HikingViking

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Willamette National Forest, Ray Benson Sno Park, snowshoeing (Yaktrax not recommended due to thickness of snow) South Loop by Hayrick Butte and Claypool Butte to Brandenburg Butte and Brandenburg Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 5.8 miles and 400 FT Elevation Gain. With some other Ray Benson Sno-Park Exploration and hiking Claypool Butte I did more like 7 miles and 500 FT Elevation Gain. ***A WORD OF ADVICE - I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TAKING THE ALLTRAILS ROUTE OF A LOLLIPOP - once you get to Brandenburg Shelter, I would recommend turning around and backtracking making it an Out and Back snowshoe. That may seem counterintuitive since you are immediately going back uphill over Brandenburg Butte, however that is still less exertion than the next two miles of breaking trail on the Lollipop Loop to connect back to the Stick so to speak. That two miles was the hardest of the whole hike, had to break trail and use GPS to track the way through the forest since the path wasn't at all evident. There also aren't really any good views in that section, mostly just meadows and thick forest, so I would highly recommend skipping that and going back up Brandenburg Butte so you get the Mountain Views again and stay on a more trackable path.*** This was hiked on 1/13/2023, yes Friday the 13th, it had been 5F with wind chill of -5F the week prior, however this was done on the warmest day in a long time, low of 31F around Sunrise when I got there with a high of 43F. It did rain shower sprinkle for hours combined with the winds made this a particularly wet and cold hike given the weather temperature profile going in, and there were NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway and well paved roads until the turnoff for Ray Benson Sno-Park, the last couple tenths although on a well defined road were actually pretty slippery and icy, and the giant parking lot was also a sheet of ice. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year and drive VERY CAUTIOUSLY, and do so at your own risk! From a snowshoers perspective, I would divide Ray Benson Sno-Park into two long snowshoes: 1) The "South Loop" to Brandenburg Shelter and back. I would do it as an "Out and Back" rather than a Loop as sites like Alltrails recommend. This maximizes views and minimizes breaking trail unnecessarily. This is approximately 5.8 Miles and 400 FT Elevation Gain. One of the main advantages of doing this snowshoe is that its the most packed down traveled trail so it will be by far the easier of the two to do. 2) The "North Loop", going to North Blowout and Island Junction. This is definitely the harder of the two since it is not a commonly traveled trail so expect to have to do route finding and to have to break trail for pretty much the entire hike which is no small feat for that long of a snowshoe, that is EXHAUSTING, so know what you're getting into before you attempt this snowshoe as it is very difficult and challenging.

This was an Out & Back Winter Snow Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest, starting at Upper Three Creek Lake Sno-Park, deploying Yaktrax Summit for foot traction control due to heavy ice, and hiking/ascending up to Jeff View Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 3.5 miles roundtrip and 700 FT elevation gain from 5100 FT to 5800 FT, all in the Alpine Zone (above 5000 FT). Jeff View Rustic Log Cabin Shelter yields OUTSTANDING VIEWS of South, Middle & North Sister Mountains as well as the namesake for the Log Cabin, Mount Jefferson. This was hiked on 2/10/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. The temperature was 28F with wind chill of 22F, but it got warmer later in the day due to the beautiful blue skies and sunshine, a blue bird day. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the turn off towards Three Creek Lake which is also a paved road, due to the time of year I did this there was no snow all the way to the Sno-Park Parking Lot which is giant and well paved. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice, drive very slowly and plan accordingly since it is a heavy snow/ice area and offer has some danger to get to the Sno-Park, so do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Willamette National Forest, Ray Benson Sno Park, snowshoeing (Yaktrax not recommended due to thickness of snow) South Loop by Hayrick Butte and Claypool Butte to Brandenburg Butte and Brandenburg Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 5.8 miles and 400 FT Elevation Gain. With some other Ray Benson Sno-Park Exploration and hiking Claypool Butte I did more like 7 miles and 500 FT Elevation Gain. ***A WORD OF ADVICE - I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TAKING THE ALLTRAILS ROUTE OF A LOLLIPOP - once you get to Brandenburg Shelter, I would recommend turning around and backtracking making it an Out and Back snowshoe. That may seem counterintuitive since you are immediately going back uphill over Brandenburg Butte, however that is still less exertion than the next two miles of breaking trail on the Lollipop Loop to connect back to the Stick so to speak. That two miles was the hardest of the whole hike, had to break trail and use GPS to track the way through the forest since the path wasn't at all evident. There also aren't really any good views in that section, mostly just meadows and thick forest, so I would highly recommend skipping that and going back up Brandenburg Butte so you get the Mountain Views again and stay on a more trackable path.*** This was hiked on 1/13/2023, yes Friday the 13th, it had been 5F with wind chill of -5F the week prior, however this was done on the warmest day in a long time, low of 31F around Sunrise when I got there with a high of 43F. It did rain shower sprinkle for hours combined with the winds made this a particularly wet and cold hike given the weather temperature profile going in, and there were NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway and well paved roads until the turnoff for Ray Benson Sno-Park, the last couple tenths although on a well defined road were actually pretty slippery and icy, and the giant parking lot was also a sheet of ice. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year and drive VERY CAUTIOUSLY, and do so at your own risk! From a snowshoers perspective, I would divide Ray Benson Sno-Park into two long snowshoes: 1) The "South Loop" to Brandenburg Shelter and back. I would do it as an "Out and Back" rather than a Loop as sites like Alltrails recommend. This maximizes views and minimizes breaking trail unnecessarily. This is approximately 5.8 Miles and 400 FT Elevation Gain. One of the main advantages of doing this snowshoe is that its the most packed down traveled trail so it will be by far the easier of the two to do. 2) The "North Loop", going to North Blowout and Island Junction. This is definitely the harder of the two since it is not a commonly traveled trail so expect to have to do route finding and to have to break trail for pretty much the entire hike which is no small feat for that long of a snowshoe, that is EXHAUSTING, so know what you're getting into before you attempt this snowshoe as it is very difficult and challenging.

