HikingViking

Timothy Lake is one of the crown jewels of the Mount Hood Area. There are 7 Developed Campgrounds along the Lake as well as 41 FREE Dispersed Backcountry Campsites (marked T1 - T40, strongly recommend downloading a FREE PDF at PortlandGeneral.com for precise locations), and a highly premium Backcountry Camping Area called Meditation Point with 7 Campsites on a Shoreline Peninsula, each site is $10 per Night (as of Feb 2024), no Reservations, First Come, First Served. Of the 7 Developed Campgrounds, the main campground row is the South side of the Lake. Each Campground is very well built out and maintained, with boat ramp/launch, a rich plethora of Day Use Picnic Sites too innumerable to count, and outstanding signage for an interconnected intricate trail system that helps facilitate the 13 Mile Shoreline Circumnavigation Hike that goes all the way around Timothy Lake. I have organized the Videos as follows: - Oak Fork Campground (Boat Launch + Day Use Areas + Best Campsites) - Gone Creek Campground (Boat Launch + Day Use Areas + Best Campsites) - Hoodview Campground (Boat Launch + Day Use Areas + Best Campsites) - Top 8 Countdown of the Best Campsites across all Developed Campgrounds - Reviewing Each Campsite at Meditation Point, Backcountry Camping Peninsula - Ranking Each Campsite at Meditation Point, Backcountry Camping Peninsula - Southshore Day Use Area to T1 - T4 (to give a taste of the dispersed backcountry camping) - Videos highlighting "The Cove" Day Use Area - Videos highlighting Pine Point Day Use Area - Silent Perspectives 4K Compilation of Timothy Lake - Little Crater Lake Area and Flooding Causing Me to Turnaround - Several Shoreline Hiking Videos capturing the gorgeous Shoreline Perspective This was a Day-Hike in Oregon, Mount Hood National Forest, Timothy Lake Area, attempting to circumnavigate the approximately 13 Mile Shoreline Loop all the way around Timothy Lake. I attempted to start at Little Crater Lake, however the planked swampy section was flooded, so I got back in my car and re-launched my Hike at "The Cove" Day Use Area instead. I hiked the 13 Mile Shoreline Circumnavigation Hike with an emphasis on the Campgrounds. The elevation starts around 3200 FT and is a relatively flat area with some natural machinations in the Forest Trail, less than a 1000 FT overall Elevation Gain. The sky was dark grey clouds, mostly overcast, foggy and misty and it rained off and on in spurts. This was hiked on 5/25/2022, two days before the official start of the season on 5/27/2022 aka Memorial Day Weekend, and there were NO Mosquitoes. I would recommend doing this hike the week before Memorial Day as I did or the last week of the season in September if you want a more private and secluded experience. As far as road conditions, it's highway and well paved roads until the parking lots of course depending on where you decide to launch to do the 13 Mile Lake Loop, 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 be aware you should go slow and drive around the few last remaining small patches of snow on the road if you go in May like I did, and do so at your own risk!

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Ochoco National Forest, Bandit Springs Sno Park, Yaxtrax'ing (although they may have been a mistake because after the rutted grooved path of the first mile it was all postholing), to a theoretical Rustic Log Cabin Shelter that is on the official map.....after going to the GPS coordinates of said Shelter, I did find a series of logs in a pile underneath the snow and thus concluded that the shelter was dilapidated and no longer exists and the map simply has not been updated! That said, the area is absolutely gorgeous and was well worth doing just for the beauty alone, so I do recommend Bandit Springs Sno-Park as an epic winter snow adventuring forest hike wonderland! This was hiked on 1/24/2024, low of 21F with wind chill of 15F around Sunrise with a mix of blue sky and overcast clouds, and there were NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway directly to the small parking lot just off the highway. 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 in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest, Whychus Creek Trailhead, doing an approximately 10.5 Mile Super Loop (I ended doing about 14 Miles total with Side Trips) exploring and capturing all of the Highlights of the Whychus Creek Complex with shoreline sections, overlook sections as well as very interesting geological formations including overhangs, small cave areas and boulder fields! One motto for this area could be - come for the gorgeous Creek, stay for the interesting geology! The elevation starts around 3400 FT and goes to around 4200 FT, with the natural machinations of the trail it is around 1200 FT elevation gain. There were snow and ice in patches along the trail so traction control devices are recommended for your feet in winter - I deployed Yaktrax Summit for the duration of the trip. The temperature was below freezing at 28F, wind chill 22F, and the ground was initially frozen, but the temperature skyrocketed into the 50's later in the day. The sky was blue bird initially but later turned to overcast. This was hiked on 3/11/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's paved road all the way to the parking lot which is flat and has rocks in it, 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 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 Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest, Whychus Creek Trailhead, doing an approximately 10.5 Mile Super Loop (I ended doing about 14 Miles total with Side Trips) exploring and capturing all of the Highlights of the Whychus Creek Complex with shoreline sections, overlook sections as well as very interesting geological formations including overhangs, small cave areas and boulder fields! One motto for this area could be - come for the gorgeous Creek, stay for the interesting geology! The elevation starts around 3400 FT and goes to around 4200 FT, with the natural machinations of the trail it is around 1200 FT elevation gain. There were snow and ice in patches along the trail so traction control devices are recommended for your feet in winter - I deployed Yaktrax Summit for the duration of the trip. The temperature was below freezing at 28F, wind chill 22F, and the ground was initially frozen, but the temperature skyrocketed into the 50's later in the day. The sky was blue bird initially but later turned to overcast. This was hiked on 3/11/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's paved road all the way to the parking lot which is flat and has rocks in it, 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, Ochoco National Forest, Bandit Springs Sno Park, Yaxtrax'ing (although they may have been a mistake because after the rutted grooved path of the first mile it was all postholing), to a theoretical Rustic Log Cabin Shelter that is on the official map.....after going to the GPS coordinates of said Shelter, I did find a series of logs in a pile underneath the snow and thus concluded that the shelter was dilapidated and no longer exists and the map simply has not been updated! That said, the area is absolutely gorgeous and was well worth doing just for the beauty alone, so I do recommend Bandit Springs Sno-Park as an epic winter snow adventuring forest hike wonderland! This was hiked on 1/24/2024, low of 21F with wind chill of 15F around Sunrise with a mix of blue sky and overcast clouds, and there were NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway directly to the small parking lot just off the highway. 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!

