Newport’s bayfront. Grab a crab po’ boy sandwich with crunchy French fries and a Willamette Valley pinot gris, or perhaps the supremely fresh grilled albacore tuna kabobs are more your style.

Grab Sunday breakfast at the Drift Inn, on the highway in Yachats. Live music and divine seafood dishes light up this place at night, but breakfast brings crepes, eggs benedict, or clam and eggs to your plate. Blown glass light fixtures and umbrellas (open and hung from the ceiling) mark the Drift Inn, which has a long and salty history as a dive bar that you can read about on the back of the menu.

Sunday lunch is in downtown Coos Bay at Shark Bites, which features locally sourced seafood including Coos Bay oysters and Dungeness crab cakes, surrounded by traditional coastal décor of driftwood and surfboards on the wall.

Your gastronomical tour concludes in Port Orford with dinner at the renowned Redfish restaurant, perched on a cliff with a panoramic view of the beach. The black cod primavera comes with local vegetables. The sun setting over the ocean is 100 percent local, too, and just as satisfying as the amazing meals you’ve enjoyed all weekend.

Make Union Creek Resort your basecamp for cross-country skiing at Crater Lake this winter.

A lush, wintry landscape surrounds you. Douglas fir, spruce and cedar hang overhead in a sheltering canopy over Highway 62, west of Crater Lake, on one of the prettiest scenic drives in the state of Oregon. Blink and you’ll miss Union Creek Resort, but those in the know never miss a chance to take a break here, at least for a slice of Beckie’s famous pie. This winter, make a longer stop by booking a rustic cabin and making a weekend of it.

Union Creek Resort was built in the 1920s, and the cozy getaway retains a sense of going back in time. The collection of cabins sheltered in the forest near the narrow channel of the upper Rogue River are a peaceful retreat. Beckie’s serves homestyle breakfast, lunch and dinner in a log cabin that’s listed on the National Historic Register—and don’t forget about that pie, which comes in a dozen flavors.

Even better, from Union Creek Resort you’ll find easy access to some of Oregon’s most epic—and outrageously scenic cross-country skiing. It’s only twenty-four miles to the rim of Crater Lake via the south entrance, which is the only route kept clear of snow for vehicles in the wintertime. Reach the rim and put on your skis. Glide the trail a short ways or a long ways, depending on your stamina and how many times you stop to gape at that incredible bowl of blue water contrasted by white snow. Return to the resort for hot chocolate and some time in front of the fire. Perfection achieved.

This winter, Elk Lake Resort is offering a moonlit cross-country skiing trip into the resort, capped with a four-course dinner and a sno-cat ride back to your car.

Even in Central Oregon, snow play isn’t for everyone. Some folks prefer to be indoors when winter settles into the region. Others just need an extra incentive to get outside and enjoy the season. If you’re seeking a thrill, Elk Lake Resort might just be the impetus for a moonlight adventure capped by a four-course dinner at the resort’s cozy lakeside lodge. This year, the resort rolls out a new winter program that combines a full moon ski into Elk Lake with a chef-prepared prix fixe menu, capped by a snowcat return ride under the same silvery moonlight.

Park your car at Dutchman Flat, from which the party departs at 6 p.m. for the two-hour ski into the resort. Dress in layers; it’s easy to work up a sweat on an extended cross-country excursion, particularly if you’re a novice. Pack a headlamp, though you may not need it given the natural illumination of the full moon reflecting on a blanket of snow. Follow Cascade Lakes Highway (closed to all vehicle traffic in winter months) on a fresh layer of groomed corduroy past Todd Lake around the backside of Sparks Lake and into Elk Lake Resort, a four-season basecamp that in winter serves as an outpost for snowmobilers, backcountry skiers and solitude seekers.

Dust off your jackets and park your skis outside the door in a nod to the snow-loving Scandinavian settlers who first came to Central Oregon to work the forest and sawmills. Don’t linger long, for a warm drink, or maybe just a stiff one, awaits inside the historic lodge that bustles with activity in the summer but transforms into an Old World dining hall in the winter months, complete with communal cheer and the camaraderie forged by the shared experience. For the full moon events, the dinner includes appetizers, main course and a dessert. When you’ve eaten and drank your fill, load yourself and your gear into the waiting snowcat and rumble back to Dutchmen to complete the journey.

The resort has scheduled dinners through the 2019 winter season to coincide with full moons, including January 20  and March 20.  (No dinner is scheduled for February due to President’s Day Weekend holiday. )Reservations required. 

Cross-country or Nordic skiing is a popular sport in Central Oregon. But not every trail or sno-park allows dogs. If you’re looking for a new trail to try this winter with your furry friend, here are some great options.

Nordic skiing has a long history in Central Oregon, with the first ski club formed in the early 20th century. There are miles of cross-country trails to explore across the region, but not all of them allow dogs. Since this is Central Oregon, and dogs are even allowed at some breweries, here are some options for where to take your dog cross-country skiing with you. Keep in mind that the Forest Service asks that dogs stay within voice control at all times and that they be leashed when in the sno-park.

Kapka Sno-Park

Near Sunriver off Forest Service Road 45, Kapka Sno-Park is one of the few places where dogs are allowed on the ungroomed cross-country skiing trails. The low-elevation sno-park has limited views, but its also one of the least-trafficked sno-parks in the region, so you and your pooch will have plenty of room to explore. Dogs are allowed at the park, along with snowshoers and snowmobilers, so keep an eye out and share the trails.

Wanoga Sno-Park

One of the first parks off Cascade Lakes Highway in Bend, Wanoga Sno-Park is also one of the most popular. There are designated trails for snowshoeing, Nordic skiing and snowmobiling, and the park is also busy with families who take advantage of the legendary sledding hill. A two-mile cross-country skiing trail, maintained by DogPac, allows dogs and is a popular winter Nordic skiing destination for those that don’t want to leave the dogs behind.

Edison Butte Sno-Park

Edison Butte Sno-Park, also off Cascade Lakes Highway, is open to skiers, snowshoers and snowmobilers. There are miles of trails to explore from here, and most will lead to one of two warming huts in the park. Dogs are allowed on the looped network of trails that can keep skiers and dogs busy for hours. Edison Butte is farther up the highway than other popular parks, and you’ll probably be sharing the trails with other skiers and their dogs as well.

Head north for a day of outdoor exploration that includes a dramatic waterfall, rockhounding and a well-earned happy hour in Madras.

Plunge Into White River Falls

Tell friends in Bend that you spent the day exploring the greater Tygh Valley area and you’re likely to get a blank stare in return. That’s understandable, given that this sparsely populated section of the Columbia plateau northeast of Maupin doesn’t get a lot of visitors. But it’s worth more than a passing glance with its rolling wheat fields, historic homesteads and almost ghost towns. The biggest attraction is the sprawling White River State Park that is wedged into a narrow valley between Mount Hood to the west and the Deschutes River to the east. The heart of the park is a dramatic plunge falls that cascades 100-plus feet over a basalt shelf into a roiling pool below. The park also includes a historic powerhouse, a remnant from an earlier era when the river was harnessed to provide electricity to farms and towns around the valley. The hydroelectric project was idled in the early 1960s when the Dalles Dam was completed on the Columbia River, delivering power to the valley and well beyond.

Dig a Thunderegg

Central Oregon’s volcanic origins left us snow-capped mountains and refrigerator-cool desert grottos. If you want your own piece of Central Oregon’s geology, then head to Richardson’s Rock Ranch outside of Madras. Here, rockhounds are invited to work one of the region’s largest and most productive thunderegg beds. These orange-sized rocks are split open to reveal a marble-like interior of polished quartz and silica in brilliant colors and elaborate patterns. Richardson’s provides digging materials and basic instructions for a DIY dig, or just peruse the ample selection in their onsite store (while dodging the roaming peacocks outside) and grab one for the road.

Kick back in Margaritaville

After you’ve checked waterfalls and rock mining off your to-do list, reward yourself with a stop a Rio Distinctive Cuisine in Madras. If you’re on a tight schedule, grab a cold cerveza and order the table-made guacamole before you head home. Better yet, linger a bit. Order a Casa Del Rio Margarita and a plate of the puerco emmolado, slow roasted pork shoulder served with mango mole sauce.

Drive south from Bend and hang a left at La Pine. This is the Oregon Outback. Rugged, remote and nary another soul in sight.

Homesteading History

Stretch your legs in history at the Fort Rock Homestead Museum. A handful of late-1800s era buildings are filled with historic items to discover. Take a few minutes to learn about the history of the homesteaders who tried to make a home in this rugged country.

Race Against the Snow

Hager Mountain is about an hour from the museum. While the trail is heavily trafficked in spring and summer for peak wildflower season, by late fall the hike has mostly cleared out. There are a few routes to get to the top, depending on how far you want to hike. A four-mile trek to the summit begins at the trailhead on East Bay Road. Follow the trail through a Ponderosa forest until you reach the top. A rustic fire lookout awaits at the summit, and can be rented out from November through March each year. (Getting a reservation is difficult due to its popularity.)

Oregon’s Outback Steak (and Chicken) House

Hopefully the eight-mile trek has worked up an appetite in you. A half-hour drive back to Silver Lake is all that sits between you and one of the best meals you can dream of. Cowboy Dinner Tree is a destination in itself. The reservation-only restaurant provides a generous meal—think a whole chicken to a plate and steaks bigger than your head—all without using electricity. It’s a family-friendly dining experience, where you’ll leave on a first name basis with the owners and chefs.

The Single Speed World Championship, a mountain biking race that doesn’t take itself too seriously, recently took over the town, with raucous and rowdy results.

I looked up from the bottom of “Hospital Hill” after navigating my borrowed 1999 singlespeed GT mountain bike down a treacherous section of questionable trail. Covered head to toe in dust, I peered through the sealed, dark lenses of mountaineering goggles looking like I’m straight out of a scene from Burning Man. I gazed up at what may as well be a ski slope without the snow. After ingesting a shot of rye whiskey from an “aid” station at the top, racers either glide their bikes, walk or stumble their way down this sheer mountain face of infinite dirt. But the “Rasta Rocket” (Adam Prosise) came ripping down upon his bike, leaving the rest of us in a cloud of volcanic dust.

After surviving the weekend upon the saddles of two-wheel singlespeed cycling machines hurling through raucous pub crawls, historic parties and a forty-mile bike race, the dust clouds have finally cleared, and the 2018 Single Speed World Championship (SSWC) has come to a close. For five days in October, Bend saw approximately 700 riders from across the globe partake in the twenty-third annual event of cycling shenanigans.

The event was originally coined in 1995 as “The Wasted Hairy Insanely Retro League of Enlightened Degenerates” and took place in Big Bear Lake, California. It began more as a counter culture movement than a serious world championship race. Today, the race is a mix of both. In Bend, the festival offered plenty of beer drinking and wild parties in addition to the hard racing. I knew I had to sign up.