This 4K Videos is a Collection of 21 Silent Clips of Bumping Lake, Bumping Lake Shoreline, and capturing the Final Summer Sunset/Horizon of the 2023 Summer Season before the Fall Weather moves in and the annual snow starts. This is a 4K Video Playlist highlighting Bumping Lake, Bumping Lake Campground, and Bumping River and includes Narrated Hiking Videos, Silent Perspectives Videos & Individual Campsite Review Videos. Bumping Lake Campground is an ultra high quality premium Developed Campground, particularly Campsites #45, #43, #44 in that rank order priority, which are close to the Shoreline Zone of Bumping Lake! I visited for 3 nights the Weekend of September 16, 2023. The Lake water levels were low creating a very large Shoreline area. The "Boat Ramp" went to bone dry Shoreline and was completely unusable. I happened to be there the weekend it transitioned from Summer to Fall/Winter, and experienced 80F days on the front end, leaves falling en masse, rainy storms and ultimately below freezing temperatures on the tail end of my trip. HIKING TRIP PLAN HACK - I would very highly recommend using Bumping Lake Campground (or Soda Springs Campground) as your base Camp to explore the North and/or Eastern Zone of Mount Rainier National Park! I spent a Day of my trip on an all day excursion starting at Sunrise Rim Trailhead and exploring the North Zone of Mount Rainier National Park, particularly Burroughs Mountain Trail (I have a separate Video Playlist for that Area). Google Maps is misleading because it indicates about 1 Hour, 45 Minute One-Way Drive - I found that the algorithm massively overestimates the time it takes to go down the 12 Mile Bumping Road safely, so it actually ended up being more like in the range of 1 Hour 15 Minutes to 1 Hour 20 Minutes to Mount Rainier North. Also, you get the private spacious secluded experience of being at a Lake rather than a massive somewhat sardined National Park Campground. Not trying to throw shade at the National Park Campgrounds and they vary a bit in Quality amongst them, but a more private secluded experience can be had at Bumping Lake in my humble opinion. As a side note, Bumping River Road is about 12 Miles from the Highway to Bumping Lake Campground, and has multiple Developed Campgrounds along the way which are Shoreline to Bumping Lake - I visited them all and my other Recommendation for this Zone other than Bumping Lake Campground is Soda Springs Campground, particularly Campsite #20 (I have a separate Video Playlist for that Area). If I was booking a Developed Campground I would do either Bumping Lake Campground #45, #43, #44 or Soda Springs Campground #20, these are world-class premium Campsites! As a further side note, Bumping River Road also has somewhere between a half dozen to a dozen National Forest Road turnouts with Backcountry Camping directly on the meandering Shoreline of Bumping River. It is genuinely world class River Backcountry Camping, in the very top tier I'd say, a bit of an undiscovered gem and well kept secret. I saw multiple Campsites right up against the River - if one is risk-adventure inclined, I would recommend packing up your gear and "going for it" finding a Backcountry Campsite, depending on your timing you have a very high probability of success of landing an absolutely epic legendary Campsite. Bumping River is an approximately 25-Mile ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL RIVER that flows through Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (particularly the historic Wenatchee side). Bumping River is a tributary of Naches River, Naches River is a tributary of Yakima River, and Yakima River is a tributary of Columbia River, so Bumping River is part of the greater Columbia River Basin, and in my humble opinion one of the most scenic "money sections" due to its Forested Topography. Bumping River has a bit of that undiscovered gem well kept secret vibe, it is a world-class River that would a primary draw in many other States, but because of the bounty of beauty in Washington, and perhaps a bit by design, it manages to stay a bit under the radar.

