I've done this hike several times over the decades. It used to be a very well kept secret and I…read moreonly found out about it by talking to a Ranger at the Ranger station in Detroit. Seems like the word has gotten out in recent years so the chances of you being alone on the trail or at the summit are now pretty slim. This is not a difficult hike but you do need to be in shape to do it. Pretty much impossible to get lost as you are always hiking on a ridge line but it's always wise to carry a map and compass (or GPS) all the same. It's a somewhat steep, 3 mile, several thousand feet of elevation gain stroll and no drinkable water along the trail most of the year. So bring sufficient water and also a headlamp if you're starting out late in the day. Figure three hours to do the round trip and you will be under a thick forest canopy so it does get dark on the trail early. The trail is narrow and you are on a ridge so there is some exposure. Poles can be helpful although I've never needed them here. This trail is not ADA accessible. The final 100' scramble to the summit reveals a concrete slab where a fire watch station once sat. Great views of Mount Jefferson and Detroit. There has always been a few big downed trees blocking the narrow trail. But since the fire you'll start seeing felled trees about a mile up the trail. In one location you'll have to bushwhack around a half dozen or so massive fallen trees. The trailhead is easy enough to find although there are several roads to the the left before you get there that are NOT trailheads. The true trailhead parking area is marked and has space for about four cars. The left turn into the parking area is about 5+ miles from Highway 22. Turn right at the Pacific Pride filling station and follow the road for about 5 miles. Maybe a bit more.

One summer weekend, in 2018, the forecast called for west south west winds which blew the forest…read morefire smoke away from Sisters, so I decided to do a hike at Three Finger Jack. It's about a 13 to 14 mile round trip. The first three miles the dirt in several spots is very soft, like sand. For me that was the bummer part of this hike. Especially if your pack is 30 lbs, plus your body weight. Your striding along all of a sudden the soft dirt breaks your stride. :-| I was hoping to pick fresh wild berries. Unfortunately, other hikers beat me to them. I was lucky to find two berries; which I took a photo of before I picked them. This berry is part of the blueberry family (see photo). I took a break and found a great spot with a fantastic view. This area would be an awesome future camping spot. I setup my hammock and had a late lunch. A mild wind kept this area cool, and I felt so comfortable I took a short nap. When I awoke the view hadn't changed. As one of my friends would say, "it's a million dollar view!" I continued on the trail and finally came to view Three Finger Jack. I sat down looking at the details of Three Finger Jack. My objective was to view Three Finger Jack and plan another time to camp and conquer Jack. I'm hoping to find a hiking buddy to join me. Jack's a brittle kind of a guy. One false move, you'll have a quick way down. :-0 While hiking back down, I again came across the view of Black Butte. To the left, wild fire smoke was returning (see the before and after photos). As I arrive back to the trail head I saw a cool scene of a deer looking for dinner.