Designation for each year’s hosting site is decided by some form of beer drinking or outrageous challenge held during the previous year’s race. In Rotorua, New Zealand, the location of the 2017 SSWC, a Bend coalition of cycling aficionados won the honors of bringing the event to Central Oregon for the very first time. Local cycling legends like Carl Decker (’08 SSCW Champion) and Adam Craig (’09 SSCW Champion) helped lead the charge, designing the forty-mile course. Crow’s Feet Commons owner David Markis designated the coffee and bike shop downtown as the official SSWC headquarters.

“It was really neat to see how all of this was unfolding,” Decker said. “You kind of just count on the kindness of others and for them to come through, and the community really just did a great job.”

Riders from as far as Japan, Scotland, and Australia were entertained by daily group rides through Bend’s epic scenery and trails. On Thursday night, riders rode their bikes from brewery-to-brewery and ended at Volcanic Theatre Pub in what was dubbed “Carl’s Crawl.” Friday night, an official welcoming party at Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe had countries like Slovenia and Canada vying for next year’s hosting location, battling through beer-drinking challenges and “nautical” endeavors.

Saturday, I joined 700 other singlespeed diehards at the starting line of the forty-mile race. From pros and legends to unicyclists and tandem racers, all the racers were dressed in costumes laden over cycling jerseys, spandex shorts and sometimes hardly anything at all. Each and every one of us was ready for the time of our lives while wearing tutus, onesies and superhero capes. Clearly, Halloween had come to Bend early this year.

With forty miles and 4,000 feet of climbing ahead of us on top of our singlespeed steeds, riders ascended in pursuit of the worldwide coveted “trophy tattoo” adorned by every winner of the event for the past twenty-three years. As we hammered along, dehydrated riders pulled into aid stations that resembled outdoor living rooms, accompanied with hookah bars, margaritas, bacon and water. I watched elite riders complete a keg stand or chug a beer before getting back on their bikes and the trail.

Grins painted with dirt and sweat spread across riders faces as they rolled into the finish line and were welcomed in by high fives and weary hugs. Defending Marathon National Champion and Red Bull athlete Payson McElveen won tattoo honors in the men’s category. Course designer Carl Decker finished in a close second place. Pro rider Rachel Lloyd took home the lifelong prize in the women’s category.

When it was all said and done, the party gathered at Crow’s Feet Common for the official award ceremony. The “branding” of the winners took center stage and live music filled the air as everyone simply celebrated finishing the race in one piece.

Almost twenty-five years later, there is no doubt that the event continues to inspire both mockeries and legends. Plan on it all happening again next year halfway across the world in Slovenia, the official hosting location for 2019. Bring your wits, your good vibes and your singlespeed.

Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center leaves you alone in the woods—in a good way.

There’s getting out of town, and then there’s really getting out of town. Breitenbush Hot Springs, east of Detroit, Oregon, is maybe one of the last places in the state (or anywhere?) where you can sleep in the woods with little danger of being interrupted by the irritants of civilization, technology or even your own vices.

At Breitenbush, not only is there no cell service or wifi, but you will be asked to consume an organic vegetarian diet (provided for you) accompanied by no alcohol, no tobacco and no caffeine. Meditation, yoga, ecstatic dancing, silence—these are all encouraged, as is clothing-optional soaking in one of seven outdoor hot spring-fed pools. When you don’t even need clothes, that’s about as purist as it gets.

Breitenbush has existed as a gathering place since Native Americans inhabited the area. In the 1920s, a Portlander who invented the first ice cream cone machine turned his profits into a resort on the banks of the Breitenbush River. In the 1970s, hippie culture came along and Breitenbush embraced it, as it still does today. If you want to know what Oregon was like four decades ago, it lives on in these sprightly woods. Think bell bottoms, unkempt hair and an exceptional amount of hugging.

The setting has been the stand-out feature over time. The historic lodge, meeting structures, cabins and tent-sites of Breitenbush are surrounded by a lush and magical forest cut through by the glistening Breitenbush River. Salmon swim in the river, deer wander through, eagles fly overhead.

Trails take you deeper into the woods, where even the modest crowds of a busy Breitenbush summer day fall away. Here, a mile or so up the trail, belly full of organic vegetables and marionberry lemonade, hold still and take in the silence, the scent of the woods, the thermal energy teeming beneath your feet. For a moment, these are all that matter; this is all there is. You can’t help but feel present and grateful, in that woods alone, which leads you to suspect that maybe the Breitenbush purists are on to something after all.

As summer slips away into fall, there is a brief window of time where you can witness beautiful fall colors in Central Oregon throughout the region. Here’s your guide to not missing out.

Fall has arrived. That means it is time to dig out the scarves, find our fleece-lined jackets and footwear, don our thickly-knitted wool caps, and set aside the weekly stipend to curb our cravings and sustain our thirst for pumpkin-spiced lattes, ales and various deserts. But let us not forget; this season, which many of us look forward to, is also a time of change for the flora of Central Oregon. That’s right, it is time to watch trees.

Before we paint you a clear road map of where to go to see some of the best fall sights in Central Oregon, let’s dig into the science behind it all.

So why do leaves change color and fall?

Common deliberation may tell you that high winds and cold temperatures are the culprits behind autumn leaves falling, and honestly, you wouldn’t be completely wrong to say so. At first glance, this widely shared piece of wisdom seems simply plausible as a mechanism of force. As it turns out, weather doesn’t quite provide the catalyst for falling leaves, as much as it is the trees making a choice of efficiency; choosing to make a simple budget cut.

During the early weeks of fall, many trees and other plants are faced with a choice. The problem at hand is a weighing of costs and benefits of the leaves. As less and less sunlight is available, and the temperatures continue to drop, the tree must decide whether or not the leaves are worth keeping. Leaves provide much needed photosynthesis for trees. They absorb the rays of the sun, and turn it into usable energy. As the leaves slow their levels of photosynthesis, the green chlorophyll is broken down, leaving behind the varied coloration of leaves we seen this time of year.

As the leaves become less and less efficient to the tree, where the cost of energy output for keeping the leaves from freezing outweighs the benefit of energy from photosynthesis, the tree chooses to simply eject the leaves from its system. If you want to sound smart at your next gathering, you can explain this process to your friends as family as “abscission.” During abscission, the tree experiences a lack of chlorophyll, and then releases chemical hormones that signal the cutting of the leaves. It’s a tree making a decision to “trim the fat.” (Similar to me telling myself that the dozen or so of pumpkin ales I want to have this week might not be exactly financially sound, and maybe I should stick with the far more cost-efficient water.)

That’s all well and good, but let’s get to the important stuff—where do we go to get that perfect fall photo?

For our many East Coast transplants here in Central Oregon, the term “leafing” in the fall is well known. For those of our residents who hail from the southern reaches of the West Coast, the term may be completely unknown. It’s simply a term given to activity of seeking out fall colors in changing leaves. But for all of who now call Central Oregon home, regardless of our origins, finding a bit of fall color in the trees and shrubs around us may present a particular challenge. After all, we are in the high desert, where comparatively few deciduous, color-changing plants are found native to our region.

Of course, you can’t go the season without making at least one annual visit to Drake Park, where oak trees stand in plenty, releasing their pre-winter wares. For the true feeling of fall in Bend, this park is a must-see. I, for one will, be taking my children, a rake, our dog, and an iPhone for our yearly photo session of live-action shots in the romping of piles upon piles of beautifully arrayed fallen leaves. But what if you are feeling a little more adventurous?

Fear not, my fellow leafers. You need not travel far to find fall colors in the wilds of Central Oregon. Simply drive west. A few dozen miles will do. Head over on Highway 20, not far from Sisters. There, on the cusp of where the east side of the Cascades meets the west, you will find a sight unknown to even to most well-rehearsed East Coast leafers, here the colors of autumn can be found hiding in the most unlikely of places. Groves of quaking aspen can be found woven between the color-challenged ponderosas pines. Peer even farther into the unique, as low-lying Vine Maple and Douglas Maples are sprinkled throughout jet-black obsidian flows and other rocky croppings, creating sights visible for a only matter of weeks before snow comes and blankets all that surrounds.

If you can, schedule yourself a flight over the Central Oregon Cascades during the transformative weeks of October. There you will see how truly unique our fall is. Yes, it is shorter than most of us prefer. If you have lived here long enough, it almost feels as if you are tossed directly from the heat of summer into the bone chilling cold of winter, and autumn only makes a short cameo along the way. But perhaps that is what makes the high desert fall so special. The season may not last a matter of months like it does in many other regions in the United States, but its seemingly fleeting arrival, to me anyway, makes it more worthwhile. So catch it while you can.

Erika Nuetzel is a naturalist guide for Wanderlust Tours in Bend. Here’s how she spends her days at work.

Erika Nuetzel gets paid to be outside. She’s lived in Bend for the last year and a half and works as a naturalist guide for Wanderlust Tours. “Somehow I’ve convinced my boss to pay me to do the things I’d like to be doing in my own time,” said Nuetzel. Here’s how she spends a normal working day in Bend.

6:00 a.m.: I wake up, and take my dog, Zephyr, for a walk. After heating up some veggie hash for breakfast, I consider my options for a morning activity. Bend has so many amazing things to do, it’s always easy to squeeze something in before work!

Noon: After spending the morning running Big Eddy laps, hiking, or climbing out at Smith Rock, I head into work around noon to prep for my upcoming afternoon and night trips. As naturalist guides, our schedules vary from day to day. My afternoon at work could involve some hiking around Newberry National Volcanic Monument, or spelunking through an 80,000 year old lava tube cave. Today, I’ll be running an afternoon kayak trip and a moonlight canoe tour. Now that I know my schedule, I load up the van and the kayak trailer with the gear I need, and head over to pick the guests up at the Wanderlust Tours office.

1:30 p.m. I meet my group of ten adventurous guests and we embark on the journey to Paulina Lake. A forty-minute drive through the Deschutes National Forest provides the perfect opportunity to discuss the natural and cultural history of this part of the world. We pass through the second-growth Ponderosa pine forest in the high desert and climb higher into the old-growth subalpine ecosystem, all the while talking about the 100-plus species of animals, plants, and trees that live here, and how people have moved throughout the land over the last 15,000 years.

2:20 p.m. Once we arrive to the boat ramp, we set up the kayaks and paddles before launching off. Afternoons at Paulina are the best time for kayak trips. We cross the lake to take a dip into the hot springs that line the north shore, then we jump in the clear waters of the lake. After our swim, we pause a while on a beach overlooking the Big Obsidian Flow and Paulina Peak. From this vantage point, you can really tell we’re kayaking in a collapsed volcanic caldera! Osprey fly high overhead and take turns plunging into the lake as they dive for an afternoon snack in front of our boats.

5:30 p.m. The afternoon passes much too quickly. Before long the tour is over and we’re heading back to the Wanderlust Tours office. After parting ways with my afternoon guests, it’s time for me to go to the Wanderlust Tours warehouse to get ready for the night trip. Since the gloomy smoke from far-off wildfires has finally cleared, I’ve decided I’ll take my group up Cascade Lakes Highway to Hosmer Lake to paddle beneath the stars. I prepare the canoes for the night trip at our shop by loading them onto the trailer, and loading the van with life jackets and headlamps.