This was a Winter Snow Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Ray Benson Sno Park, Yaktraxing (typically Snowshoeing, but El Nino is causing very low snow level accumulation) North Loop to North Blowout Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 4 miles and minimal 200 FT Elevation Gain (more just the natural ups and downs of a forest, no real steep ascents). This can be done as an Out and Back or you can just take North Loop all the way around if you prefer a Loop. One of the special parts of this hike is that you start in Willamette National Forest but cross over into Deschutes National Forest shortly before you reach North Blowout Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, so you get two distinct ecological forest footprints in one hike! There are also several sections that have great moneyshots of Three Fingered Jack and a few of Mount Washington. ***A note of caution - beware that it is necessary to cross frozen over Hoodoo Creek several times in this hike as the Creek meanders back and forth by the trail for miles - it is very simple and feels safe if you use very basic caution it shouldn't be an issue - I would classify it as more of a hypothermia danger than a drowning danger because it is perhaps ankle high depth, so the cold wetness is the concern more than the depth of the water - step over it and steer clear of it, utilize situational awareness and it shouldn't be an issue in my humble opinion - of course do so at your own risk!*** This was hiked on 12/24/2023 (Merry Christmas Eve!), it was 23F with some intermittent snow flurries, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway and well paved roads until the turnoff for Ray Benson Sno-Park, the last couple tenths although on a well defined road were a little slippery and icy, and the giant parking lot was also a little slippery and icy. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year and drive VERY CAUTIOUSLY, and do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike Out & Back Snowshoe in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest near Mount Bachelor, starting at Sunrise at Vista Butte Sno-Park and ascending 700 feet (from 5900 FT to 6600+ FT) to the Summit of Vista Butte yielding us incredible views across the way of Mount Bachelor! There was no grooved trail formed in the snow, depth was 3 FT to 5 FT, deploying snowshoes and trekking poles was absolutely necessary as I “broke trail” (created a trail) for the entirety of the 700+ FT hiking ascension. Weather was frigid, particularly with wind chill on the Summit, temperature was 20F with wind chill down to around 11F with occasional minor snow flurries. After the gorgeous surreal salmon sunrise, the sky had some temporary streaks of blue in the morning but the grey ominous clouds dominated the sky in the late morning and early afternoon. This was hiked on 12/21/2021, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the Vista Butte Sno-Park parking which is essentially just parking on the shoulder of Cascade Scenic Byway and is in great condition, there is no turn off for a separate parking lot! In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice and plan accordingly, and do so at your own risk!

This was an Out & Back Winter Snow Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest, starting at Upper Three Creek Lake Sno-Park, deploying Yaktrax Summit for foot traction control due to heavy ice, and hiking/ascending up to Jeff View Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 3.5 miles roundtrip and 700 FT elevation gain from 5100 FT to 5800 FT, all in the Alpine Zone (above 5000 FT). Jeff View Rustic Log Cabin Shelter yields OUTSTANDING VIEWS of South, Middle & North Sister Mountains as well as the namesake for the Log Cabin, Mount Jefferson. This was hiked on 2/10/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. The temperature was 28F with wind chill of 22F, but it got warmer later in the day due to the beautiful blue skies and sunshine, a blue bird day. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the turn off towards Three Creek Lake which is also a paved road, due to the time of year I did this there was no snow all the way to the Sno-Park Parking Lot which is giant and well paved. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice, drive very slowly and plan accordingly since it is a heavy snow/ice area and offer has some danger to get to the Sno-Park, so do so at your own risk!

These are video 4K Campsite Reviews of Individual Campsites at Big Lake Campground, Willamette National Forest, Central Oregon, framed by EPIC VIEWS of Mount Washington (7,795 FT)! I have organized the Campsite Reviews into Three Videos: - Reviewing EVERY CAMPSITE walking the entire Big Lake Campground - Top 5 Countdown of BEST One-Party Campsites - Top 3 Countdown of BEST Side-By-Side Campsites For a Group There are also a couple short videos of Shoreline Highlights and the Boat Dock Launch Area. These videos were made on October 20, 2023, in shoulder season, the last week before snow is forecast to start the Annual Snow'meggadon Deluge. In the main Summer Season, sites are bookable at Recreation.gov. This is a premium, ultra high quality Campground which I very highly recommend!

