El Nina Visits Central Oregon

Bend was pummeled in snow this winter - the most snow in 100 years! We were expecting it, since last year was El Nino, but we ran out of places to put the snow. For this Chicagoan, I was reminded of my adolescence with all the constant shoveling. Sometimes, Mike and I were out there 5 times a day just to keep our driveway and sidewalks clear.



the chickens were snug, thanks to their well built coop.

It made for an amazing season of snowboarding, and Mike and I tried out quite a few new activities...

 

Snowshoeing, which is a very good sport for beginners. It's basically wide legged walking and a great way to get out and enjoy nature. You can pack a lunch and hike off just like in the summer, but without any bugs or people, and with lots of quiet and solitude. Good snowshoes, however, run around $300.00, so we rented and may have to save up for our own pair...

 

Josh snapped this pic while we were on the trail

Can you see Mike? He's smack dab in the middle of the pic.

Another "Where's Mike" pic - you can see the top half of his body;
he's lifting his trekking poles up.

Cross Country Skiing - NOT a good sport for beginners. I think I fell down like 25 times this day in 5' deep snow, which sounds soft and fun, but is like getting yourself out of quicksand. On the bright side, I probably burned off enough calories to justify eating a whole cake. 

at least we could say it was beautiful.

As you know, Mike likes to "Go Big or Go Home," so we cross country skiing amateurs took a backcountry trail THREE miles from Mount Bachelor to Todd Lake. All I can say about this day is - I survived.

the mountains peeking through the trees.

Hope you don't have to use the restroom!

 

Mike breaking a path across the lake.

 

The funny thing is, you'd think 3 miles into the wilderness in the dead of winter would be a deterrent, but in Bend, it's a challenge. There must have been at least 50 people out there, on snowmobiles, snowshoes, cross country skis, and ski skates. And many, many of these people were older than us. It's so inspiring for us to stay fit and stay active.

We also went dog sledding with a friend from work, who let us drive the dog sleds ourselves. It wasn't as easy as it looks - at first, the dogs had a mind of their own, and took Mike far, far away from the trail. That's him below, in the center of the picture, driving the team!

At least I got this cool shot!



 

  

My view from my dogsled

 All in all, it was an awesome winter - tons of snow and lots of new experiences. It went by super fast and one day, the snow was all melted. Here in Central Oregon we don't get a spring, really. It goes from freezing cold and snow on the ground to shorts and flip flops. But we're not complaining - it's gardening season! I'm knee deep in dirt, plants, chickens, and flowers right now, and loving every second. I've got my chickens hopefully hatching some new friends, and we're back at work on our yard remodel. Garden pics next! 

 

Water, Water, Everywhere....and Beer

It's close to impossible to find a couple where all four of you get along amazingly well - and not just the girls getting along, and the guys getting along, but where you get along with the other person's spouse, and they get along with yours. 

That's why we know that we're lucky, because Bernice and Josh (you met them in our Tokyo posts here, here, and here) are that couple for us. They are our favorite travel buddies, hiking buddies, and just-sit-around buddies. We know their personality quirks and food preferences, how late they'll want to sleep in and what they'll want to see. They adore our fur babies and we have the same vices. Planning for their visit was less about "what should we do?" and more about "how much can we cram in?"

They arrived late night on a Wednesday, and we picked them up and headed right out to Deschutes Brewery. Mike and I hadn't been there yet (shameful, I know!), despite living here for a year. So it was cool to discover that the breweries here have some pretty good food!

Josh and Bernice. We were there til closing - a good start!

They brought us an awesome housewarming gift, too...A few years ago, I had asked Josh if it was possible to recreate this chandelier I loved from this designer, which was an insane amount of money (especially for our humble abode). Well, he was able to weld something very similar, and schlepped it up to Bend in his luggage. So we now have light in our dining area!

Please excuse the crappy pic and unfinished trim on our sliding glass doors!

The next morning, we hit the trails. We started off local, on the Deschutes River Trail and got in a few good miles.

Josh slipped and fell...just kidding!

The next day, we took a lap around Todd Lake, usually one of our favorite spots. Right now, however, it's still got snow and the normally gorgeous wildflower field was super muddy and swampy. We all got serious wet sock, except Josh, who was only one who wore proper footwear. After the wet field, we had to tramp through knee deep snow on the shady side of the lake, so as you can imagine, our wet feet were frozen solid by the time we got back to the car. 

Bernice and I searching for the driest route through the field.

So for the next hike, we decided to do something with a clear cut trail. We took them to Sahalie Falls, one of our favorite spots. It's easy to get to, just off Route 126, and clearly marked with signs. 

This time, we hiked further down, rather than just hanging around by the waterfall. The trail was beautiful! You feel so far away from civilization.

Bernice and Josh on the trail!