7:45 p.m. We arrive at the boat ramp as the sun sets behind us, illuminating South Sister, Broken Top and Mount Bachelor with the glorious alpenglow of the late summer evenings. Once I’ve explained the mechanics of canoeing to the guests, we set off on the lake. We’re just about the only boats on the water. At this time of day, most people have gone home, and the nocturnal animals come out in their place. A bald eagle is perched on the third story of a subalpine fir, so we pause our paddling to observe him. Soon enough he makes a move, diving into the lake to pluck an Atlantic salmon out for dinner. We leave him to enjoy his bounty in peace and continue paddling as the sky darkens.

9:00 p.m. Bats and nighthawks swirl around our boats as we continue down the main channel towards the north end of the lake. We pass a beaver swimming stealthily across the lake towards her lodge in the tule reeds. As the sky darkens, Venus, Jupiter and Mars appear on the horizon, and the Summer Triangle is the first asterism to emerge. Pretty soon, the entire night sky is speckled with stars that make up various constellations, satellites flying in outer space, and the Milky Way shines brightly through the Summer Triangle.

9:45 p.m. At this point, we group all the canoes together, and I pass out delicious Sparrow Bakery desserts and homemade hot cocoa to all guests, and a Deschutes Brewery beer to those over 21. I share the Greek myths behind the constellations above us as guests enjoy their goodies, and we discuss nighttime ecology of the area. Again, nature provides an incredible backdrop to these stories and although I wish we could sit among the stars for hours, we eventually make it back to Bend.

11:00 p.m. I say farewell to my guests and drive the Wanderlust Tours van back to the warehouse. While enjoying my shift beer, I listen to music and clean out the van and canoes. Then, I head home to play with Zephy, eat some food, and pass out… ready to do it all again tomorrow!

Revitalize your soul in these mineral-rich pools. With the weather cooling off but winter sports not yet in full swing, there is no better way to embrace the changing of the seasons than soaking in hot springs. Opt to hike to rock-lined pools along rivers and lakes or spoil yourself with resort-style bathhouses that are scattered through Oregon. Treat your sore muscles and revitalize your soul in these mineral-rich pools all within a day-trip from Bend.

Paulina Hot Springs

Located off a spur on the Paulina Lake Loop Trail, the springs are primitive at best. If the lake shore waters are high, the pools may be washed out. However, when the waters are just right, hot springs may be dug out of coarse beach sand and reinforced with found wood and stones. Because these pools are not commercial, visitors often bring a shovel, such as a collapsible avalanche shovel, to re-dig one of the several pools. Although the pools might be crude, the view is magnificent. Paulina Peak towers at nearly 8,000 feet tall. Its center crater is infilled with Paulina Lake’s waters that sweep across the horizon line and counterpoint sunsets that light up the sky like pink cotton candy. 

For lodging, or to rent a canoe for paddling across the lake to the edge of the hot springs, stop in at Paulina Lodge. Open in the high season, May through September, the lodge offers everything from stays in its cabins and intimate A-frames to lunch and dinner dining. Look forward to sampling the chef’s famous prime rib, homemade cobblers and handcrafted cocktails. Reservations are required. See paulinalakelodge.com.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument, operated by Deschutes National Forest, gained its monument status in 1990 as a result of the area’s outstanding volcanic features. Obsidian flows, alpine lakes, fissures, cavernous lava tubes, a lava cast forest, and a massive caldera (or collapsed volcano) are all natural wonders to experience en route to Paulina Lake Hot Springs.

Driving time from Bend: 1 hour
Open: May to September

East Lake

If you think Paulina Lake’s hot springs are primitive, you have not seen the springs at East Lake, Paulina’s neighbor in the Newberry Crater. These springs are great for those tired of the Paulina Lake crowds. There are trade-offs—unlike those at Paulina, these springs smell heavily of sulfur and can reach temperatures up to 120 degrees. They can be accessed by a short quarter-mile trail from the hot springs boat ramp, walking until reaching bubbling water. On a typical snow year, these springs usually are submerged in the lake until late July, so are best-visited in the late summer or fall.

Driving time from Bend: 1 hour
Open: May to September, but best starting in late summer when water level is low

Bigelow/Deer Creek

The quiet neighbor of Belknap Hot Springs, Deer Creek, also known as Bigelow Hot Springs, is one small pool tucked on the banks of the McKenzie River in the Willamette National Forest. This peaceful pool is sectioned off from the river by rocks, with hot spring water flowing from the pool’s bottom. Its close proximity to the river cools it off too much in the winter, but makes it the perfect soaking temperature in the summer and fall. It can only handle a few guests at a time, so consider going on a weekday or prepare for a possible wait. Even with its close proximity to the highway, clothing is optional in typical Oregon hot springs fashion.

Driving time from Bend: 1 hour 20 minutes
Parking and fees: Free to soak, Turn onto Deer Creek Road, cross a bridge over the McKenzie River to park
Open: Year-round, but can be too cold in winter months

Crystal Crane

Hidden in a high-desert oasis twenty-five miles east of Burns lies this magical hot springs resort. A longtime hub for dirty travelers, Crystal Crane hot springs consists of a 101-degree mineral hot springs pond and several private soaking tubs, rentable by the hour. Plan a visit on a clear night and stargaze while you soak. With its close proximity to Steens Mountain, the Ochocos and the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, pitch a tent nearby or choose one of the resort’s unique overnight options, including a teepee with a private hot tub.

Driving time from Bend: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Open: Year-round, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Summer Lake

Southeast of Bend in the Oregon Outback amidst a vast high desert landscape awaits this 145-acre hot spring resort, Summer Lake. On your drive out, watch for birds of prey, antelope, deer and other wildlife. Stop at quirky and charming homegrown Oregon outposts to re-supply beverages, firewood and gasoline. If you have time, take a small detour to Fort Rock to see the remnants of a tuff ring, a volcano that erupted under a shallow sea. Fort Rock is also home to an ancient reed sandal mass storage cache, which has helped anthropologists pinpoint a date indicating the earliest known people in the region. On the outskirts of the municipality, look for a smattering of walk-through historic ghost town buildings.

When you arrive at Summer Lake, enjoy the four developed outdoor hot pools with 360-degree views of the desert, forest, sky and mountain peaks, as well as the largest pool, located inside a bathhouse. These springs have been flowing for thousands of years, traveling to the surface through a natural fault to almost a mile underground, and were unknown until hundreds of feet of lake water receded. Established in 1988, the resort features a bathhouse and outdoor hot springs-fed rock pools, all between 106 and 118 degrees. Either travel down for the day or choose from a variety of accommodations, ranging with low-price tent campsites to geothermally-heated cabins or guesthouses. Summer Lake is also known for hosting pop-up music festivals and retreats of all kinds. 

To find RV or van-specific parking, hookups and amenities, Ana Reservoir Park and Lonepine RV Park are choice picks. After a detoxifying dip in the hot springs for registered guests of the lodge, travel 20 minutes north to the town of Summer Lake and visit The Flyway at The Lodge at Summer Lake for casual American food. See summerlakehotsprings.com.

Driving time from Bend: 2 hours
Open: Year-round, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for day use, open 24 hours for overnight guests

McCredie Hot Springs

McCredie Hot Springs, once a historic resort, consists of several undeveloped pools on either side of Salt Creek off of Highway 58 near Oakridge. These springs are great for large and small groups alike, with the largest “party” pool being 30 feet wide and the smallest being only a yard in diameter. The large pool is a short walk from the main parking area between milepost 45 and 46 on Highway 58. If looking to reach the smaller, more secluded pools and avoid crossing the two-foot-deep creek, turn down Shady Gap Road, turn right at both splits and park at the first wide spot. From here, a mile-long hike through ferns, moss and wildflowers leads down to the pools. Since these pools are relatively isolated, prepare to be in the midst of naked hippies or become one yourself.

Driving time from Bend: 1 hour 30 minutes
Distance: If accessing the main pool, just a short walk down to the river from the main parking area. If visiting southside pools, prepare to hike a 0.9 mile out and back trail down to the springs.
Parking and fees: Free to soak, park between milepost 45 and 46 on Highway 58 next to McCredie Station Road near Blue Pool Campground for main pool. For southside pools, turn down Shady Gap Road, turn right at both splits and park at the first wide spot.
Open: Year-round

Bagby Hot Springs

Bagby Hot Springs is nestled deep within the Mount Hood National Forest on the Collawash River. An easy 1.7-mile hike through lush forest leads to the bathhouse, consisting of cedar wood tubs in both private and community settings. The spring water is 138 degrees Fahrenheit but can be cooled off with water from the river below. Unlike most Oregon hot springs, nudity is not allowed (but that has never stopped Oregonians before). Because of its close proximity to both Portland and Salem, these hot springs are highly frequented and often mistreated, so make sure to pack out your litter and be respectful of your surroundings.

Driving time from Bend: 3 hours
Distance: 3.4 miles roundtrip from Bagby Trailhead
Open: Year-round, but road not maintained in winter months

Read more about Hot Spring in our area here.

Bend’s Alice Drobna has rewritten the ultra-endurance record book—and she’s not done yet.

Alice Drobna, an understated 43-year-old graphic designer for Hydro Flask, is arguably the nation’s toughest long-distance mountain biker. She is certainly the most dedicated. After completing five 100-mile mountain bike races in 2013, she still wanted more. As in, more miles, more solitude and more challenge. Drobna is the first—and still only—woman to complete the trifecta of ultra-endurance mountain biking, known as the Triple Crown Challenge of bikepacking. She’s also the only mountain biker, man or woman, to do so on a singlespeed.

To claim this rare distinction, riders must finish all three of the sport’s classic dirt events, the Arizona Trail, Tour Divide and Colorado Trail, in the same season. This is a Herculean challenge in terms of total time in the saddle as well as the short recovery time between races.

The 750-mile Arizona Trail takes place in April; the Tour Divide, which spans 2,745 miles from Alberta to New Mexico, begins in June. Approximately three weeks after finishing the Tour Divide, would-be Challenge finishers must complete an arduous 500-mile journey gaining 70,000 feet through the Rockies from Durango to Denver.

Drobna’s record-setting time set in 2015 still stands at thirty-six days, six hours and fifty-six minutes, in which she rode 4,080 miles and logged 380,000 feet of climbing. (That’s about 10,500 feet of elevation gain per day, or riding from Bend to Mount Bachelor three-and-a-half times). She joined nine men on the list of cyclists who have accomplished this brutal feat.

Born in what was then Czechoslovakia, Drobna came to the United States in the early 1990s to attend college. She stayed, gained citizenship and bounced around the country before landing in Park City, Utah. There she met Ross Windsor, her longtime boyfriend (and three-time U.S. trials bike champion) who in 2008 introduced her to mountain biking on a single-geared bike.

“Riding singlespeed just made perfect sense to me,” she said. “It was quiet and light, and I got strong really quick.”