This was a Day-Hike Out & Back Snowshoe in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest near Mount Bachelor, starting at Sunrise at Vista Butte Sno-Park and ascending 700 feet (from 5900 FT to 6600+ FT) to the Summit of Vista Butte yielding us incredible views across the way of Mount Bachelor! There was no grooved trail formed in the snow, depth was 3 FT to 5 FT, deploying snowshoes and trekking poles was absolutely necessary as I “broke trail” (created a trail) for the entirety of the 700+ FT hiking ascension. Weather was frigid, particularly with wind chill on the Summit, temperature was 20F with wind chill down to around 11F with occasional minor snow flurries. After the gorgeous surreal salmon sunrise, the sky had some temporary streaks of blue in the morning but the grey ominous clouds dominated the sky in the late morning and early afternoon. This was hiked on 12/21/2021, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the Vista Butte Sno-Park parking which is essentially just parking on the shoulder of Cascade Scenic Byway and is in great condition, there is no turn off for a separate parking lot! In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice and plan accordingly, and do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest near Mount Bachelor, starting at Edison Sno-Park and hiking Long Snowshoe Loop and parts of Tesla Snowshoe Loop ultimately to Rustic Edison Log Cabin Shelter. This was hiked on 12/9/21, and due to the lack of snow accumulation because of La Nina causing a later start to the snow season than normal, it was not necessary to deploy snowshoes and trekking poles. This did allow for a special opportunity to see the transition from summer forest to winter forest in real time! The typically passable direction/route of the snowshoe trail hike was heavily impacted and not navigable in sections, so this was hiked as a meandering classic boot-packing forest hike in the light dusting of snow. Weather was well below freezing, temperature was 21F with wind chill down to 13F with minor to heavy snow flurries, occasional bouts of biting wind, and some periods of calm. The sky was mostly overcast but the sun came out near the end, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the Edison Sno-Park parking lot which is in great condition. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice and plan accordingly, and do so at your own risk! *****UPDATE - PLEASE NOTE***** - This was hiked on 12/9/21, as of the 2023/2024 Winter Season, Edison Log Cabin Shelter is CLOSED due to structural integrity issues and safety concerns. It is unknown at this time if it is a temporary closure to repair the shelter or if it is a permanent closure.

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Willamette National Forest, Ray Benson Sno Park, snowshoeing (Yaktrax not recommended due to thickness of snow) South Loop by Hayrick Butte and Claypool Butte to Brandenburg Butte and Brandenburg Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 5.8 miles and 400 FT Elevation Gain. With some other Ray Benson Sno-Park Exploration and hiking Claypool Butte I did more like 7 miles and 500 FT Elevation Gain. ***A WORD OF ADVICE - I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TAKING THE ALLTRAILS ROUTE OF A LOLLIPOP - once you get to Brandenburg Shelter, I would recommend turning around and backtracking making it an Out and Back snowshoe. That may seem counterintuitive since you are immediately going back uphill over Brandenburg Butte, however that is still less exertion than the next two miles of breaking trail on the Lollipop Loop to connect back to the Stick so to speak. That two miles was the hardest of the whole hike, had to break trail and use GPS to track the way through the forest since the path wasn't at all evident. There also aren't really any good views in that section, mostly just meadows and thick forest, so I would highly recommend skipping that and going back up Brandenburg Butte so you get the Mountain Views again and stay on a more trackable path.*** This was hiked on 1/13/2023, yes Friday the 13th, it had been 5F with wind chill of -5F the week prior, however this was done on the warmest day in a long time, low of 31F around Sunrise when I got there with a high of 43F. It did rain shower sprinkle for hours combined with the winds made this a particularly wet and cold hike given the weather temperature profile going in, and there were NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway and well paved roads until the turnoff for Ray Benson Sno-Park, the last couple tenths although on a well defined road were actually pretty slippery and icy, and the giant parking lot was also a sheet of ice. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year and drive VERY CAUTIOUSLY, and do so at your own risk! From a snowshoers perspective, I would divide Ray Benson Sno-Park into two long snowshoes: 1) The "South Loop" to Brandenburg Shelter and back. I would do it as an "Out and Back" rather than a Loop as sites like Alltrails recommend. This maximizes views and minimizes breaking trail unnecessarily. This is approximately 5.8 Miles and 400 FT Elevation Gain. One of the main advantages of doing this snowshoe is that its the most packed down traveled trail so it will be by far the easier of the two to do.