A shot of the McKenzie River from the middle of a bridge.

The trail leads you past Koosah Falls, which I think is even more impressive than Sahalie Falls. It's not one raging fall like Sahalie, but more intricate. While Bernice and I were taking pictures, Josh disappeared down the ravine. 

Koosah Falls

We all scuttled down after him, grabbing tree branches and crab-walking the steep hillside.

The view from the bottom was stunning. Super misty and ethereal, and on a sunny day, I'm sure there's rainbows. The moss covered rocks and vegetation make it feel so lush! You could even see the spring, where the water comes up from the underground aquifers. The water here is so crisp and clear, it's turquoise in places.

to the left of the waterfall is the tiny spring, pouring from the lava rock.

On the walk back, we got viewpoints we missed on the way there, which were well worth a photo op.

The best part about Oregon is that you're never more than an hour away from a good beer and a good meal. After gorgeous scenery like that, all we had to do was drive about 30 minutes back to Sisters, Oregon, where we stopped in at the Three Creeks Brewery and had ourselves a snack!

a root beer float the size of Josh's head.

Bernice tasting all the brews on tap that day. The chocolate porter was my favorite!

It was a short but packed visit, and we miss them already. But we'll be keeping busy this summer, exploring more and more of the area...our new goal is to complete every hike in this new book we bought. It might take us a couple years, so wish us luck!

The First Snowfall

The weather here in Bend is getting nippy, and the kitties are spending their days napping in front of the stove (rough life!). 

Keeferton hasn't moved in two days!

When Mt Bachelor posted a pic of the first snow of the season on October 15th, we figured we'd go and see it for ourselves. It's been so long since we lived in snow, that it's now a novelty to us.

Big Willy got us up there in style!

We drove up to Todd Lake, where we'd been just about 7 weeks before, when Mike was in shorts! It was completely dusted in snow.

Mike at the beginning of our walk.

The first thing we discovered, as we stepped out of Big Willy, is that we don't have the right gear. We have parkas appropriate for cold weather in California. We need parkas appropriate for Oregon. And Mike was wearing sneakers! We need insulated, waterproof boots. No wonder people's homes up here have so many closets...

The stream, still flowing - not sure if it freezes over, but I guess I'll find out!

The fog (a.k.a. snow and sleet) gave the lake a slightly eerie look.

We walked around the lake a bit, but came back after about a mile; the snow was still coming down, and it was pretty slippery out there. We passed a couple people, out with their dogs, completely bundled in North Face winter jackets and with trekking poles. Guess we need to get with the program.

Mike risked a fall into the lake (and hypothermia) for this pic!

As we drove towards home and dropped in elevation, the snow disappeared. It isn't sticking past about 5000 feet or so, so we may have a little bit of time to get ourselves ready (Bend is at about 3500 feet elevation). REI is having a "Garage Sale" tomorrow, and you can be sure we'll be first in line to check out the winter gear!

Mushroom Hunting at Todd Lake

In Bend, summer will be ending soon, and although we're still having 80+ degree days, we're also having 40 degree nights. The Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway closes with their first heavy snowfall, which at those elevations, happens in September/October. Keeping that in mind, we figured we'd better do as much as we can - while we can!  

Our destination this time was Todd Lake. Todd Lake, like Crane Prairie Reservoir, is one of the many lakes off of the Byway. It's only about 30 minutes from our house. 

It's a short 1/2 mile walk from the parking lot to this view of the lake:

Todd Lake is nestled in an ancient volcano, at 6,150 ft elevation. When the glaciers melted, they left behind this lake, which is up to 60 feet deep in some places. It's pretty shallow around the edges, though, and good for wading.

Mike on a fallen log that stretched out into Todd Lake.

tons of tadpoles - the Western Toad and Cascades Frog both live here
and are protected due to their threatened status.

Mike admitted to me that when I suggested a hike today, he was busy thinking of excuses, because he wanted to just sit around the house and work on our business websites. But once we were there, he got super psyched about mushroom hunting!

walking along the trail that runs around the lake.

There were mushrooms everywhere. It's been randomly raining, on and off, for the last couple weeks, so it's optimal mushroom weather.

We are still learning about how to identify them, so we gathered them all up on a handy bark plate to bring home and research.

We ended up walking about 3.5 miles around the lake, but if you aren't running around looking for mushrooms, it's probably only 2 miles or so. It's a perfect little spot to just relax or sun yourself. In the spring, there's wildflowers everywhere, and they have wildflower guides at the trailhead that you can borrow. 

gorgeous wide open fields, surrounded by pine forest.

Mt. Bachelor in the background.

The view of the lake from the trail, as we finished our loop.

Mike's excited about his mushrooms!

All in all, another beautiful day in Bend. Hard to believe that in just 6 weeks or so, this lake will be covered in snow!