Her mountain bike racing career began with cross-country and then marathon distances, and she won a national title in 2011. She followed that up by completing five 100-mile mountain bike races in 2013. Still, Drobna wanted a steeper challenge.

“I found that I felt more at peace going slower and farther,” she reflected. “What I really like is being all by myself. For some reason, I was still searching for something longer. That’s when I started researching the Tour Divide. I thought, ‘If I can ride 100 miles, why not try to ride 100 miles every day?’”

Competitive bikepackers race alone and unsupported. They carry a GPS device to navigate the route, and to keep all competitors honest, along with their own food, water, tools and gear for camping. It’s this self-reliance and solitude that attracts Drobna to these extreme events. That, and the simplicity of it.

“You can go days without seeing any people,” she explained. “It’s like you almost live a different life. You leave everything you do at home behind—responsibilities, relationships, work. It’s just you and the trail and the bike. You’re in the moment all the time.”

In bikepacking events, Drobna’s custom-built titanium singlespeed—carrying food, water and gear—weighs in at forty pounds. She typically pedals sixteen to seventeen hours each day, including a few hours in the dark. Depending on the trail, she might cover 170 miles during that time. If the route is particularly steep or technical, or requires more hiking, she might log only eighty—all the while burning 10,000 to 12,000 calories.

Since her record-setting season in 2015, Drobna continues to enter long-distance bikepacking events but with less frequency. Despite vowing not to, she’s been back to the Arizona Trail twice, with the aim of besting her 2015 record time. This past April, she won the female division again, but failed to beat her record-setting time.

Of all the racing she’s done, Drobna describes the Arizona Trail ride, which stretches from the Arizona-Mexico border to the Utah state line, as the “most brutal.” Part of the difficulty is the twenty-four-mile portage across the Grand Canyon, which requires riders to disassemble their bike, affix it to a pack, and trek down and then back up the canyon wall.

That, and the weather. “There’s no shade, and there’s constant sun beating down on you,” she recounted of the 2018 race. “I was having a hard time staying hydrated. I was drinking seven liters a day [more than three-and-a-half gallons], and it wasn’t enough. When I climbed out of the heat into Flagstaff, the coldest night was fifteen degrees with fifty mile per hour winds. I was worried about being hypothermic. It was incredibly brutal conditions, from one extreme to the next.”

Despite this, Drobna now holds the two fastest finish times among women.

“One of the things that draws me to [ultra-endurance cycling] is it’s never the same,” she explained. “One time I ran into three bears in two days, I almost hit a moose during a night ride, almost kicked a rattlesnake with my pedal. You just never know what’s going to happen, and that’s exciting to me.”

For the remainder of this year, Drobna is taking a break from racing, but hasn’t written off resuming her ultra-endurance career. “It’s crazy hard,” she said, which seems like a gross understatement. And then added: “But you can’t get mad when you’re out there, because you’re in the most beautiful place.”

Find a dog-friendly respite at Barking Mad Farm in Enterprise.

Chief Joseph, Sacajawea, Matterhorn, Glacier, Eagle Cap, Twin, Sawtooth, Ruby, East Hurricane. Each snowcapped peak unfurls a glimpse into the natural history of the Wallowas and a unique vantage on the verdant patchwork of farmland 5,000 feet below. Up at summit elevation, where the air is thinner than the loose shards of granite underfoot, a person gains a little perspective. Down among the cow-dotted fields, just outside of Enterprise in the Wallowa Valley, it’s just as easy to lose yourself in the oversized scenery. The towering Wallowa Mountains to the west are an ever-present alpine marvel visible even at night when they cut a jagged line across the star mottled sky.

Cattle dog Roo lounges on the covered porch at Barking Mad Farm, cocking his ears to the crackle of the campfire, the hoot of an owl and the rhythmic churn of sprinkler lines soaking nearby fields. Luckily, you don’t have to be a cattle rancher, or a cattle dog, to bask in the majesty of northeast Oregon. This porch is open to all of Barking Mad Farm’s guests, who are invited to grab a seat on the porch swing and soak in the solitude.

Country Charm

When guests awake in the morning, the natural world beckons through the window. From the Seven Devils Suite, early risers can watch the eponymous Idaho mountain range glow a fiery orange on the eastern horizon. The 600-square-foot suite maximizes natural light from its perch on the upper level of a building adjacent the property’s classic white and robin’s egg blue farmhouse.

Next door, in the renovated early-1900s abode, the luxury Treetops Suite spans the entire second floor. Emily Klavins owns the bed and breakfast with her husband, Rob, but the pair originally came to the farm as guests. They recommend the Treetops Suite for romantic getaways.

If the mountain air is crisp, light a fire in Treetops’ brick fireplace.Downstairs, the more straightforward Buffalo Suite has an extra bed and views of the neighboring field populated with American bison. This suite is also closest to the sizzle of frying bacon in the morning.

To Market, To Market

The Klavins have been procuring a whole pig for meat each year since they bought the farm from the former owners in 2013, when Rob was able to relocate to Enterprise while keeping his job with the conservation group Oregon Wild. This year, the novice farmers purchased two sows and a hog and brought three litters of kunekune heritage piglets into the world.

“They are little ambassadors,” said Emily. “So socialized—running up to guests to present their bellies for rubs.”

The investment is the latest step in the couple’s plan to be sustainable stewards of Barking Mad Farm’s forty-two acres, an ethic rooted in how they met teaching outdoor school. Currently, much of the acreage is leased to a third party, but the Klavins are hoping to ramp up their use of land year-by-year, demonstrating rural life to guests.

Something To Bark About

On the morning of our interview, Emily had taken some forty-odd hens to a local natural processor to be butchered and was delivering the meat to neighbors. During the warmer months, trips into town revolve around the farmers’ market and farm stand, respectively. The rest of the shopping list items are crossed off at Ruby Peak Naturals and the organic section at the grocery store.

“We value the actual experience people can have with food before it becomes little packages in your fridge,” said Emily.

Emily cooks guests a scratch-made breakfast each morning. Seasonal fruits inspire dishes such as raspberry crepes with crème fraiche, huckleberry drizzle and toasted almonds. Her homemade granola is always fresh, and she need only step out to the henhouse to gather eggs for the Barking Mad Benedict.

Venturing Out

When Roo wants to take a break from all the pigs and free-range chickens running about, he retreats to a two-acre fenced field. There in the “dog park” he’ll gladly show off his stomping grounds to guest dogs. Dogs (and cats) are welcome at Barking Mad Farm if they are friendly and respectful of other people and animals.

Off the farm, a favorite nearby activity for pups and people alike is the hike to Slick Rock from Hurricane Creek Trailhead, where gurgling snowmelt cascades down one pool after another, creating a natural slip-n-slide (6.5 miles, out and back). Joseph and Wallowa Lake beyond offer arts, culture and recreation in spades.

Back in Enterprise, Sinclair Coffee Co. is a great spot for a lunch burrito and a caffeinated pick-me-up. Another tasty daytime option is Sugar Time Bakery, which has stellar sweets and paninis. Grab a midday or evening meal and a pint at Terminal Gravity Brewing.

Shop for skin products at Wild Carrot Herbals, then head to The Bookloft. Hours will pass by as you peruse local art in the bookstore’s Skylight Gallery, chat with locals at creaky wooden tables and pick up reading fodder to take back to Barking Mad Farm’s Adirondack lawnchairs. There in the sunken seats, alternating page turns with glances at the mountains, you will likely stay planted for the remainder of your trip

Hikes to hit when the crowds and temperature are in decline.

As hiking season gives way into ski season, the window of reduced trail traffic, mosquitos, and sun rays allows an opportunity to hit any hikes you might’ve missed this summer or find a new favorite without the crowds. With winter trail closures or snowpack shutting off access to many hikes in the area, here are some hikes to hit before hibernation.

Green Lakes

One of the area’s most popular trails closes with the Cascade Lakes Highway in mid-November this year. The trail follows Fall Creek up into the scenic Green Lakes Basin at the foot of both South Sister and Broken Top. Unfortunately for summer hikers, the proximity to the creek and heavily-wooded trail means prime mosquito territory. In fall, this issue is much less prevalent and views of shiny obsidian in the Newberry Lava Flow, the various waterfalls on Fall Creek and the alpine lakes come unimpeded by the thriving mosquito population. Plus, most of the tourists have left, and if you time it right—early in the morning or on a weekday—you could have the trail to yourself.

Distance: 9 miles out and back
Difficulty: Moderate
Parking: Green Lakes Trailhead $5 for a day pass or NW Forest Pass required
Open: Through mid-November

Broken Top Crater

Another hike dependent on the Cascade Lakes Highway, Broken Top presents a more challenging approach than Green Lakes, but rewards hikers with a panoramic view of the Cascades. If your vehicle isn’t up for the five-mile trek on a rugged dirt road, you can opt for the longer hike from the Todd Lake Trailhead. Those with off road capability can expedite their summit by taking the unmaintained Road 370 from the Todd Lake parking area and turning left on Road 380 cued by a “Broken Top Trailhead” sign. The trip to Broken Top Saddle from the trailhead is about 2.7 miles of relatively steep climbing on bedrock with sparse tree cover, but picturesque No Name Lake and views of the Cascades from the saddle are well worth the sore quads.

Distance: 5.4 miles
Difficulty: Difficult
Parking: Todd Lake Trailhead or Broken Top Trailhead, $5 for a day pass or NW forest pass required
Open: Through mid-November

Lookout Mountain

For those looking to branch out from the Cascades, Lookout Mountain, the highest peak in the Ochocos, offers a great introduction to the area. The ascent begins at Independent Mine Trailhead and winds through young ponderosa pine forest and various alpine meadows populated with wildflowers like desert parsley, mountain bluebells and paintbrush. Upon reaching the summit, a sprawling plateau created by lava flow, the climb becomes more gradual and the landscape begins to open up. Fork left at the first junction (about 1.3 miles in) then continue straight at the second junction for approximately one hundred yards on an unmarked trail to access the peak’s best viewpoint. This sheer overlook has a wealth of sights in all directions highlighted by the westward view of the Cascades including Mount Jefferson, Mount Adams and Mount Hood.

Distance: 3.4 miles out and back
Difficulty: Moderate
Parking: Free at Independent Mine Trailhead
Open: Through early fall

Black Canyon Trail

One of the most trafficked trails in the Ochocos, Black Canyon may disappoint those looking for sweeping views, but wildflower enthusiasts will find an extensive selection. The array includes heart-leaf arnica, mountain lady slippers, mule’s ears and lupine strewn throughout the meadows and plateaus. Those looking for a more adventurous hike can explore the nearly-abandoned Coffee Pot Trail that runs into and out of the Black Creek Canyon.

