Call of the Mountains

We had to make a trip to Eugene for a repair to our vehicle. We decided to use it as an excuse to head to the mountains! A little over an hour southeast of Eugene is Belknap Hot Springs, a privately owned resort that offers hotel rooms, cabins, a RV campground, and walk in tent sites. There are 2 hot spring pools there that are free for guests (including campers). We hiked in about 1/2 mile to an awesome campsite right on the McKenzie River. The site was large and private, I would definitely camp here again. In addition to an awesome site and use of showers and hot springs, it makes a great base camp to explore the surrounding area. We hiked to Upper and Lower Proxy Falls, Sahalie Falls, and Koosah Falls, along the McKenzie River and then headed to Tombstone Pass to hike the Cone Peak Trail. It was nice to shower and soak after a long day of hiking, before returning to camp to cook dinner and relax. It began to drizzle just as we were getting settled. We put on our rain gear and enjoyed the fire anyway. It rained through the night and all morning. We packed up a wet and muddy mess, it was time to clean all our gear anyway!

A Spring Vacation in Oregon

In early May Rob’s cousin Burton and his wife Priscilla (who are awesome people and close friends) came to visit for a week. They were a site for sore eyes…and it was time for a much needed vacation from the daily grind. We picked them up in Portland, had brunch, then headed southeast towards Silver Falls State Park. We had a small, rustic cabin reserved there for 2 nights, and planned to hike the beautiful “Trail of 10 Falls” the next day. On the way to Silver Falls, we stopped at “The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival” near Woodburn, OR. The festival was winding down and the tulips were not at their prime, but it was still nice. Silver Falls is a beautiful park and the trail is stunning, rewarding you frequently with its numerous waterfalls. We left the mountains and headed for the coast, where we rented a house at Rockaway Beach for some rest and relaxation. We stopped at Cannon Beach on our way back to Portland. We arrived at low tide and were able to explore the tide pools, which was really cool. We had an awesome trip, enjoying good times with good friends. Times like these pass all too quickly.

Sweet Creek Falls

This trail, in the Siuslaw National Forest of the Coast Range is east of Florence near the town of Mapleton. The day we were there, we did not see another human. I’d love to return here soon. I’m sure it is even more beautiful now with the lushness of spring!

The Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge hosts the largest concentration of waterfalls in the U.S. with 80 on the Oregon side of the gorge alone. No doubt, this is an amazing area, but it is no secret. “The Gorge” begins just outside the metropolitan area of Portland. So if you come here on a weekend, during the summer (which we did), prepare to share the beauty with thousands of other visitors. I hope to return here in the spring, during the middle of the week, and early in the morning; which should adequately reduce the concentration of humans in the area.

the road to experience

Tag Archives: waterfalls

Call of the Mountains

A Spring Vacation in Oregon

Sweet Creek Falls

The Columbia River Gorge