Tag Archives: Trail

Timberline Trail – Day 4

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MOUNT HOOD NATIONAL FOREST

Activity: Multi Day Backpacking Trip

42 miles, 10,630’ elevation gain, 4 days out, rated HARD

Date: 9/7-10/22

Day 4

11 Miles with 3993’ Elevation Gain

After a restful night, lulled to sleep by the sound of the tumbling water cascading down the face of Romona Falls, I packed up my tent and stuffed it into my backpack for the last time on this journey. I spent some time, before we set out on our final day of this spectacular trek around Mt Hood, sitting next to the glorious falls letting it’s magic envelop me.

Romona Falls

I had an important task to complete, doctoring the blisters that I had undoubtedly received from miles of hiking in wet boots when we waded through the frigid water at Elliott Glacier Stream.

It would be a long hard day with the elevation gain being almost double that of any of the other days. There would be a long slog out of windy, dusty, canyons. We would experience more water crossings, one of which I decided that my best bet across the Zig Zag River was to do the standing broad jump from a rock to the shore with my heavy pack- and hooray, I stayed dry! There was more smoke in the sky from the nearby wildfires. But there were thick green forests to enjoy and handfuls of huckleberries to consume.

We maneuvered through a portion of forest with downed timber that we had to clamber over, under or around, and up a steep switch back trail. One spot seemed particularly treacherous with massive logs precariously perched above being held in place by saplings. It was quite unnerving to come around the bend and find trail all but wiped out by such a tree coming down the mountainside.

It was a bit worrisome to see large fallen trees precariously perched just above held in place by saplings.
Some large timber had fallen in places just about wiping out the trail.

It was tiring, it was hard, it was glorious! Finally late in the afternoon I spied a most welcome sight, that of the roof of the Timberline Lodge which signified the end of the fantastic journey.

What a wonderful four days that Anthony and I spend with Mother Nature on arguably the Best Hike in America, Timberline Trail.

‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ YouTube Channel. The best way to view a waterfall is with motion. CLICK THE PIC!
“These type of adventures do a body good, but it is the soul that finds it most beneficial.” – Roger Jenkins, Pursuing Balance Through Adventure 

Thanks for accompanying my Through Hiker friend Anthony and I on this multi day backpacking extravaganza. Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 When you work hard toward a goal, but the reward of each step is profound beauty than it is not hard, it is soul nurturing. This my friends is what ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ is all about. Such a trek brings so much balance into the grind that can be everyday life. The circumnavigation of Mount Hood is a grind, but such a beautiful grind and I invite you to stay with PBTA because there is alway more. It is not the destination, but the journey that brings that balance. Stay tuned by completing these easy tasks: LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW and SHARE. We all need to seek out more journeys. As an aid to your discovering your own expedition I invite you to go the menu above where I have categorized outings mostly by location. Each location is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. You will find Adventure Wear with the prized PBTA logo and mantra at SHOP APPAREL.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Timberline Trail Day 2

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MOUNT HOOD NATIONAL FOREST

Activity: Multi Day Backpacking Trip

42 miles, 10,630’ elevation gain, 4 days out, rated HARD

Date: 9/7-10/22

The first night on the mountain was awesome after a tough, but satisfying dance with nature all day on the Timberline Trail DAY 1. I always wanted to experience what I have seen in advertisements and that is pull back my tent flap and there before me is this outstanding view that just takes you aback. That is the experience I had on this morning.

Mount Hood from my tent after midnight.
View when I unzipped the flap of my tent that morning.

Day 2

9.7 Miles with 1965’ Elevation Gain

Thursday Sept 8th.  Another beautiful day Anthony and I hiked mostly above the timber, soaking up the sun, and the magnificent views not only of our mountain, but majestic Mt Rainer, stately Mt Adams, and once the most perfectly shaped mountain, the infamous Mt Saint Helens. We took our break at an awesome rock shelter at Cooper Spur. 

Mount Adams peaking through the evergreens.