Distance: 7.1 miles out and back or 8.9 with Coffee Pot Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Parking: Free at Boeing Field Trailhead
Open: May-November

Steins Pillar

This trail brings hikers to the most recognized landmark in the Ochocos, the 350 feet tall Anthracite pillar named after Enoch Steen, a civil war hero and Western explorer. The trail runs alongside large boulders and significant patches of balsamroot and indian paintbrush. Glimpses of the Three Sisters come and go along the route, but the real prize is the view of the pillar itself juxtaposed with the green carpet of the Ochoco hillsides.

Distance: 4 miles out and back
Difficulty: Moderate
Parking: Free at Steins Pillar Trailhead
Open: April-November

Oakridge has more to offer than just singletrack trails.

Like many small Oregon timber towns, Oakridge faced an identity crisis in the early ’90s. The small town tucked into the central Cascades near the headwaters of the Willamette River was one of many Northwest logging towns left reeling by the collapse of the timber industry. The once-bustling Pope & Talbot lumber mill closed its doors in 1985, idling more than 1,000 workers—almost a third of the town’s population. It’s been a long road back, but Oakridge is following the model of towns like Bend that have transitioned from timber to tourism, led by its world class mountain biking.

The region now boasts more than 350 miles of trail set against rolling hills and draped in mossy Pacific yew trees and Douglas fir. While most people rightly associate Oakridge with mountain biking, the area has proved it has much more to offer. Whether you’re here to frequent the slanting singletrack berms, gaze at gushing waterfalls, soak in natural hot springs or toss a fly to a wild rainbow trout, Oakridge is a destination for serious recreation.

Mountain Biking

Willamette Mountain Mercantile (WMM), founded by McKenzie Bowerman, grandson of legendary University of Oregon track coach and Nike co-founder, Bill Bowerman, is the starting point for most outdoor exploration around Oakridge and neighboring Westfir.

Operating out of a converted auto-repair garage, WMM offers high-end demo bikes from Santa Cruz and Ibis. World maps are plastered around the interior of the shop. A rainbow of thumbtacks mark the places across the globe from which past shop visitors hail, a testament to the area’s growing appeal.

Dining

If you’re looking for a quick bite, Stewart’s 58 Drive-In is located directly off Highway 58 on the east end of Oakridge. This mom and pop shop provides fresh American cuisine that is sure to fulfill your daily calorie requirement. Get yourself the original “58” burger basket with fresh-cut sweet potato fries and choose from a variety of sauces that may very well be the most colorful condiment palette in all of Oregon.

For dinner, British alehouse Brewers Union Local 180 is one of the most authentic craft beer experiences in the Pacific Northwest. Situated in the heart of town, this pub is the only brewery in all of Oregon that solely serves cask conditioned ale, hand carbonated ale as it was traditionally served in Britain’s pubs of old.

Owner Ted Sobel established the pub in 2009 as a “social center and meeting place” for the whole family to enjoy. The paperback library, miniature pool table and small board games make this an ideal setting to kick back and enjoy a well-deserved brew. Relish a plate of bangers and mash as a live band fills the air with music while you lounge on the front patio in the golden sunset as it settles deep into the Cascade Range.

Fishing, Hiking and More

Oakridge’s many rivers and streams offer excellent rainbow trout fishing. Beautiful, iridescent pink hues mark the fish of the local Hills Creek Reservoir, Salt Creek and Salmon Creek, while the reservoir offers a mix of trout and warm water species, including crappie.

Due to the regular stocking of hatchery rainbow trout at Hills Creek Reservoir and Salmon Creek Falls, these tributaries of the Middle Fork Willamette River could make even the most inexperienced angler feel like a pro.

Salt Creek is home to wild cutthroat and rainbow trout. Good fishing can also be found for wild trout on the Middle Fork Willamette between Hills Creek and Lookout Point reservoirs with access from Highway 58 and Forest Road 5852. Brook trout are scattered along the upper section above Salt Creek Falls making this spot an ideal fishing destination.

For hikers, Salt Creek Falls and Diamond Creek Falls is a stellar 5.4-mile, lightly trafficked loop trail outside Oakridge. Take your dog for a stroll or stretch the legs and experience breathtaking waterfall scenery. For a more moderate hiking option, venture towards Diamond Creek Falls and complete the loop.

Head over to the meditative Warm Springs soaking pools just off Salmon Creek Road for a mild temperature soak on a hot day. Considered a hidden gem of Oakridge, these three ninety-six-degree pools experience much less traffic than nearby McCredie hot springs and offer a cooler option on those hotter summer and early fall days.

If you like your sunset served up with a view, Dead Mountain is both the top of an amazing singletrack trail and also a beautiful place from which to see the expanse of the Willamette Valley and Southern Cascades.

If you can’t fit this all into a day, don’t worry. There are plenty of reasons to linger a bit longer in Oakridge, the little timber town that’s turned a page.

Kevin and Linda English discovered gravel cycling by accident, literally. It was five years ago and Kevin was recovering from a mountain biking mishap that resulted in a separated shoulder. Back on the bike after a few months of R & R, Kevin discovered that he didn’t have the strength to lift his front tire over obstacles, a key element in any kind of advance trail riding.

Not willing to give up cycling, Kevin decided to experiment with what was then a hyper-niche segment of biking that combined elements of road and trail riding. Riding bikes that resemble classic ten speeds and cross bikes, but are outfitted with wider, knobby tires, gravel riders seamlessly transition between singletrack, highways and gravel. The setup makes for a great day of touring that gets riders off the more heavily trafficked roads and deep into some of the region’s most scenic areas.

Kevin was immediately smitten with the format and soon had his wife Linda along for the rides. What began as a hobby has turned into a passion project, with Kevin and Linda helping to lead weekly group rides, and more importantly, mapping some of their favorite rides into a shared GPS system that lets any rider follow turn-by-turn directions. Linda has chronicled and cataloged some of these rides on the couple’s website Dirty Freehub, which now serves as the comprehensive gravel riding resource in the Central Oregon region.

We asked the two of them to show us the ropes and walk us through some of their favorite rides that showcase the best of what Central Oregon offers. Here’s what they came up with.

Sherman’s March

Location: Camp Sherman
Distance: 52 miles with shorter options available
Elevation: 4,000 feet of gain
Difficulty: Intermediate

The Camp Sherman area is one of the most diverse and scenic areas to ride in Central Oregon. Attractions include the Head of the Metolius, Black Butte, Round Lake, the 2003 B&B Complex Fire, Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery, the Metolius River and the town of Camp Sherman. Begin with a short section of gravel and easy singletrack followed by a stop at the Head of the Metolius. Then there’s a moderate climb along the north shoulder of Black Butte, followed by a gravel descent to the paved road that leads south back towards Camp Sherman. At the U-turn, the route meanders briefly along the river and then crosses it, followed by a short section of gravel and a fun three-mile section of singletrack. Climb up to Round Lake, descend and then begin the climb through the B&B Complex Fire area along the southwest side of Mount Jefferson. Descend, cross the Metolius River at Lower Bridge and then head onto the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. End the route by rolling up on pavement back to Camp Sherman.

Priest Hole

Location: Painted Hills
Distance: 42 miles
Elevation: 3,500 feet of gain
Difficulty: Intermediate

Looking to escape the crowds while exploring one of the top gravel rides in Oregon? Then head to the John Day River area east of Prineville for the Painted Hills and the Priest Hole ride, a gravel bike loop from the Painted Hills park to the Priest Hole primitive camping area on the John Day River. It includes a divine gravel climb, a heavenly paved downhill that cuts through a deep canyon, glorious farmland and two swimming holes that invite a baptismal dip in the John Day River. Add in rolling hills along the river and a moderate climb to finish off the journey.

Donnybrook

Location: Madras
Distance: 54 miles
Elevation: 4,400 feet of gain
Difficulty: Advanced

Expansive. Remote. Scenic. Demanding. Those are just some of the words to describe this classic gravel grinder. This is the kind of route that demands a real gravel bike—something that kind of looks like a road bike but with wide tires and disc brakes to carry the load offroad. From the start, the climbing begins—800 feet in the first three miles and 2,000 feet within eleven miles. At the three-mile mark, enter a scenic “canyon” for several miles. At mile fifteen, just after Ashwood, the gravel begins, and more climbing, and more big, open views. By mile twenty-one, you have climbed 3,000 feet and the gravel road turns to something like cobblestone—softball sized rocks embedded into a clay base to give a firm but bumpy road surface. At the Wasco County line, the “cobblestone” gravel ends and the gravel becomes loose and thick. Just when you are about to cry uncle, the gravel ends and the pavement begins, with twenty miles of good pavement with an elevation loss of 1,600 feet. Yes, there a couple of small “kickers” left, but also a lot of great views.

Water & Lava

Location: Bend
Distance: 30 miles
Elevation: 1,500 feet of gain
Difficulty: Experienced Beginner

This is one of our favorite rides—close to town, combining all the elements of adventure riding (paved roads, dirt roads, dirt paths, bike paths and some singletrack) and fabulous views. The first third of the ride wanders along the Deschutes River on gravel roads, doubletrack, and one section of singletrack, bringing you to Benham Falls. Be sure to stop and go down to the overlook. The next section brings you to the top of Lava Butte via a paved path that has a slight uphill grade until the very end where there is a short, but steep, climb on a paved road. After leaving Lava Butte, ride the road, not the paved path, back toward Benham Falls. Just before the falls, you will veer left onto a gravel road that then becomes a paved path bringing you to the northern portion of Sunriver. From there, take the easy singletrack back to Benham Falls and then retrace your route along the Deschutes River.

Rugged and remote, North Umpqua Valley offers endless opportunities for exploration.

The story of the North Umpqua Valley begins and ends with a river. In between are chapters filled with stories of rugged exploration and boundless recreation, bookended by tumbling waterfalls, percolating hot springs and singletrack trails that cling to mountainsides and carve through hidden valleys. Then there is the river itself that bubbles from deep beneath the jagged floor of the Mount Thielsen Wilderness high atop Southern Oregon’s Cascade Range. It emerges clear and cold, plunging headlong toward the ocean through an ancient forest that still harbors a few secrets. On its way, it will gather countless small streams, tributaries that stretch like liquid capillaries into the vast forest of old growth Douglas fir and cedar trees.

For millennia the rivers and forests have sustained a reclusive and resourceful population. Native Americans made this valley their home long before the first explorers came to North America. They hunted deer and elk in the surrounding forests, gathered migrating salmon and steelhead from the clear blue pools of the North Umpqua in the shadow of Mount Mazama, long before it erupted to form Crater Lake. The first European settlers would arrive later, drawn by the same bounty and sheltered beauty of a place so remote that the first paved road wouldn’t be laid down until the mid-1960s. Even today, cell phones are largely useless in the North Umpqua Valley. The remote nature of this place is one of its charms. In a hyperconnected world, unplugging on a visit to the North Umpqua isn’t just a recommendation—it’s a prerequisite.

On the Water

Of all the ways to experience and explore the North Umpqua River, whitewater rafting and kayaking has to be the most thrilling—in a white knuckle, screams-of-joy kind of way. While the North Umpqua doesn’t offer the remote, overnight extended adventures that have made its sister river, the nearby Rogue, an international rafting attraction, the jaw-dropping scenery, plunging chutes and sheer volume of whitewater make a day on the North Umpqua a must-do for any adventure-minded tourist looking for the full experience.