See that craggy, busted, pinnacle of friable rock on your right as you're driving into Bend from…read morePortland? The one just north of that nipple-looking one*? That's Three Fingered Jack. If you happen to live in Oregon and also happen to want to do some *alpine* rock climbing in Oregon, this is one of your only choices. (that nipple I describe above is your other) The rock quality on both is horrendous. If this rock were in Washington or California, no one would climb it. It breaks, it sheds, it's hard to protect. It reminds me of the Chugach up here in Alaska. At least the approach is short. Take the PCT north for about 3-4 miles. Eventually, you'll see TFJ (if you want to be seen as kewl by other peak baggers, this is how you should represent this mountain in text). You really, truly, cannot miss it. Once you see it, pick the least horrible way to hoof it up the loose dirt/gravel/scree/choss and up onto the higher parts of the peak. Eventually, you'll come to an awkward traverse. This is "The Crawl**". Some folks protect TC, some folks don't. I climbed it protected because I was new to all things alpine and someone else rigged up all the ropes for me. I didn't find it to be that bad. Would I climb it unprotected? Maybe. Should you? I don't know dude, risk management is a personal thing. Maybe you should think about it for a while. After negotiating TC, you'll reach the summit block. This pillar of petrified poo is rated at 5.0-5.2 depending on which crusty, old-timey mountaineer you ask. The climbing is easy, but it doesn't protect all that well. People usually plug some small cams. I'm very comfortable taking a fall on small cams when compared to my peer-group. I don't think the placements here are very good. Remember rule 000001 of climbing: don't fall. If you're just a hiker, I would NOT recommend YOLO-ing up this fucker in your Keens! This is easy rock climbing, but it is absolutely rock climbing. This ain't no scramble, go back to Chow if you're looking for one of those! There's usually a whole mess of tat on the summit, so you can rappel back down the small face of portable-chickenhead-hand-holds. Despite the abysmal rock quality, TFJ is still worth tagging. Once. Why? The approach is short and the views of Mt Jefferson are stunning. (FYI cool kid: if you want to sound hip when talking about Mt Jefferson, call it "Jeffy". Also: talk constantly about how the only route worth doing is Jeff Park Glacier. But *never* call it that, just shorten it to "Jeff Park") If you're feeling really freaky, you can also easily attempt TFJ in the winter. The road is plowed. The summit block? It's often coated in beautiful-but-impossible-to-protect rhyme ice. Good luck, friend. *The nipple is Mt Washington. **When I lived in Oregon, I found that TC was a good benchmark for gauging the mental toughness of prospective climbing partners. If you want to do this too, it could go like this: "Hey, you ever climb TFJ?" "Yeah bro." "So...whudja think of 'The Crawl'?" "Fawk brah, that shit was easy! I could've sprinted through it in my Crocs!" That guy could be someone you want to climb with. He could be a confident, sure-footed climber and a natural leader. Or he could just be a loose-cannon with a deathwish. Use your own judgment. Pay attention to body language.

Alder Springs Trail is a 6 or so mile in-and-out moderate hike located in the Crooked River…read moreNational Grassland. It is spectacular. The trailhead is found at the end of five miles of fair to somewhat rough road off Holmes Road north of Hwy 126. The trail runs along Whychus Creek which, like the nearby Crooked and Deschutes Rivers, has cut a deep canyon in the overlying lava. If you hike the entire length, you will end up at the confluence of the Whychus and the Deschutes, right across the river from the Scout Camp Trail (another awesome hike). Trail condition is mostly good with a few steep parts but relatively flat overall. You do have to descend from the lava plateau to the creek but it's more gradual than with some other nearby hikes, such as Scout Camp and Otter Bench. One thing, though: at about the halfway point, you'll have to ford Whychus Creek. There is no bridge, makeshift or otherwise. The creek is not too wide at the crossing point and unless you're there during peak snow-melt time, it's easily crossed. But unless you like hiking with wet boots, it's best to take along a pair of water shoes. The creek-bed is composed of slippery river rock and I don't recommend flip-flops. Along the trail, you'll experience varied terrain: high desert, sparse juniper forest, some big ponderosas and where the trail cuts close to the creek, lots of reeds and other wetland plants. Beware that the trail is known as a rattlesnake den. We even ran across one on the trail (coming and going!) when the weather was a bit cool. I don't think I've seen an account of someone hiking this trail where they didn't see a rattler. But they're cool and will scurry out of the way as soon as they sense your presence, which is well before you see them. The road to Alder Springs Trail at the Holmes Rd gate is closed to motor vehicles from Dec 1 to March 31. So unless you want to add the extra ten miles round-trip, take note.

Otter Bench is a scenic hiking trail located on BLM land at the north end of Crooked River Ranch…read more Running parallel to Otter Bench for most of its length lies the Horny Hollow Trail, which runs closer to the river but is closed for wildlife restoration from February to August. Both trails parallel the Crooked River as it makes its way downstream to join the Deschutes and Metolius Rivers at Lake Billy Chinook. As with all rivers and creeks in Central Oregon, the Crooked has cut deep canyons into the overlying lava, creating spectacular vistas. After just under two miles, Otter Bench takes you right up to the canyon, joining the short Pink Trail that descends steeply down to the river. From there, you have the option to continue north on the somewhat longer Opal Canyon Trail. Other than the steep decent to the river - which is not necessary to enjoy this trail - Otter Bench is a fairly easy, flat hike. Trailhead is at the end of SW Horny Hollow Dr/SW Chinook Dr. From Hwy 97, drive as if you're going to the Crooked River Ranch Golf Course and keep driving until the road ends.