Really sketchy water crossing at Elliot Glacier Stream…  Wading in thigh deep fast moving cold water can be a bit unnerving with a water fall drop just 15 yards away.  The thought goes through your mind it should be fine, but what if it’s not?  What if your feet get swept by the fast moving current and slippery rocks? The other thing is you are going to have soaked boots for as long as it takes for them to dry out, which ended up a long time.  It turned out that it was fine.  Except for the wet boots part… Then it was a crazy steep scramble out where everything was moving including chest size boulders.  I cut my knee and shin on the scramble, so I either looked bad-ass or like a ding-dong with blood running down the length of my lower leg.  

Elliot Glacier Stream
Anthony recommended, “Keep moving and try not to die.”

Then it was wildflowers, trees, and streams finishing up another 10 mile day with about 2,000’ elevation gain. We camped at Elk Cove with a sweet view of the mountain top beside a babbling brook. 

The scene from where we camped.
Pursuing Balance Through Adventure YouTube Channel. CLICK THE PIC!
“Don’t die without embracing the daring adventure your life was meant to be.”
-Steve Pavlina

My Through Hiker friend, Anthony, and I appreciate you tagging along as we found ourselves ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ on our epic adventure circumnavigating this wonderful mountain. You know everything gets ramped up a couple degrees when you have a heavy pack on. Of course the hiking, and climbing up a steep ravine with a big pack is difficult and is a given, but what I am referring in particular is hoping rocks, or a maneuvering across a log, or in the case of this day, slogging through Elliott Glacier Stream. What would have been no big deal with out a pack is totally different wading through the frosty water across slippery rocks with the power of the water pushing you as you fight to balance the heavy pack. But pushing yourself is a big part of what this adventure was about and is a big part of what ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ is. Getting outside of your comfort zone, finding out what you can do is important and it sure helps balance things out. Nature, Adventure, self discovery… it is what it is all about. Stay with us. We are only half way through this journey around this iconic mountain. COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. The menu above will take you to spots I cherish all across this great West of ours. It just might give you some inspiration and some ideas for your next outing in Nature. You can purchase some wonderful Adventure Wear for your outing at my SHOP APPAREL.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Timberline Trail Day 1

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MOUNT HOOD NATIONAL FOREST

Activity: Multi Day Backpacking Trip

42 miles, 10,630’ elevation gain, 4 days out, rated HARD

Date: 9/7-10/22

I soldiered through the blisters, blood, sweat and tears. The panting with each footfall became moaning with each step by each day’s end.  The accomplishment of the endeavor and the beauty of the mountain made up for the pain and suffering which of course just added to the adventure of it all. 

Although this was my most aggressive backpacking trip as far as days out, distance and elevation gain, I was with a fellow adventurer so at least I was not alone.  The other person on the trek, a Through Hiker who has hiked over 800 miles on the AZ Trail this year and a year or so ago completed the PCT, is a hiking friend from LA.  Anthony King a Bar Tender and Photographer flew in for the event and I picked him up at the Portland Airport. I have backpacked with Anthony once before. He is much younger than I so I was a little apprehensive about hiking with him, not wanting to hold him up.  Turns out he hikes at his own pace.  You either keep up or fall behind, your choice.  So the way that we handled it was we hiked together some of the time, but generally we enjoyed oneness with the mountain.  We met up for some of the breaks, as Anthony would take an extended break to allow me to catch up and I would have an abbreviated stop.

Day 1

10 Miles with 2,800’ Elevation Gain

Wednesday, Sept 7th, at 8AM we set out past Timberline Lodge to circumnavigate Oregon’s magnificent Mt Hood counterclockwise on the amazing Timberline Trail under mostly sunny skies. The days were to be mild and the nights just a little chilly so really tremendous conditions to take on one of the best backpacking trips in America.  Meandering through fields of wildflowers, in and out of wooded areas, spectacular views of Mt Jefferson, passed a couple small crossings of rushing water and waterfalls was how we spent the day.  Hoping across rocks is a little tricky with a heavy pack, but we managed to stay dry.  Now we climb… 10 miles and over 2,800’ elevation gain much of it up loose, steep, sandy, and crumbly material known as scree. We bedded down past Lamberson Butte near an old shelter with unreal views of the peak of Mt Hood right out my tent flap. 