While there are local shuttles available for kayakers and DIY rafters, the river is not a place for novices. Numerous Class III and IV rapids as well as logs and boulders make it a run best left to experts and experienced paddlers. For the rest of us, there are multiple whitewater guide services that operate out of nearby Roseburg as well as Bend, including Sun Country Tours, which shuttles guests from Bend to the Umpqua and back in the span of a day.

Hook, Line, Sinker

The North Umpqua is in many ways ground zero for Northwest steelhead fly fishing, a sport that has been elevated to a kind of aesthetic art in places like the Steamboat Inn, where an entire room is dedicated to the sport’s literature and lore. The thread picks up early in the 19th century when pulp novelist and fishing fanatic Zane Grey set up his fishing camp opposite of what is now the Steamboat Inn, above a long gravel bar below Steamboat Creek. It was here that Grey, a prolific author, spent several summers chasing the fabled summer steelhead during the dawn hours and writing his serial Western novels on the banks of the river in the afternoon.

Today, thousands of anglers make an annual pilgrimage in hopes of intercepting one of these seemingly sacred fish on their spawning journey. It’s no small feat. Steelhead are known as the fish of a thousand casts. And that’s if you know what you’re doing. Assuming you don’t, there are several guides that work the thirty-mile, fly fishing-only section of the river around the Steamboat. The Inn offers a nice selection of hand-tied flies and can help arrange guided trips.

Trail Tales

The North Umpqua Trail is the most recent addition to the region’s list of draws for recreation seekers, having been completed in 1997. It consists of a dozen segments stretching from Maidu Lake, the source of the North Umpqua river, to Swiftwater Recreation Park and Deadline Falls near the small town of Glide, where hikers and bikers can pause to watch salmon and steelhead navigate the churning falls in feats of aerial acrobatics.

All told, the trail stretches roughly seventy-eight miles, climbing and diving through the valley’s many side canyons and forested arteries. On its way, the trail drops some 4,500 feet, making it a largely one-way trail for bikers not blessed with legs of Lance Armstrong.

Thankfully, several businesses offer shuttles as well as guided trips for those who believe that trail sections with names like Dread and Terror are best navigated with some expert assistance. Oregon Mountain Guides, based in nearby Idleyld Park, offers guided tours as well as shuttles and support.

Riverside History

While most rafters and anglers opt for one of the many campgrounds that dot the banks of the North Umpqua, those looking for something more refined have a few options. First and foremost is the historic Steamboat Inn. The inn has been the center of civic and commercial life in the upper valley for more than half a century. The low-slung lodge and surrounding cabins sit on a picturesque bluff that noses into a sharp bend in the river, overlooking a series of braided falls just below the confluence of Steamboat Creek, the major tributary to the North Umpqua and a once bustling gold mining claim. Rooms range from suites with kitchenettes and private decks overlooking the river to small cottages adjacent to the Inn, as well as several more cabins across the river where Zane Grey’s fish camp once resided.

New owners Melinda and Travis Woodward have maintained the Steamboat’s reputation for great food, which is served up in a historic dining room under pictures of North Umpqua legends like Jack Hemingway and the late Dan Callaghan, who chronicled the river’s many moods in countless photos. In the middle of the room, below a display of fly rods suspended from the timber rafters, a single solid fir table stretches nearly the length of the room; historically, the table served as the communal gathering place for the evening meal.

The table remains, but Melinda and Travis have done away with the “Fisherman’s Dinner” single-seating concept in favor of a more conventional approach that allows diners to come and go at their convenience, which Melinda said works better for families and fisherman, most of whom are on the water in the evening until dark. They have also extended the off-season chef dinner series that pairs Oregon wineries with prominent chefs from around the state for an evening of riverside dining with emphasis on Oregon ingredients.

Other Attractions

Black diamond mountain bike trails and whitewater rafting aren’t necessarily suited for the whole family. But that’s not all that the North Umpqua has to offer.

Those interested in a more low-impact day can take a self-guided waterfall tour that features half a dozen falls, ranging from the dramatic (Watson Falls plunges more than 270-feet) to the sublime.

For those feeling a little more adventurous, Umpqua Hot Springs near Toketee Ranger Station is a popular destination.

Big Bend Pool on Steamboat Creek is another great option for families. Here you can find a window into the world of the elusive summer steelhead that stack in a deep blue pool waiting for nature’s cue to move farther upstream. Hundreds of steelhead can be seen here idling in the clear pool.

While there is plenty to keep you busy for days, if not weeks, within the valley, the area is also a popular jumping off spot for Crater Lake National Park. Nearby Diamond Lake Resort also offers a nice diversion for families who want a more traditional day at the beach, complete with pedal boats and ice cream cones.

Make the most of your precious 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. time and try out one of these five micro-adventures in Central Oregon.

Summer goes by in the blink of an eye. While weekends are usually the best time to get out for adventures, there’s also a way to make the most of your after-work hours. Microadventures are a great way to make the most of your 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. time, especially in Central Oregon with such close access to wilderness.

Canoe camp at Sparks Lake

Start: 26 miles west of Bend at Sparks Lake (boat ramp)
Canoe: Head toward the south end of the lake for campsites with open mountain views or explore one of the fingers for a more secluded site
Payoff: Nothing beats a calm, glassy paddle in the early morning when most of the world is sleeping

Backpack to Lucky Lake

Start: 38 miles west of Bend at Lucky Lake Trailhead
Hike: An easy 1.4 miles one way to the lake
Payoff: A nice wooded lake perfect for warm evening swims and a leisurely morning exit

Backpack to Moraine Lake

Start: 27 miles west of Bend at The Green Lakes Trailhead
Hike: A gradual 5-mile hike along a waterfall-laden creek
Payoff: South Sister right in front of you makes for a nice breakfast setup

Bikepack up Tumalo Creek

Start: In Bend, directly from your office
Bike: Head west on Skyliner Road and turn right on Forest Road 4606 (Brooks Scanlon Logging Road) for approximately 2.5 miles. Turn left on Tumalo Creek Road (if you cross Mrazek Trail, you’ve gone too far) and bike until you find a nice spot along the ridgeline
Payoff: Open views of the Cascades (plus a downhill return in the morning)

Rain Plan: Bikepack to Tumalo State Park yurts (reserve ahead of time)

Start: In Bend, directly from your office
Bike: Depending on your starting location, take either Johnson Road or O.B. Riley Road a handful of miles
Payoff: Biking in the rain isn’t so bad if you have a warm spot to dry off afterward. Plus, your friends or family can be there waiting, with dinner and beer.

Camping doesn’t have to be a haul. Check out these camping spots all within a one-hour drive from Bend.

With summer heating up and the crowds starting to pour in, everyone’s itching to skip town for the weekend and head outside. Skip all of the fuss and take your pick from these ten easy-access spots within an hour drive from Bend. Whether you prefer relaxing by a rushing river or taking moonlight paddleboard trips on calm lake water, we have you covered.

Tumalo State Park

Only four miles northwest of Bend on the Middle Deschutes River and in close proximity to Sisters and Smith Rock State Park, the Tumalo State Park Campground is an optimal location for Central Oregon adventures. Be prepared for some serious glamping because this convenient site offers full restrooms and solar showers. There are twenty-three full hook-up sites, fifty-four tent sites and seven rustic yurts, but it can get busy in the heat of the summer, so make sure to reserve a campsite in advance. Relax in the park and enjoy a lazy float on a shallow stretch of the river or barbecue at one of the many picnic areas.

Driving time: 15 minutes
Facilities: Restrooms, solar showers, water, ice and firewood during summer months
Fees and reservations: $21/day for a tent site, reserve online in advance
Open: Year-round, some sites closed seasonally

Skyliners Road

Looking for some convenient, no-fuss camping right in town? There are many dispersed campsites right off of Skyliners Road near the rushing waters of Tumalo Creek. Head up Skyliners Road and take the second turn on the right onto Brook-Scanlons Logging road, an unmarked, gravel road. Bear left when the road soon splits and continue on a dirt road until you cross a bridge over Tumalo Creek. Snag one of the few spots to the right of this bridge in close proximity to the water or continue up this road to find a large group campsite. This site sits on a clearing atop tall basalt cliffs and is a perfect spot to watch the sunrise. If these spots are taken, as they attract a lot of traffic in the busy summer months, set up camp at any clearing along the way and always remember to leave no trace.

Driving time: 25 minutes
Facilities: No restrooms or water, dispersed camping
Fees and reservations: Available on first-come, first-serve basis
Open: Year-round

Sparks Lake

With astounding views of South Sister, Broken Top and Mount Bachelor, lush meadows and clear green-blue water, Sparks Lake is a camper’s dream. There are approximately twenty campsites around its shallow shores. Those accessible by car are limited and get scooped up quickly in the busy summer months. Your best bet is to hop on a canoe, kayak or paddleboard and transport your gear to one of the more secluded sites. For big groups, set up camp at one of the larger sites in one of the lake’s fingers on the eastern shore. These spots can also be reached by a hiking trail that starts at the day use area. Venture to the western shore to relax on sandy beaches and wake up to picturesque views of the mountains.

Driving time from Bend: 40 minutes
Facilities: Boat ramp at day use area, no water or restrooms
Fees and reservations: $5 Day Pass or NW Forest Pass for parking, no reservations
Open: May-November, depends on winter closure of Cascade Lake Scenic Byway

Fall River Campground

Right outside of La Pine and thirty miles south of Bend, find a quiet campsite on the Fall River. The stream is spring-fed stream and flows into the Deschutes. There are twelve spacious sites situated near the water. The river is shallow, yet some of the clearest water in the area and well-known for fly fishing. The Fall River Trail starts at the campground, offering fantastic fly fishing and two-mile out and back loop. If looking to swim at South Twin Lake, pitching a tent at Fall River and making day trips to the lake is a great way to beat the South Twin crowds.

Driving time: 40 minutes
Facilities: Toilets but no running water, campfire rings and picnic tables
Fees and reservations: $10 per night for the first vehicle and $5 for each additional vehicle, reserve in advance online
Open: Year-round

The Bivy @ Smith Rock

Live the dirtbag dream and pitch your tent next to the breathtaking 500-foot walls at Smith Rock. A short walk from the rocks, this site yields climbers and hikers alike from all corners of the world. While Smith Rock is a world-renowned climbing spot, it has an elaborate trail system also making it a destination for hikers. In addition to the exquisite views and convenience, this site boasts full restrooms, showers and drinking water. Campfires are not allowed due to high fire risk, however, picnic tables are scattered throughout the site to cook on. Sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure to come early in the busy in the busy summer months.