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest near Mount Bachelor, starting at Sunrise at Swampy Lakes Sno-Park and hiking Porcupine Snowshoe Trail to Swampy Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 3.5 miles and 300 FT Elevation Gain (Trailhead starts around 5800 FT). This was hiked on 12/14/2021, and due to Porcupine Snowshoe Trail being packed down and grooved in the snow, I made the judgment call that it was not necessary to deploy snowshoes and trekking poles, that good old fashioned boot packing was sufficient for the conditions. Weather was frigid, temperature was 13F with wind chill down to 5F with occasional minor snow flurries throughout the morning. The sky was classic bluebird, beautiful endless blue skies, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the Swampy Lakes Sno-Park parking lot which is in great condition. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT specifically require 4-Wheel Drive, but very cautious driving due to driving on top of and through powdery snow in the parking lot, of course do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice and plan accordingly, and do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike in Oregon, Mount Hood National Forest, starting at Tamanawas Falls Trailhead, crossing a long & epic bridge over East Fork Hood River, crossing a second bridge over North Fork Cold Spring Creek, hiking parallel to the creek up the forest, and ultimately climbing up to ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE Tamanawas Falls Canyon Basin and partially frozen icicle Tamanawas Falls as an Out and Back, approximately 3.4 miles roundtrip and 600 FT Elevation Gain. Due to heavy pack snow accumulation and a thick sheet of ice along the trail, it was necessary to deploy Yaktrax Summit Traction Devices for safety. I would NOT RECOMMEND doing this hike without either Yaktrax or Microspikes or some sort of reliable foot traction devices, IT WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS OTHERWISE! The temperature was around 22F and very frigid with wind chill of 15F, that wet cold to the bone feel. The sky was beautiful blue skies, a blue bird day. This was hiked on 1/29/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the parking lot which is literally on the shoulder of the highway and in great condition and well paved. In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice and plan accordingly since it is a heavy snow/ice area, and do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike in Oregon, Mount Hood National Forest & Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, starting at Mirror Lake Trailhead, hiking up to Mirror Lake, circumnavigating the lake, and continuing on up to the Summit of Tom Dick & Harry Mountain yielding INCREDIBLE VIEWS across the way of Mount Hood (Tallest Mountain in Oregon - 11,249 FT)! Adding a few highlight side jaunts along the trail, it totals approximately 9.2 miles and 1700 FT Elevation Gain out and back roundtrip. The Summit of Tom, Dick & Harry Mountain is 4997 FT, pretty low by wilderness standards, and is JUST 3 FEET SHORT of the 5000 FT Alpine Zone Threshold, making the entire hike technically subalpine! It was a sheet of dangerous and treacherous ice on much of the trail, so Yaktrax or Microspikes or some sort of foot traction device IS REQUIRED as far as I'm concerned, I personally would not even risk attempting it without foot traction devices! The sky was blue with moderate wind with a temperature of 32F and 24F with wind chill. This was hiked on 11/24/2022 (Thanksgiving!), and there were of NO Mosquitoes given the season. As far as road conditions, it's highway and well paved roads until the parking lot, so it was a very easy and safe driving route. In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year, and do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Willamette National Forest, Ray Benson Sno Park, snowshoeing (Yaktrax not recommended due to thickness of snow) South Loop by Hayrick Butte and Claypool Butte to Brandenburg Butte and Brandenburg Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 5.8 miles and 400 FT Elevation Gain. With some other Ray Benson Sno-Park Exploration and hiking Claypool Butte I did more like 7 miles and 500 FT Elevation Gain. ***A WORD OF ADVICE - I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TAKING THE ALLTRAILS ROUTE OF A LOLLIPOP - once you get to Brandenburg Shelter, I would recommend turning around and backtracking making it an Out and Back snowshoe. That may seem counterintuitive since you are immediately going back uphill over Brandenburg Butte, however that is still less exertion than the next two miles of breaking trail on the Lollipop Loop to connect back to the Stick so to speak. That two miles was the hardest of the whole hike, had to break trail and use GPS to track the way through the forest since the path wasn't at all evident. There also aren't really any good views in that section, mostly just meadows and thick forest, so I would highly recommend skipping that and going back up Brandenburg Butte so you get the Mountain Views again and stay on a more trackable path.*** This was hiked on 1/13/2023, yes Friday the 13th, it had been 5F with wind chill of -5F the week prior, however this was done on the warmest day in a long time, low of 31F around Sunrise when I got there with a high of 43F. It did rain shower sprinkle for hours combined with the winds made this a particularly wet and cold hike given the weather temperature profile going in, and there were NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway and well paved roads until the turnoff for Ray Benson Sno-Park, the last couple tenths although on a well defined road were actually pretty slippery and icy, and the giant parking lot was also a sheet of ice. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year and drive VERY CAUTIOUSLY, and do so at your own risk! From a snowshoers perspective, I would divide Ray Benson Sno-Park into two long snowshoes: 1) The "South Loop" to Brandenburg Shelter and back. I would do it as an "Out and Back" rather than a Loop as sites like Alltrails recommend. This maximizes views and minimizes breaking trail unnecessarily. This is approximately 5.8 Miles and 400 FT Elevation Gain. One of the main advantages of doing this snowshoe is that its the most packed down traveled trail so it will be by far the easier of the two to do. 2) The "North Loop", going to North Blowout and Island Junction. This is definitely the harder of the two since it is not a commonly traveled trail so expect to have to do route finding and to have to break trail for pretty much the entire hike which is no small feat for that long of a snowshoe, that is EXHAUSTING, so know what you're getting into before you attempt this snowshoe as it is very difficult and challenging.