Make sure to CLICK THE PIC and see the water features in motion.
Pursuing Balance Through Adventure YouTube Channel.
Our Timberline Trail adventure began at Timberline Lodge.
Majestic Mount Jefferson
Rock hopping trying to keep my feet dry. (Photo by Anthony King)
A rocky, sandy, steep hike out followed each water crossing.
Anthony crossing one of many water crossings along the Timberline Trail.
Sundown on Mt Hood
The mountains!  They call to us so we can conquer them.  But in reality we conquer our fears, our struggles, our weakness, and we come out victors.  Go conquer your mountain!

Thanks for joining Anthony and I on this awesome adventure, the circumnavigation of Mount Hood where we found ourselves ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’. This is the beginning of a four part expose of our backpacking trek of arguably the Best Hike in America. You can checkout Timberline Trail Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 here. You will want to stay tuned and you can do so by a few simple tasks: LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW and SHARE. If you care to peruse the menu above you will discover that PBTA travels extensively throughout the great West in hopes of inspiration and recommendations of glorious outing in nature, as we can all use a little break from our everyday ho hum lives. If you have a thirst for top quality Adventure Wear then quench it at SHOP APPAREL.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Silver Falls

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Silver Falls State Park

Activity: Camping, Day Hike, Scenic Views, Chasing Waterfalls

7.2 miles, 1224’ elevation gain, 2.5 hour duration, rated Moderate

Date: May 25 & 26, 2022

Silver Falls was a stop we made on our Road Trip from SoCal to Washington. It is outside of the city of Silverton and not far from Salem. I had been there once or twice as a boy and never forgot it and I wanted my son Alec and daughter Marina to experience it’s magic.

We were short on time and made a push from one last outing at Yosemite all the way to Silver Falls not arriving at the Silver Falls State Park Campgrounds until well past quiet time. I think we woke up half the campground as we pulled my Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro into our reserved camp spot. I know that we woke our neighbor as it took us awhile to get situated and set up the tent. He asked, “Are you about done?” – Sorry…

About an hour or so after zipping up my sleeping bag I heard a noise just outside my tent. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and though maybe that guy is really mad because he is right outside the fly of my tent. I got the flashlight and unzipped the tent not sure what was going on to find myself eye to eye with a cute little raccoon. He was cute for about 5 seconds as he had eaten a hole in our food bag and was munching away. I tried to shoo him away and saw that there were two of them and they were right in my face and they were not backing off, but inching forward despite me waving the flashlight at them. They were not worried about me at all rather each other. I did not know that raccoons growled, but it started as a low guttural growl and grew into a loud hissing crazy thing. About another hour after that disturbance all hell broke loose a few camp spots away and it sounded like World War Raccoon had just broke out with a whole gang of raccoons going at each other.

After a long drive and lots of activities the only thing that was going to get my kids up was camp grill breakfast. After eating, getting cleaned up and packed up we headed for the falls.

Silver Falls is the largest State Park in Oregon. It has a couple dozen miles of hiking paths across it’s 9,000 plus acres. In addition to that there are horse and bike trails as well. Silver Falls is a waterfall lovers paradise. You can see 10 stunning falls in less than an 8 mile hike. The forest is lush and spectacular, the stream are flowing and fabulous, but the star of this show is the waterfalls and boy are they certainly don’t disappoint. One would be happy with some of the little side show waterfalls that we are not even counting, but the 10 waterfalls are lovely, enchanting, and whimsical.

If you happen to be ’Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ I cannot think of a better way than chasing waterfalls and at Silver Falls there are plenty to chase.

My son Alec summed it up like this: “If I could only go on one hike for the rest of my life it would be this one”.  Marina nodded in agreement to her brothers statement.

The only way to view a waterfall is in motion. Please CLICK THE PIC for the PBTA YouTube Channel Episode.
Life Like A Waterfall
Between the rocks of mountains
Emerged as the purest of spring
Gushing, whooshing and pushing
Over the rock by bashing and crushing
Ferocious water swash
Cold and strong making its own path
Tickling over pebbles
tumbling, whizzing and then swishing
Curving tight round the bend
Terrifying plunges wilder onto the rocks
Finally cascading down
Creating incredible splash
Loud with echoing sound
Leaving the waterfall starting to calm
Now flowing gently as a river
Leaving the trails of thrashing life behind.
Alec and Marina behind the looking glass.