Driving time: 45 minutes
Facilities: Restrooms, shower ($2 for non-campers), water, recharging station
Fees and reservations: $8 per person per night, includes a parking pass for next day, available on a first-come, first-served basis
Open: Year-round

Little Fawn

This often overlooked campsite is tucked in the diverse conifer forest on the south end of Elk Lake. With thirty-two sites, many of which are suitable for large groups, it is this popular Cascade Lake’s largest campground. It is also the only the lake’s only campsite tucked away from the highway, giving it a feeling of tranquility and serenity. The site provides easy access to both Elk Lake and the family-friendly cove, Little Fawn. A quick paddle brings you to the larger lake where you can enjoy beautiful mountain views. Relax on the beaches at Little Fawn and enjoy water warmer and shallower than the larger lake. Little Fawn’s water level varies dramatically depending on the snow year, so be prepared for more of a marsh on low snow years.

Driving time: 50 minutes
Facilities: Single-family and group sites, tent and RV camping, but no electrical hookups, restrooms and drinking water, picnic tables and campfires rings
Fees and reservations: $16 for the first vehicle and $8 for each additional vehicle, reserve in advance
Open: June to September

Scout Lake

The local swimming hole for Sisters residents, Scout Lake has a small ten-site campground. With both single-family and group sites, the campground is popular, so claim one of the smaller sites or make reservations early and bring the whole family. The site is located adjacent to the day use area where you can take a dip in the warm water and relax on sandy shores. Dogs are not allowed in the day use area, so consider leaving your furry friend at home. For sanitation and safety concerns, Scout Lake is one of the few recreation sites in the Deschutes National Forest where dogs are not allowed.

Driving time: 50 minutes
Facilities: Restrooms and drinking water, picnic tables and campfires rings
Fees and reservations: Minimum $18 per night, reserve online in advance
Open: May to September

Metolius River

Cool off in Oregon’s coldest river at Riverside Campground along the Metolius River. Upstream from Camp Sherman and the majority of the other campgrounds, this site is tent-only and one of the lesser-developed sites on this river, adding to its allure; it is one of the more remote and tranquil campgrounds on this river. The site is approximately 100 yards set back from the river but still yields anglers from all over. The spring-fed river features rainbow trout, whitefish, bull trout and kokanee salmon. Hiking trails are also accessible from this location.

Driving time: 50 minutes
Facilities: Toilets but no running water, picnic table and campfire ring with grill, tents only
Fees and reservations: $12/first vehicle; $6/each additional vehicle, reserve in advance online
Open: May to October

Paulina Lake

You can wade in the water from your campsite at Little Crater Campground on Paulina Lake, nestled in the Newberry Volcano’s caldera. Pitch a tent or bring the entire rig—there’s room. With this site’s close proximity to mountain biking on the Newberry Crater Rim Trail and the short hike to lakeside geothermal hot springs combined with opportunities to boat, swim or fish, there are activities for the entire family. In the busy summer months, this site is in high demand, so make sure to make reservations early. If this campground is full, try Paulina Lake Campground on the lake’s southwest shore.

Driving time: 1 hour
Facilities: Restrooms and drinking water, picnic tables and campfires rings, boat ramp
Fees and reservations: $16 per night, reserve online in advance
Open: May to September

Crooked River

With sixteen campsites weaving along the Lower Crooked River Wild and Scenic stretch, the Chimney Rock Campground, located outside of Prineville, offers year-round views of steep basalt canyons and highly sought-after fly fishing. Among the nine campsites on this eight-mile stretch of federally protected water, this is the only campsite with both potable water and restrooms. The Chimney Rock Trailhead is adjacent to the campground, leading to a 2.6-mile round trip hike providing breathtaking views of the canyon and surrounding mountains.

Driving time: 1 hour
Facilities: Restrooms and drinking water, group sites
Fees and reservations: Available on first-come, first-serve basis, camping fees apply
Open: Year-round

Microadventures are a way to squeeze in outdoor time in the summer.

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, I hopped in my car outfitted that morning with my trusty old canoe and camping gear and picked up my friend and photographer Nate Wyeth. Just over an hour later, we were dipping the Old Town Seranac (built for comfort, definitely not for speed) in the calm waters of Sparks Lake, a shimmering jewel in a string of lakes just off the Cascade Lakes Scenic Highway twenty-five miles west of Bend. For the next twelve hours, we were going to sneak in a midweek “microadventure.”

A handful of years ago, a friend and frequent adventure buddy introduced me to the idea of a microadventure. The concept of a weeknight outing that takes place between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. immediately struck a resonant chord with me. After all, I live in Bend, a location known for quick access to the outdoors, wide variety of recreation opportunities and adventure tourism.

The introduction was sent by way of a video created by British adventurer, explorer and writer Alastair Humphreys. The goal, Humphreys states, is to encourage people to get outside and out of their comfort zone to a place they’ve never been. More specifically, a microadventure is one that is close, accessible, simple, short and easy. For a young father with a busy work schedule, lots of side projects and hobbies, this seemed to be a perfect fit.

“Above all, adventure is about energy, enthusiasm, ambition, open-mindedness and curiosity,” said Humphreys in his video. “You don’t have to have huge adventures all the time: I accept that we all have to pragmatically juggle our ‘real lives’ too. You can have a small adventure. A microadventure.”

Humphreys chronicled his year of microadventures nearly seven years ago, but the concept quickly gained steam in the United States. Fueled by the power of social media, the hashtag #microadventure has more than 90,000 tags and counting on the popular photo-sharing social network Instagram.

My first real microadventure was five years ago. Since then, I’ve had dozens of them ranging from bikepacking up to a forest shelter to backpacking a few miles into the woods for a spectacular weeknight showing of the Persied meteor shower. Most recently, though, I decided to rediscover the trip that began my own personal microadventure odyssey, a canoe camp at the beautiful and alluring Sparks Lake in Central Oregon.

Now I’ll admit that I’m guilty here of breaking one of Humphrey’s rules of microadventures: “Do what you normally do not do, and go somewhere you’ve never been.” Some places are worth repeating, however, and after finding the perfect camping site during the first weeknight trip in 2013, I decided I was okay with one asterisk on my microadventure resume. As we glided over the pristine waters on a brilliantly sunny evening, we felt like we were cheating the weekend. The beauty of Sparks Lake is no secret to residents of Central Oregon, and on any given weekend day there is nary a parking spot in the sizable lot around the boat ramp. The workweek is a different story, and we found ourselves one of only a handful of people enjoying the waters on a beautiful evening.

As we silently congratulated ourselves on our microadventure choice, we took in the views of the looming mountains in front of us. Still snowcapped South Sister shone in the crepuscular light, and Broken Top stood gallantly beside on the western horizon. Soon enough, we berthed the canoe behind a facade of lava rock and found one of many seemingly perfect spots to make camp and settle down to watch the sunset over the lake.

Words simply can’t describe some moments in nature. When the right combination of factors align, a warm contentedness washes over you, and you simply count yourself lucky that you are where you are in that particular moment in time. Sparks Lake in perfect light on a beautiful summer evening is one of these moments. For Wyeth, an accomplished photographer and avid nature seeker, this moment couldn’t be clearer as he grinned ear to ear while setting up his shots.

“Oregon is filled with so many spectacular places and so many are right at our fingertips,” said Wyeth. “Microadventures were made for this state.”

As the sun went down, we settled in, ate a quick meal and put on jackets for one last outing. Though it was now well past dusk, the calm, clear waters on a full-moonlit night begged for one more chapter in this weeknight outing. We slid the canoe into water, cracked open a couple of cold beers and idly paddled around the perimeter of the lake enjoying the summer night. We discovered we were one of only three groups camping on the lake.

The next morning, we rose with the sun and drank our coffee on the rocky ledge overlooking the water. The high desert air had a crispness about it, only hinting toward the warmer temperatures yet to come later in the day. Packing up our gear, we tried keeping our minds on the scenery around us and not on the workday ahead.

As we pulled back into town around 8:30 a.m., we still felt an energy from the microadventure. Being able to pull off a weeknight camping excursion and still make it to work before 9 a.m. feels like a mistress to your regular nine-to-five day. Though it’s your own time, it seems like you’re somehow cheating the workweek. And maybe you are. But your boss never needs to know.

Insights from a group camping junkie.

Group camping is my jam. Isn’t that a lot of work, they ask. Not really, I respond. With some advance planning and Google Drive spreadsheets, you can avoid the game of Subaru-packing Tetris or last-minute, fifty-item grocery runs. When everyone pitches in, everyone wins. I coordinate a stress-free annual trip to my remote mountain hometown for a few dozen friends coming from across a tri-state area as well as an annual pilgrimage to 4 Peaks with my string-music-loving, camping family of ten-plus. Here are some next-level hacks our crew has honed over the years.

1. Division of Labor

Wherever you put down stakes, the menu du jour will elevate the locale. To master group meals insert a little technology in the planning stage with a group spreadsheet that can be shared and edited in real time. Plan for two family-style meals per day: breakfast (more likely brunch at festivals) and dinner. In the meal portion of your spreadsheet, each family or two- to three-person subgroup signs up to cook an a.m. or p.m. meal on one day. Remember to include a column for meal theme. (It takes the olé right out of the festivities if you eat tacos four out of six nights.)

2. Kitchen Patrol

A stellar kitchen setup is clutch. The ideal dish system includes two large-yet-shallow plastic bins set on a long folding table. Put campsuds in one bin. Fill each with warm water from a solar shower. Air dry dishware on a microfiber towel. And, please, pack a sponge with a scouring pad. As with cooking responsibilities, consider rotating dish duty to ensure equity.

3. Go Green

Don’t leave the food pyramid behind when you leave civilization. Bodies still need vegetables. Flexible plastic cutting boards and one great chopping knife go a long way. You can show them how it’s really done by chopping, bagging and freezing fresh veggies in advance.

4. Keep Your Cool

Ice takes up precious cooler space. Instead, put dry ice in the bottom of each cooler. You must then add a layer of cardboard or the food will get freezer burn. The day before departure, put all the beer that is over six percent ABV in your freezer. (Physics prevents high-alcohol beer from exploding and the cold brews will supplement the dry ice.)

5. Let There Be Light

People are clumsy. Ten solar lights placed strategically around camp can prevent twice as many expletives being hurled at tent stakes, logs, coolers, etc. Do the math.

In 2015, Anna Soens, a 29-year-old wildlife biologist from Idaho, had been planning to climb Mount Hood with her dad when she free-fell thirty feet while climbing indoors and was left partially paralyzed from the waist down. This May, she and her dad set out fulfill their goal and summit the peak together.

There had been no guarantees when we set off for the summit of Mount Hood, which towers above the rest of Oregon at 11,250 feet. As my dad and I kicked exhausted steps into the ice just below the top, the rest of our team cheered from above. Glimpsing the true summit as we emerged from the narrow chute called the Pearly Gates was the first moment I was sure that we were going to make it. Two years earlier, doctors told me that I’d never walk again, let alone climb a mountain.

