HikingViking

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 & 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 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 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, 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 & 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 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 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 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, 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 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!

These are video 4K Campsite Reviews of Individual Campsites at Big Lake West Campground, Willamette National Forest, Central Oregon, framed by ABSOLUTELY EPIC VIEWS of Mount Washington (7,795 FT)! I have organized the Campsite Reviews into Two Videos: - Reviewing EVERY CAMPSITE walking the entire Big Lake West Campground of ALL 11 Campsites - Top 4 Countdown of the BEST Campsites at Big Lake West Campground There are also a couple videos of the Big Lake Shoreline Hike overlooking Big Lake connecting to Patjens Lake Trail to the edge of Big Lake. 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. There are 11 Campsites at Big Lake West Campground, and after a recent remodel, EVERY SITE IS A DOUBLE SITE, and as of 2023 (it will likely change over time) is $55 per site per night. Each Campsite has a capacity of 12 people and is very spacious (in addition to being shoreline on Big Lake and across from Mount Washington), so I highly recommend coming with another party or two as a large group and sharing the site at 1/2 or 1/3 the cost for each party. This is a premium, ultra high quality Campground which I very highly recommend!

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 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 & 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, 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 & 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, 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 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 12.7 mile, 1700 FT Elevation Gain Day-Hike in Central Oregon, part of the 24-mile Three Fingered Jack Loop with a focus on the NE Quadrant, starting from the Jack Lake Trailhead (permit required at Recreation.gov) and hiking to Lower Canyon Creek Meadow, Upper Canyon Creek Meadow, to the Base of Mighty Three Fingered Jack, up the Rocky Scree to the Turquoise Alpine Cirque Overlook (STEEP PRECIPICE - RECOMMEND EXTREME CAUTION), turning around and paralleling Canyon Creek to the Old Summit Trail Junction and turning Left, crossing Canyon Creek, hiking down to Wasco Lake through a gorgeous Burnout, exploring the Backcountry Campsites on the NW Shore of Wasco Lake, Climbing up Minto Pass to the Wasco Lake Overlook on the PCT, and proceeding down the PCT with gorgeous views of Three Fingered Jack and Mount Washington for a bit to an arbitrary turnaround point in Mount Jefferson Wilderness at the edge of the Burnout and Old Growth Forest Ecological Zone, and hiking back to Jack Lake Trailhead shortest distance possible by completing the right segment of the Canyon Creek Meadows triangle, stopping to see the Canyon Creek Hidden Waterfall along the way just after the junction for Old Summit Trail and Canyon Creek Crossing, ultimately returning to Jack Lake Trailhead. This Day-Hike is one of three amazing Day-Hikes I like to break Three Fingered Jack Loop into as an alternative approach to Backpacking the whole Loop in one trip: 1) Jack Lake Trailhead to Canyon Creek Meadows to Base of Three Fingered Jack to Turquoise Alpine Cirque to Parallel Canyon Creek to Old Summit Trail to Wasco Lake to Minto Pass to PCT Wasco Lake Overlook to PCT Burnout Zone to Old Summit Trail to Hidden Waterfall (THIS HIKE) 2) Santiam Pass PCT staying North to the "Moneyshot", highest point in the entire 24-mile Loop 3) Santiam Pass PCT, turn right after 0.3 miles to Old Summit Trail to Square Lake & Booth Lake, turnaround shortly after Booth Lake before the Manzanita Zone ***These three Day-Hikes capture the Highlights of the 24-mile Three Fingered Jack Loop!*** I would recommend doing this hike earlier in the day with fluids on your person because the vast majority of this hike is FULLY EXPOSED to the SUN. The temperature was classic Summer weather, in the 40's early in the morning with a high in 80's in the heart of the day. This was hiked on 8/10/2023 and there were fortunately no mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, that is the most difficult part of this EPIC hike, there is a several mile very bumpy rough road to the trailhead, would recommend high clearance 4-Wheel Drive, take it nice and slow particularly around blind narrow corners. Do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year.

This was a 9.6 mile, 2600 FT Elevation Gain Day-Hike in Washington @ Mount Rainier National Park, focusing on the North Side of the National Park. THE FIRST SEGMENT (SEPARATE VIDEO IN PLAYLIST) starts at Sunrise Rim Trailhead hiking South doing an "Upside Down Lollipop" Hiking Route, doing a quick Hiking Hack of Emmons Vista Viewpoint to the Left before getting back on our main trail to the Right and hiking to Wonderland Trail, Shadow Lake, Sunrise Comfort Station (bathrooms) at the critical trail junction with Burroughs Mountain Trail, and ultimately hikes up the first part of Burroughs Mountain Trail to Glacier Overlook! There were multiple Marmots hanging out at Glacier Overlook admiring the Panoramic View! THE SECOND SEGMENT (***THIS IS A HIGHLIGHT VIDEO FROM THIS SEGMENT!***) starts at Glacier Overlook and ascends Burroughs Mountain Trail to 1st Burroughs Mountain and 2nd Burroughs Mountain Summits, turning around as clouds were moving in and the weather was turning and returning a different route via Frozen Lake and Sourdough Ridge (hence the "upside down lollipop" hiking route) ultimately hiking back down to Sunrise Rim zone from the North side of Sunrise. This was hiked on 9/16/2023, it was a beautiful blue sky day for the first half before the weather started to turn, it was moderately windy, and there were absolutely no mosquitoes!

This was a 7 mile, 1100 FT Elevation Gain Day-Hike in Oregon, Mount Hood National Forest & Mount Hood Wilderness, hiking the Ramona Falls Lollipop Hike, arguably the most popular hike in the Mount Hood Timberline Zone, crossing Sandy River, hiking parallel to Ramona Creek, and ultimately arriving at the TRULY INCREDIBLE Ramona Falls as our turnaround point for this EPIC Day-Hike. I also hiked farther down Pacific Crest Trail to a second Sandy River crossing South of Ramona Falls and I highly recommend adding that short extra section to get another perspective of Sandy River framing glorious Mount Hood. This was hiked on 8/3/2023, and there were NO MOSQUITOES! Road conditions - It is highway to the turnoff road to Ramona Falls. This is also a road that approaches several campgrounds. It has some very large potholes in it from washouts, so I would recommend extreme caution going over those bumps and holes at a very slow speed, and do so AT YOUR OWN RISK! I would say the road itself in my humble opinion was passable, I'd say for most vehicles with proper caution and patience it is doable, and I've been on far worse forest roads all around Central Oregon - do watch for road conditions as far as snow/ice depending on the time of year.