Thanks for joining Alec, Marina and I as part of our Chasing Waterfalls Road Trip at Silver Falls, certainly one of the most enchanting places we have ever been. Stay with us on this Road Trip as well as many other adventures by doing some super easy things: LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW and SHARE. If you like the hat and shirt that Alec has on in the pictures than I invite you to go to SHOP APPAREL for all of your Adventure Wear needs. PBTA travels extensively throughout the West if you go to the menu above you will see that the areas are categorized by area or activity. I am sure that this will fuel ideas when planning your next adventure.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor

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Brookings, Oregon

Activity: Day Hike, Scenic View

Date: 10-12-21

I had Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor on my list, as I have seen the incredible pictures. Scenic doesn’t begin to describe it. Corridor however is a good word as this is not just one stop or one spot, but it is a lengthy passage.

I had one picture in my mind that was a must see, so I stopped multiple times and went on multiple little hikes. They were all short hikes and as I said numerous ones so I am going to break with my tradition of mapping out a hike in this instance, but I will say this- each hike, each stop, was amazing so you really cannot go wrong by stopping at each turn off and checking it out once you get to this Corridor. Of course the whole Highway 101 in this entire stretch is pretty extraordinary so it is all good, strike that it is all magnificent.

The pull outs have views of places with names like: Natural Bridges, Arch Rock, Thunder Rock Cove, Secret Beach, and Coast Trail. The Coast Trail and some of these trails do connect one stop to another, I know that I did that in at least one instance.

Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor displays immense beauty. The kind of beauty with your eyes peeled wide, you hold your breath or it will be taken away. All of your senses come alive, absorbing every minuscule detail. Time moves slower so that you can enjoy each and every minute, etching it into your mind, imprinting it on your soul. Breath in the splendor, capture the moment, take a picture with your heart, because no photo or video can record this, at least doing it any justice. The best that photos can do is serve as a reminder of this instance of how it felt. Feeling the damp air, smelling the fragrant firs mixed with the dank scent of the moist earth and the salt of the sea, hearing the crashing waves below, the cry of a lonely gull, sights of forest, ocean, cliff, tiny islands, delightful coves, rugged volcanic rock and formations that are simply divine are intoxicating. Drink in as much of Nature’s Goodness as you dare.

The colors are so strong, so vibrant, the green firs, the lush ferns, the blues and greens of the Pacific, the midday sky with its wisps of white clouds… Rambling along the perfectly forested trails that provide peek boo glimpses of the ocean beyond, the turbulent sea catches your attention, but take caution you will come across dizzying heights, so be mindful of your step. The glory that beholds can act as a Siren just as the myth of Mermaids luring seafaring men onto the rocks, but in this case the view beckoning you ever closer to the edge for that perfect view. Be warned that these cliff edges could be undercut and give way. Even some large trees have their roots eroded and exposed to air and space. This is a strange, mystical, magical and wonderful place and very powerful.

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure YouTube Channel. Click the pic and listen to the waves and see the power.
Gold Beach
This would be a gorgeous place for wedding pictures, but I will say around the time of this picture a wave cornered the bride and groom and soiled her beautiful gown.
“There is pleasure in the pathless words… There is rapture on the lonely shore… There is society where none intrudes… By the deep sea and music in it’s roar… I love not man the less, but nature more… From these our interviews, in which I steal… From all I may be, or have been before. To mingle with the universe and to feel… What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.” – Lord Byron

Thank you for joining me in a forest, on a cliff with a view of complete splendor. While I found myself ’Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ amongst the trees, nature provided “Natural Bridges” from the busy life of man to the sweet embrace of Mother Nature. Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor was a good one and I will be hard pressed to try and top this place, but try I must and try I will. To join me: COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. The menu above has wonderful places throughout the West that PBTA explores check it out to spawn ideas of your next adventure. Each location is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. SHOP APPAREL as top quality adventure wear for you to adorn yourself for your journey.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Mount McLoughlin

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Winema National Forest / Sky Lakes Wilderness

Activity: Backpacking, Peak Bagging

Fish Lake to Mount McLouglin Summit: 9,495’ elevation, Distance: approximately 17 miles, over 5,000’ elevation gain, 12 hour duration, rated VERY HARD

Date: 10/6-8/21

Mount McLoughlin is located in Southern Oregon. It lies south of Crater Lake and well North of Mount Shasta in Northern California which can easily be seen from the summit. Mount McLoughlin is a steep sided dormant volcano, part of the High Cascades Volcanic Arc and dominates the Medford Oregon horizon.