A week before Christmas in 2015, I accidentally failed to clip in while rock climbing solo at a gym in Portland and free-fell more than thirty feet to the ground. The impact pulverized my lowest thoracic vertebrae and left me with paralysis from the waist down. A few days after my fall, I slowly thumbed through a copy of Bill Mulee’s Mt. Hood Climber’s Guide. I jacketed the book in a festive sleeve and scribbled “Dad” across its surface. For a brief moment I allowed my daydreams to indulge visions of climbing Hood, something my dad and I had been planning to do together the following spring. When I opened my eyes, a stark hospital room brought me back to a suffocating reality. My world was much different now.

Amid surgeries to repair my back and a shattered wrist, Christmas Day arrived and my family squeezed into my hospital room in an effort to carry on our holiday traditions. Our stack of presents dwindled until just one remained. As I handed it to my dad, I tried to explain that I had bought the book a long time ago. That even though I fell, and even if it took an extra year or two, we would still reach the iconic peak together. That even though they could only really twitch right now, my legs would faithfully carry me down trails and up mountainsides again. But of all those things that I tried to say, the only thing I managed to utter was a tear-filled, “I’m sorry.”

I spent a year after my accident relearning how to do everything from putting on shoes to driving a car. I questioned my identity, which was linked to remote landscapes that I could no longer reach. I wondered about my future, given a past that was built on perpetual movement. I learned how to approach and accomplish old tasks differently and slowly built strength in muscles that were neurologically impaired and atrophied from the two months lying in hospitals. Restoring my independence, confidence and hunger for big things, which I rely on to chase lofty dreams like climbing Hood, required outsider perspective and experience.

Through friends, I found Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS), a nonprofit based in Bend. They got me on an adaptive mountain bike for the first time, returned me to Smith Rock to climb and took me from the bunny hills to my first black diamond runs in a monoski (a molded seat mounted to a single ski that allows me to ski while seated). My closest friends can now be found within OAS’s community of adventure chasers, and through them, I’ve reclaimed the identity that was radically shaken when I fell.

While I spend the majority of my time in a wheelchair for practicality and efficiency, I can walk short distances with leg braces, crutches and a gait that resembles Frankenstein’s monster. But my knees that once hauled packs of ropes and climbing gear up gnarly talus fields can no longer bend against gravity. My leg braces disguise the fact that my calves and ankles are silent, ready for messages from my brain that my spinal cord can no longer relay. Still, climbing Mount Hood remained a dream that never quite died.

Our marathon effort to reach Oregon’s tallest peak began a full year ago—organizing, training, fundraising and developing specialized gear for an ascent with little precedent. It’s been two and a half years since my vow to climb Hood was renewed from a hospital bed, more in desperate longing than as a sincere promise. But that vow persisted through broken bones, damaged nerves and an uncertain future, and this spring that promise finally made it to the slopes of Mount Hood where it belongs.

In late May, with thirteen enthusiastic friends recruited to haul my monoski and other gear, we set off from Timberline Lodge to attempt Hood’s popular South Side Route. Alternating between using specially-designed crutches and crawling on hands and feet, my progress was slow but steady. Nearing our basecamp at 9,600 feet, my 70-year-old father confessed surprise at how thin he found the air and how much effort he was exerting. As the sun set above the clouds and winds steadily gained strength, we pitched our village of tents, shared a pot of curry and hunkered in our nylon shelters for the night.

Summit day dawned. We rolled out of our tents and continued upward with thawing excitement in unyielding wind. Affected by the altitude and a heavy pack, my dad’s pace slowed and his breaks became more frequent and desperate. When we got to the crevasse just below 11,000 feet, he sat on a mound of snow and tearfully whispered in my ear that he wasn’t going to make it. He had worked out hours a day, six days a week for a year leading up to the climb. He had done everything he could. But he had been climbing at his max for hours and the steepest section was still ahead. I hugged him tight and told him that it didn’t matter. We had already accomplished what we both had doubted was possible. We were on Hood together despite everything.

He was silent for a moment, then his breathing abruptly calmed. He stood up and said he was going to keep climbing. I questioned him, but a stubbornness in him, that I recognize within myself, steeled him. We continued on, me haplessly bear-crawling and him with an exhausted but determined shuffle.

We could hear the cheers of our team as we emerged from the infamous Pearly Gates and trudged our way up the final slope to the summit. We made it. On May 29, my dad and I, surrounded by friends, stood on the top of Hood together, overlooking the far corners of Oregon from an unrivaled perch. From our high vista, mountain peaks beckoned across the horizon.

A weekend in Willamette Valley wine tasting includes plenty of glasses of the region’s award-winning pinot noir as well as history, culture and farm-to-table meals.

We launched our weekend of wining and dining on a grassy bank of the Willamette River. It was an overcast spring day, the air damp and smelling of black cottonwood. There was no wine in sight. No gleaming glasses of award-winning pinot noir, no hand-printed flight menus, no luxurious views of vineyard estates. Just a historic pavilion, fronted by an engraved stone pillar, marking this meadow as the site where Oregon’s first provisional government was formed in 1843. Without the rich soil, there wouldn’t have been a steady march of early settlers to the Willamette Valley. Without early settlers, there wouldn’t have been a provisional government. Without a provisional government, there wouldn’t have been an Oregon at all. Therefore, no fine Oregon pinot noir, born from the rich soil of the Willamette Valley. Turns out in Oregon’s wine country, everything comes full circle. You can’t pull the wine apart from the history, or the history apart from the people. Which was fine with us. My friend and I had come for relaxation and indulgence, but we were willing to interrupt decadence for culture and history. Each winery and restaurant, it would turn out, had a great backstory. Every Willamette Valley destination we visited wound into a tapestry of landscape, community, innovation and dreams.

Day 1

A significant aesthetic pleasure of touring Willamette Valley wine country is simply the road trip. It’s postcard-scenic here, each segment of the journey passing bucolic farms, fields readied for spring planting and stands of grand oak trees. We took in the sights with a sense of adventure as we set out on our two-day tour.

We ventured to ROCO Winery, outside of Newberg at the base of the Chehalem Mountains. Owner Rollin Soles came from Texas to make wine in Oregon in the 1980s. After crafting award-winning vintages for Argyle Winery for a few decades, he planted his own pinot noir grapes in a vineyard he christened Wits’ End. We sipped on ROCO Private Stash pinot noir from a bottle bearing the winery’s thunderbird logo, inspired by the petroglyphs of the Columbia Gorge.

Next on to Alexana Winery, where the view commanded our immediate attention. The vineyard descends over ridges and slopes into a misty wood, the coastal mountains poking through the cloud cover beyond. Dr. Madaiah Revana of Texas loved the great wines of Burgundy so much so that, in 2005, he sought out a place to grow grapes himself. The answer was this eighty-acre parcel outside of Newberg. The incredibly diverse and complex soils here are visually represented in the glass front of Alexana’s twenty-foot-long tasting bar, which is filled with layers of earth. We sipped chardonnay and contemplated colors from light sand to a rich brown to charcoal grey, in textures from gritty to dense. This was the stuff—the origin story of everything around here.

From the soil also rise wild mushrooms, one factor that drew the Czarnecki family to Oregon from Pennsylvania in the 1990s. Bringing four generations of restaurant experience, they took up shop in the historic Joel Palmer House, a grand two-story home built by the co-founder of Dayton in 1857. Since, the Joel Palmer House has become one of Oregon’s renowned fine dining restaurants and a purveyor of delectable dishes featuring mushrooms and other local foods. We settled into a four-course meal that included sturgeon, risotto, truffle oil, morels, lobster mushrooms and a divine white chocolate cheesecake, accompanied, of course, by Oregon wine. Chef Christopher Czarnecki paid us a tableside visit, explaining that his family and their friends still gather a majority of the mushrooms for the restaurant.

We arrived at the Allison Inn sated and sleepy. For years, wine country visitors had few overnight options. In 2009, Ken and Joan Austin built an incredible eighty-five-room luxury hotel in Newberg. The couple had grown up on farms in the area, ultimately founding a successful dental equipment company in their hometown. As the region captured international wine-tourism attention, they’d looked on, eventually creating lodging worthy of the most distinguished visitor. Our deluxe room offered a view of the vineyard from our own personal plush window seat.

Day 2

We began the day in JORY Restaurant, the Allison’s nod to both the renowned soil underfoot and Pacific Northwest farm-to-table dining. Chef Sunny Jin has his own garden onsite, and my omelet came with a petit salad as well as locally sourced maple-sage sausage.

Was it too early to visit a winery? No, it was not. Winderlea Vineyard is perched outside Dundee, and its tasting room is in a glass-encased building that feels like a castle on the hill. We sampled Winderlea’s small-batch wines in a bright tasting room as Donna Morris told us how she and Bill Sweat left Boston and successful business careers behind to craft an Oregon pinot noir winery. Surrounded by vast garage door-windows boasting views across the vineyards into the valley beyond, I didn’t blame her one bit.

Lunch was at Red Hills Market, a marketplace and restaurant I fell in love with immediately. The tall square building embodies the best kind of neighborhood gathering place, warm and inviting, smelling of delicious foods and bustling with chatter. Wood-fired pizzas, soups, salads and more farm-to-table treats are served from a busy counter. The Oregon albacore tuna melt with local cheddar, capers and arugula hit the spot. It came as no surprise that, when we met the market’s owner Jody Kropf, we learned he’s an Oregon native who grew up helping his parents with their business, the Brownsville General Store, and that he was drawn right back home after culinary school in California.

The Carlton Winemakers Studio was born of collaboration and community. Twelve individual vintners produce coveted wines under one innovative roof in this modern and light space. When we were there, winemakers sat together over tasting glasses, decanters and clipboards, immersed in the tasks of the trade.

Scenic rural roads delivered us to McMinnville, where we began our tour at the McMenamins Hotel Oregon rooftop bar. Below us was the charming downtown and a bird’s-eye view of shops, restaurants and entertainment. The hotel was built in 1905 and brought back to life in 1999 by Oregon natives Mike and Brian McMenamin, famous for their restoration of old Pacific Northwest buildings.

Tucked away in a glass storefront on a side street, we found Thistle, a cozy, eclectic restaurant that quickly made a name for itself with a menu that changes constantly based on available provisions from nearby farmers and ranchers. Our experience began with a cocktail called the Millionaire—rum, gin, apricot brandy and lime—poured into an antique champagne cocktail glass. At a wooden-plank table, from mismatched vintage plates, we enjoyed innovative flavors by way of oysters from Netarts, “wild weeds,” anchovies, duckling and kale.

We found our walk-up flat over the Odd Fellows Lodge. The owners of Third Street Flats want guests to immerse themselves in McMinnville. We had a small apartment of our own, walking distance to shops and eats, with a tidy kitchen stocked with everything we might need (read: chocolate and wine). Our “8th Flat” was decorated contemporary post-modern, in colors of indigo and white.

Quiet, lovely and comfortable, the flat made us feel as if we were local insiders. Drifting to sleep, we could dream of living right here ourselves. Perhaps we would plant a vineyard or start a farm. Maybe open a restaurant. We would put down roots, connect with a new community and create something wonderful out of the rich soils of the Willamette Valley.