Most of our group opted for river boards -- kind of like boogie boarding, but with thicker boards…read morethat have handles, and you gear up in wetsuits and fins and zip along through the rapids. Want an intense experience of the Deschutes? Try the river boarding. I kept to the raft, which was fantastic. Owner/Guide Randy Nathan is very knowledgeable of each set of rapids, local history, and just a very friendly and fun guy to chill with on the river. Solid equipment, helpful people, very friendly and flexible. Great guide.

Randy the Owner is the Man!…read more Boarding down the Deschutes is quite different from rafting down. It's even more fun! I went with a group of ten friends and we had a blast! Equipment was in good shape and on a warm day it makes for the perfect outdoor activity! N8TV Adventures is legit!

Late December 2023, visiting Bend, OR, the lack of snow on the mountains had us decide that we…read moreshould check out the ocean so off to the Pacific we went. Driving along Hwy 20* or the Santiam Highway as this section is known, we came upon a sign about the "Hackleman Old Growth Grove". I've got a thing about big old trees so I pulled over to take a look. I saw that there were some relatively easy hiking trails/loops (less then a mile?) so we decided to stretch our legs. These sort of forests always amaze me for the following reasons: 1) No one ever checks these places out in December. 2) It is sooooo green!!!! 3) The silence/sounds of the forest is just....there. The moss growing on the trees. The size of the trees. The thickness of the bark on some of these. Wow. I was blown away. Honestly, I wanted to sit, not move, and just breathe it all in. And I'm not gonna lie, I was hoping to see some squatch tracks in the old snow but nada. I'm also guessing in a normal season you're going to need some snow shoes but we didn't on this trip. If you are on this drive and need a quick stretch of your legs, this is a good of spot as any. FYI: The parking lot has a "honey pot" so if need a bathroom cause nature is calling, you got a spot. * Fun fact about Highway 20 is that it is one of those old original highways that goes across the country more or less (some of it is now blended with other Highways). You can start in either Newport, OR, or in Boston, MA and you can make your way across the country. Perusing Google maps, I see I've been on sections of this road coming out of West Yellowstone, Eastern Oregon, Wyoming, and I've driven across it countless times where it crosses in Iowa and Hwy 35 and even on it in Dubuque. Either way, pretty cool.

OK, it can be crowded on weekends. Go anyway…read more It can be hot in summer. Go anyway. The mile spur up to the overlook on top is steep. Go anyway. You can make this a very very short hike if you drive up a back road to an alternate trailhead. Like a little over a mile each way; maybe less. You can make it a hike about a mile longer by hiking up from the trailhead on Deer Creek Road. You can make a seven mile loop by adding the Cone Peak Loop Trail. If you're feeling spry, you can scramble up to Cone Peak a few hundred feet higher than Iron Mountain. There is no real trail to Cone Peak, and you need to be sure to know how to get back down so you don't wander off into the wrong watershed or off a cliff. Actually you probably should skip Cone Peak! But if you want to see amazing wildflowers, go hike the Cone Peak Iron Mountain Loop trail a few times between mid-June to mid-July.

I've been here a couple of times and while it is not my favorite skiing area it does have some…read moreredeeming qualities. It has an extremely large parking lot. It also oddly enough has cell phone service, at least on AT&T,Which is nice when you're skiing by yourself and want to let somebody know where you are. Which I like to do because every time I've been there I've been the only person there - another good thing about it. The downsides are that it definitely is well traveled ,and often people have thoughtlessly trumped and hiked and snowshoed or let their dogs or children run through all the ski tracks which can make a really crappy skiing experience. At one point most of the trail markers were gone and it was pretty dodgy being out there, but it seems they have replaced a lot of trails and removed many of the downed trees that also made slow going, so I'm looking forward to checking it out this season.