This was an Out & Back Winter Snow Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest, starting at Upper Three Creek Lake Sno-Park, deploying Yaktrax Summit for foot traction control due to heavy ice, and hiking/ascending up to Jeff View Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 3.5 miles roundtrip and 700 FT elevation gain from 5100 FT to 5800 FT, all in the Alpine Zone (above 5000 FT). Jeff View Rustic Log Cabin Shelter yields OUTSTANDING VIEWS of South, Middle & North Sister Mountains as well as the namesake for the Log Cabin, Mount Jefferson. This was hiked on 2/10/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. The temperature was 28F with wind chill of 22F, but it got warmer later in the day due to the beautiful blue skies and sunshine, a blue bird day. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the turn off towards Three Creek Lake which is also a paved road, due to the time of year I did this there was no snow all the way to the Sno-Park Parking Lot which is giant and well paved. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice, drive very slowly and plan accordingly since it is a heavy snow/ice area and offer has some danger to get to the Sno-Park, so do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike in Oregon, Mount Hood National Forest, starting at Tamanawas Falls Trailhead, crossing a long & epic bridge over East Fork Hood River, crossing a second bridge over North Fork Cold Spring Creek, hiking parallel to the creek up the forest, and ultimately climbing up to ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE Tamanawas Falls Canyon Basin and partially frozen icicle Tamanawas Falls as an Out and Back, approximately 3.4 miles roundtrip and 600 FT Elevation Gain. Due to heavy pack snow accumulation and a thick sheet of ice along the trail, it was necessary to deploy Yaktrax Summit Traction Devices for safety. I would NOT RECOMMEND doing this hike without either Yaktrax or Microspikes or some sort of reliable foot traction devices, IT WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS OTHERWISE! The temperature was around 22F and very frigid with wind chill of 15F, that wet cold to the bone feel. The sky was beautiful blue skies, a blue bird day. This was hiked on 1/29/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the parking lot which is literally on the shoulder of the highway and in great condition and well paved. In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice and plan accordingly since it is a heavy snow/ice area, and do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike in Oregon, Mount Hood National Forest & Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, starting at Mirror Lake Trailhead, hiking up to Mirror Lake, circumnavigating the lake, and continuing on up to the Summit of Tom Dick & Harry Mountain yielding INCREDIBLE VIEWS across the way of Mount Hood (Tallest Mountain in Oregon - 11,249 FT)! Adding a few highlight side jaunts along the trail, it totals approximately 9.2 miles and 1700 FT Elevation Gain out and back roundtrip. The Summit of Tom, Dick & Harry Mountain is 4997 FT, pretty low by wilderness standards, and is JUST 3 FEET SHORT of the 5000 FT Alpine Zone Threshold, making the entire hike technically subalpine! It was a sheet of dangerous and treacherous ice on much of the trail, so Yaktrax or Microspikes or some sort of foot traction device IS REQUIRED as far as I'm concerned, I personally would not even risk attempting it without foot traction devices! The sky was blue with moderate wind with a temperature of 32F and 24F with wind chill. This was hiked on 11/24/2022 (Thanksgiving!), and there were of NO Mosquitoes given the season. As far as road conditions, it's highway and well paved roads until the parking lot, so it was a very easy and safe driving route. In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year, and do so at your own risk!