The area is heavily forested, and the journey along the well kept trail is absolutely gorgeous. It is a steady incline which becomes steeper and rockier about a third of the way in, but let me assure you that is only the beginning. The last 20% of this adventure is rock scrambling up talus broken boulders and at the very top portion of this trek add scree, which at least made the climb something different.

The altitude was beginning to affect me making it more difficult for me to catch my breath, and tiring me out quicker, making it necessary for me to take frequent breaks for a moment or so. However, this provided an excellent chance to enjoy the breathtaking views. (Breathtaking… notice my choice of words there?) Once above the tree line a blanket of green lay out before us with multiple blue lakes dotting the landscape.

We made it to a view point that provided stunning views of wilderness far and near. We were filled with awe and delight of the bowl area with it’s hues of beige, tan, and brown. We then cast our eyes on high, above the bowl to the massive jagged peaks of Mount McLoughlin. At that point I found looking up at the lonely rugged peaks quite discouraging as it made it quite plain just how far we still had yet to go.

My Through Hiker buddy Ahmed fresh from a few weeks on the trail, plus much younger than I, was starting to realize that this pace was not what he was accustom to. I finally signaled him to just go on ahead, and take my iPhone mostly for picture opportunities, but also GPS Location and what normally would have been GPS Tracking.

You see in an effort to introduce me to the ulta-lite world of a Through Hiker, all well intended I might add, costly errors were made. One such mistake was my two battery packs were shed from my pack. Ahmed’s iPhone died and he did not have his ultra light battery as it turned out, so we were rationing the usage of my iPhone only turning it on and checking my GPS APP occasionally. To see the other hardships emptying my pack put us in go to my ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure Hiking and Backpacking 101’ post ”When a Through Hiker Repacks Your Pack”.

It seemed no matter how much climbing I did the peak was only getting further and further away. Disheartened I signaled Ahmed on the rocks up above that I was done. However… I hate quitting so I thought I might as well continue on at a more meager pace in the mean time as Ahmed kept climbing for the summit. After awhile I saw that the boulders changed to scree, while not optimal hiking it was different and I needed the break of at least different both mentally as well as physically.

Finally I came up over a rise hoping this wasn’t another false top with still further to trudge, but there was Ahmed setting up a summit photo shoot. We celebrated that we had both accomplished the mountain top goal! He made a point that because it was hard it felt like we had done something special. Of course, we were only half done with the adventure and since the footing was treacherous going down it would still be slow going until the path leveled out far below. (For the rest of the story and the difficulty we placed ourselves in see: “When a Through Hiker Repacks Your Pack.”)

The views from the summit of this rugged mountain were superb, shadows of mountains in the distance including Mount Shasta, multiple blue lakes, and wonderful wilderness, as far as the eye could see, filled the senses. We had indeed done something special.

The bowl area of McLoughlin
Summit Celebration
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” – Edward Abbey
Pursuing Balance Through Adventure YouTube Channel

Thanks for joining Ahmed and myself as we found ourselves ’Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ atop Mount McLoughlin. Ahmed purposely made our trek more of an adventure adding miles on, but when that was coupled with a few unforeseen errors, (See “When a Through Hiker Repacks Your Pack”), it fell just short of an Ordeal. I discovered that the difference between Ordeal and Adventure is Attitude. As I struggled up the mountain I did not always have the best attitude, but I never gave up and because of this I found some of that needed balance that we seek when stepping out of the anxiety of our everyday existence and into a world of wonder that profound experiences in Nature provides. For more journeys into the wilderness, and thus journeys into ourselves stay tuned by doing these simple tasks: LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW and SHARE. For other locations that PBTA travels to please see the menu above. Each is location is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. For high quality adventure wear please see the PBTA Store SHOP APPAREL.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Iron Mountain Trail

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WILLAMETTE NATIONAL FOREST

CASCADIA, OREGON

Activity: Day Hike, Peak Bagging

Distance: 4.5 miles, elevation: 5,476’, 1,276’ elevation gain, >2 hours duration, rated Hard

Date: 6-4-20

“Iron Mountain is a large jagged rock, situated in very rough country,” was an early description of this adventure describing the perch over looking the Santiam portion of the Willamette National Forest. It would be used at different times over the years as a fire lookout and it would be destroyed more than once by heavy snow, high winds, and wildfire.