This was an Out & Back Winter Snow Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest, starting at Upper Three Creek Lake Sno-Park, deploying Yaktrax Summit for foot traction control due to heavy ice, and hiking/ascending up to Jeff View Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 3.5 miles roundtrip and 700 FT elevation gain from 5100 FT to 5800 FT, all in the Alpine Zone (above 5000 FT). Jeff View Rustic Log Cabin Shelter yields OUTSTANDING VIEWS of South, Middle & North Sister Mountains as well as the namesake for the Log Cabin, Mount Jefferson. This was hiked on 2/10/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. The temperature was 28F with wind chill of 22F, but it got warmer later in the day due to the beautiful blue skies and sunshine, a blue bird day. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the turn off towards Three Creek Lake which is also a paved road, due to the time of year I did this there was no snow all the way to the Sno-Park Parking Lot which is giant and well paved. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice, drive very slowly and plan accordingly since it is a heavy snow/ice area and offer has some danger to get to the Sno-Park, so do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Willamette National Forest, Ray Benson Sno Park, snowshoeing (Yaktrax not recommended due to thickness of snow) South Loop by Hayrick Butte and Claypool Butte to Brandenburg Butte and Brandenburg Rustic Log Cabin Shelter, approximately 5.8 miles and 400 FT Elevation Gain. With some other Ray Benson Sno-Park Exploration and hiking Claypool Butte I did more like 7 miles and 500 FT Elevation Gain. ***A WORD OF ADVICE - I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TAKING THE ALLTRAILS ROUTE OF A LOLLIPOP - once you get to Brandenburg Shelter, I would recommend turning around and backtracking making it an Out and Back snowshoe. That may seem counterintuitive since you are immediately going back uphill over Brandenburg Butte, however that is still less exertion than the next two miles of breaking trail on the Lollipop Loop to connect back to the Stick so to speak. That two miles was the hardest of the whole hike, had to break trail and use GPS to track the way through the forest since the path wasn't at all evident. There also aren't really any good views in that section, mostly just meadows and thick forest, so I would highly recommend skipping that and going back up Brandenburg Butte so you get the Mountain Views again and stay on a more trackable path.*** This was hiked on 1/13/2023, yes Friday the 13th, it had been 5F with wind chill of -5F the week prior, however this was done on the warmest day in a long time, low of 31F around Sunrise when I got there with a high of 43F. It did rain shower sprinkle for hours combined with the winds made this a particularly wet and cold hike given the weather temperature profile going in, and there were NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway and well paved roads until the turnoff for Ray Benson Sno-Park, the last couple tenths although on a well defined road were actually pretty slippery and icy, and the giant parking lot was also a sheet of ice. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year and drive VERY CAUTIOUSLY, and do so at your own risk! From a snowshoers perspective, I would divide Ray Benson Sno-Park into two long snowshoes: 1) The "South Loop" to Brandenburg Shelter and back. I would do it as an "Out and Back" rather than a Loop as sites like Alltrails recommend. This maximizes views and minimizes breaking trail unnecessarily. This is approximately 5.8 Miles and 400 FT Elevation Gain. One of the main advantages of doing this snowshoe is that its the most packed down traveled trail so it will be by far the easier of the two to do. 2) The "North Loop", going to North Blowout and Island Junction. This is definitely the harder of the two since it is not a commonly traveled trail so expect to have to do route finding and to have to break trail for pretty much the entire hike which is no small feat for that long of a snowshoe, that is EXHAUSTING, so know what you're getting into before you attempt this snowshoe as it is very difficult and challenging.

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest near Mount Bachelor, starting at Edison Sno-Park and hiking Long Snowshoe Loop and parts of Tesla Snowshoe Loop ultimately to Rustic Edison Log Cabin Shelter. This was hiked on 12/9/21, and due to the lack of snow accumulation because of La Nina causing a later start to the snow season than normal, it was not necessary to deploy snowshoes and trekking poles. This did allow for a special opportunity to see the transition from summer forest to winter forest in real time! The typically passable direction/route of the snowshoe trail hike was heavily impacted and not navigable in sections, so this was hiked as a meandering classic boot-packing forest hike in the light dusting of snow. Weather was well below freezing, temperature was 21F with wind chill down to 13F with minor to heavy snow flurries, occasional bouts of biting wind, and some periods of calm. The sky was mostly overcast but the sun came out near the end, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the Edison Sno-Park parking lot which is in great condition. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice and plan accordingly, and do so at your own risk! *****UPDATE - PLEASE NOTE***** - This was hiked on 12/9/21, as of the 2023/2024 Winter Season, Edison Log Cabin Shelter is CLOSED due to structural integrity issues and safety concerns. It is unknown at this time if it is a temporary closure to repair the shelter or if it is a permanent closure.

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest near Mount Bachelor, starting at Edison Sno-Park and hiking Long Snowshoe Loop and parts of Tesla Snowshoe Loop ultimately to Rustic Edison Log Cabin Shelter. This was hiked on 12/9/21, and due to the lack of snow accumulation because of La Nina causing a later start to the snow season than normal, it was not necessary to deploy snowshoes and trekking poles. This did allow for a special opportunity to see the transition from summer forest to winter forest in real time! The typically passable direction/route of the snowshoe trail hike was heavily impacted and not navigable in sections, so this was hiked as a meandering classic boot-packing forest hike in the light dusting of snow. Weather was well below freezing, temperature was 21F with wind chill down to 13F with minor to heavy snow flurries, occasional bouts of biting wind, and some periods of calm. The sky was mostly overcast but the sun came out near the end, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the Edison Sno-Park parking lot which is in great condition. In my opinion, the road DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice and plan accordingly, and do so at your own risk! *****UPDATE - PLEASE NOTE***** - This was hiked on 12/9/21, as of the 2023/2024 Winter Season, Edison Log Cabin Shelter is CLOSED due to structural integrity issues and safety concerns. It is unknown at this time if it is a temporary closure to repair the shelter or if it is a permanent closure.

This was a Day-Hike in Oregon, Mount Hood National Forest, starting at Tamanawas Falls Trailhead, crossing a long & epic bridge over East Fork Hood River, crossing a second bridge over North Fork Cold Spring Creek, hiking parallel to the creek up the forest, and ultimately climbing up to ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE Tamanawas Falls Canyon Basin and partially frozen icicle Tamanawas Falls as an Out and Back, approximately 3.4 miles roundtrip and 600 FT Elevation Gain. Due to heavy pack snow accumulation and a thick sheet of ice along the trail, it was necessary to deploy Yaktrax Summit Traction Devices for safety. I would NOT RECOMMEND doing this hike without either Yaktrax or Microspikes or some sort of reliable foot traction devices, IT WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS OTHERWISE! The temperature was around 22F and very frigid with wind chill of 15F, that wet cold to the bone feel. The sky was beautiful blue skies, a blue bird day. This was hiked on 1/29/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the parking lot which is literally on the shoulder of the highway and in great condition and well paved. In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice and plan accordingly since it is a heavy snow/ice area, and do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike Out & Back Snowshoe in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest near Mount Bachelor, starting at Sunrise at Vista Butte Sno-Park and ascending 700 feet (from 5900 FT to 6600+ FT) to the Summit of Vista Butte yielding us incredible views across the way of Mount Bachelor! There was no grooved trail formed in the snow, depth was 3 FT to 5 FT, deploying snowshoes and trekking poles was absolutely necessary as I “broke trail” (created a trail) for the entirety of the 700+ FT hiking ascension. Weather was frigid, particularly with wind chill on the Summit, temperature was 20F with wind chill down to around 11F with occasional minor snow flurries. After the gorgeous surreal salmon sunrise, the sky had some temporary streaks of blue in the morning but the grey ominous clouds dominated the sky in the late morning and early afternoon. This was hiked on 12/21/2021, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the Vista Butte Sno-Park parking which is essentially just parking on the shoulder of Cascade Scenic Byway and is in great condition, there is no turn off for a separate parking lot! In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive, however do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice and plan accordingly, and do so at your own risk!

These are video 4K Campsite Reviews of Individual Campsites at Big Lake Campground, Willamette National Forest, Central Oregon, framed by EPIC VIEWS of Mount Washington (7,795 FT)! I have organized the Campsite Reviews into Three Videos: - Reviewing EVERY CAMPSITE walking the entire Big Lake Campground - Top 5 Countdown of BEST One-Party Campsites - Top 3 Countdown of BEST Side-By-Side Campsites For a Group There are also a couple short videos of Shoreline Highlights and the Boat Dock Launch Area. These videos were made on October 20, 2023, in shoulder season, the last week before snow is forecast to start the Annual Snow'meggadon Deluge. In the main Summer Season, sites are bookable at Recreation.gov. This is a premium, ultra high quality Campground which I very highly recommend!