We were on Iron Mountain early Summer of 2020. There were a good amount of wildflowers decorating the landscape and to be sure this spot is well know for it’s flowers due to the rich soil. The biggest bloom, I understand, takes place in July, but even just after snow melt the flowers ’Spring’ to life and there are blooms through out the Summer.

The day that my college fraternity brother Bruce introduced me to this splendid hike was a warm Summer Oregon day with a mixture of blue skies and whimsical clouds. The hike found us ambling through quiet forests, thick with wondrous fir trees, as well as green meadows dotted with beautiful wildflowers. Then on to some switch backs, passed scraggy volcanic rock, a left over section of snow, and then out on the top with fabulous views of lush evergreens as far as the eye could see, with boundless layers of mountainous ridges, and snowy peaks far in the distance.

Sadly late in the Summer the area was besieged once again by wildfire, and as of this late posting, (Oct 2020), it is closed for that reason.

Oh worrisome thoughts of what has become of this tranquil place. The kind of place that one might find balance from an otherwise over worked, over stressed, over political world that – oh yeah just happens to be smack dab in a pandemic, with a side of firestorm to boot. Prayers for the firefighters, prayers for Mother Nature, prayers for us all.

  • Even at the beginning of Summer there is still a small section of snow.
  • The Lookout on the top is nicely done. There is even a map pointing out all the peaks.
“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” -Walter Hagan

Hey thanks for joining my fraternity bro Bruce and myself on this joyous journey in nature, while ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’. Don’t forget to COMMENT, FOLLOW, LIKE and SHARE. There is still more coming up in regards to Beautiful, Fabulous, Wonderful Oregon and if you go to the menu above you will discover that PBTA goes to many spectacular locations to give you inspiration. You don’t need to thank me, that’s my job. Speaking of which, if you would like to support PBTA then I just got a big shipment of T-Shirts: (thinking that maybe you don’t need the best, top quality gear maybe you just want a darn T-Shirt, well then boom gotcha covered) SHOP APPAREL.

Checkout the Free Drawing for Free PBTA Merch which runs through 11-15-20.  

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Todd Lake Loop Trail

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DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST

NEAR BEND OREGON

Activity: Day Hike

Date: August 29, 2019

Distance > 2 miles, 82’ elevation change, 90 minutes duration, rated Easy

When I arrived at Todd Lake I knew there was a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. I thought that I could get in and out of this hike quickly before the storm. When I arrived there were nice views of the lake and the neighboring mountains Broken Top and Mount Bachelor. There was a little sun beaming through the clouds, but all of that was about to change. Quickly clouds rolled in masking the mountain views, a few claps of thunder, a flicker of lightening and then the heavens opened up and I got a pretty healthy down pour. I was prepared in my sailing foul weather gear jacket so there was nothing to do but enjoy Oregon’s “liquid sunshine” after all that is why everything is so plush and green.

Hearing the rain on the lake, seeing the puddles collect on the trail, feeling the damp air, the breeze through the firs, the scent of freshness mixed with a dank whiff of wet decaying wood really lets you experience the Oregon Wilderness.

Trailhead parking is $5 unless you have a NW Forest Pass or other excepted annual passes. Todd Lake is a great little hike for the whole family. Very scenic even on a stormy day, so I can only imagine how beautiful it would be on one of the picture perfect Blue Bird Central Oregon days. The trail is delightfully forested, with views of the lake and mountains. On the far end is sort of a marsh meadow area. I found what I will call a little feeder stream filled with tadpoles. Fun little hike.

  • Todd Lake with Broken Top in the background
“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.” -Vivian Greene    
Todd Lake with Mount Bachelor in the background

Todd Lake, in the Deschutes National Forest, is a great place to be ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’, won’t you join me next time for another journey? You can do so by FOLLOWING, SHARING, LIKING, and COMMENTING.

Happy Trails, Roger Jenkins, Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Additional Video Clips from Todd Lake

Burma Road Loop

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SMITH ROCK STATE PARK

NEAR TERREBONNE, OREGON

Activity: Day Hike

Date: August 28, 2019

Distance: 7 miles, 1,253’ elevation change, 4.5 hours duration rated Moderate.

Smith Rock is one of those special places that is almost spiritual it is so beautiful. This was my second time to hike at Smith Rock, the last was hiking up Misery Ridge a few years ago with my fraternity brother Marcus, my son Alec, (then about 12), and a bunch of college guys, friends of Macus’s son. I found Misery Ridge to be aptly named for the crazy switch backs and quick elevation change, not only a challenge, but a stunningly beautiful hike and a fantastic climb.

Wanting a different hike and experience I chose the Burma Road Loop. The loop is made up of multiple trails: The Chute, River, Summit, Burma Road and Wolf Tree Trails. It completely circumnavigates Smith Rock so you view it from every angle including looking down at it from the neighboring ridge. So any thoughts that this would be easier than Misery Ridge would be mistaken. Actually it is less aggressive in my opinion as the elevation is more spread out and over a longer distance. That being said however, there is a section with some fairly challenging switch backs as well.

The trail drops down to the Crooked River which surrounds Smith Rock on three sides almost like a moat adorning an majestic castle. At this point the trail is easy following the awe inspiring walls of Smith Rock and along the River Trail, which is fabulous.

This was one of the hottest days of the year expecting to top out at 96 degrees. I was glad that I was getting an early start at 7:30 AM, which was most pleasant in the mid seventies, but by the time I completed my journey it was about 90.

As I mentioned, the Crooked River wraps around Smith Rock. On the backside I headed up into a high desert scene. This is where the elevation starts going up and at a pretty quick rate with a number of switchbacks until you have a wonderful view of the river, the valley, Smith Rock, and the Cascade Mountains off in the distance. Just an spectacular view and with the wonderful rock faces and formations of Smith Rock it is simply a must do.

As I dropped in elevation the single track trail joined a double track road that was steep and not interesting, well… aside from the adjacent view of Smith Rock. My point is taking the Burma Road Loop clockwise is the way to go because going up a steep boring road with no switch backs would not be as pleasant, but working my way down it quickly with views of the valley and Smith Rock was perfect.

Once down to the valley floor there are more rock formations to take in, a wooded area, and then back to a delightful adventure along the Crooked River with ducks and geese, and a beaver. What an adventure filled with wonder… when you are Pursuing Balance Through Adventure.

  • Climbers at Smith Rock
  • Looking down on Misery Trail
  • Snack break
    “What do I do for a a living? I live for a living.” -Peter Karina

    Wow, Smith Rock, ya’ just gotta’ luv it! Adventure and Balance is what we are pursuing so FOLLOW, LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE so together we can accomplish this type of harmony.

    Roger Jenkins Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

    Video Clips of Smith Rock ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure‘

    Paulina Falls Trail

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    DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST

    NEAR LA PINE, OREGON

    Activity: Day Hike

    Date: August 27, 2019

    Distance: 1/2 mile, 115’ elevation change, 20 minute duration,

    This is a very short hike, actually more of a nature walk, to a couple scenic view spots of Paulina Falls. This is a beautiful 80 foot double falls. One of the view points is looking at the falls from almost straight across. The other view point is at the bottom which is achieved by taking the trail with a few switch backs. The falls is quite nice as the water cascades from the double falls to a jumble of rocks below.

    If you wanted a regular hike instead of a nature walk there is a trail called the Paulina Creek Trail which I did not try but the small section of it that I did see looked very nice. It can be sourced from the same parking area that I was in to do the Paulina Peak Trail.

    • Paulina Creek
    “As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can”. – John Muir

    Thanks for joining me at Paulina Falls. I just love waterfalls don’t you? Well, one way to join me on more adventures to waterfalls so that you can be inspired to be ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure then LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW, and SHARE.

    Roger Jenkins, Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

    Some fun Paulina Falls and Paulina Creek video I shot during me adventure. Video is always the best when we are talking about moving water.