On January 24, 2024, I was on my way in the early morning to Bandit Springs Sno-Park to do some Winter Hiking (videos forthcoming very soon), when I was struck by this stunning Sunrise casting a radiant glow over Ochoco Lake, so I spontaneously stopped and hiked over to the Shoreline, my first time ever visiting Ochoco Lake! I also checked out the two Day Use Picnic Sites near the Lake and assessed which Campsite is the best one at Ochoco Lake Campground. I got 13 minutes of footage and was there for exactly 17 minutes with walking time back and forth to my car, as I continued on to Bandit Springs Sno-Park for a Yaxtrax'ing adventure! My takeaway was that Ochoco Lake is beautiful and a bit of a hidden/underrated gem that deserves much more fanfare and patronage across greater Central Oregon!

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Deschutes National Forest, Whychus Creek Trailhead, doing an approximately 10.5 Mile Super Loop (I ended doing about 14 Miles total with Side Trips) exploring and capturing all of the Highlights of the Whychus Creek Complex with shoreline sections, overlook sections as well as very interesting geological formations including overhangs, small cave areas and boulder fields! One motto for this area could be - come for the gorgeous Creek, stay for the interesting geology! The elevation starts around 3400 FT and goes to around 4200 FT, with the natural machinations of the trail it is around 1200 FT elevation gain. There were snow and ice in patches along the trail so traction control devices are recommended for your feet in winter - I deployed Yaktrax Summit for the duration of the trip. The temperature was below freezing at 28F, wind chill 22F, and the ground was initially frozen, but the temperature skyrocketed into the 50's later in the day. The sky was blue bird initially but later turned to overcast. This was hiked on 3/11/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's paved road all the way to the parking lot which is flat and has rocks in it, 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 near Mount Washington, starting at Potato Hill Sno-Park, parking in what I have dubbed "Tater Tot Lot", and hiking Hash Brown Loop and Jack Pine Road to Potato Hill Summit with absolutely EPIC VIEWS of Mount Washington! Due to very heavy pack snow accumulation it was necessary to deploy snowshoes and trekking poles. The temperature was 22F with wind chill of 16F. The sky was mostly dark grey ominous hauntingly beautiful clouds but the sun battled back and came out a few times. This was hiked on 1/11/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the Potato Hill Sno-Park parking lot which is literally directly off 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, Willamette National Forest near Mount Washington, starting at Potato Hill Sno-Park, parking in what I have dubbed "Tater Tot Lot", and hiking Hash Brown Loop and Jack Pine Road to Potato Hill Summit with absolutely EPIC VIEWS of Mount Washington! Due to very heavy pack snow accumulation it was necessary to deploy snowshoes and trekking poles. The temperature was 22F with wind chill of 16F. The sky was mostly dark grey ominous hauntingly beautiful clouds but the sun battled back and came out a few times. This was hiked on 1/11/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the Potato Hill Sno-Park parking lot which is literally directly off 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 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 Playlist contains video 4K Campsite Reviews of Individual Campsites at Nottingham Campground, Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon, which is situated and nestled along the shoreline of gorgeous East Fork Hood River! I have organized the Campsite Reviews into Three Videos: - Reviewing EVERY CAMPSITE walking the entire Nottingham Campground - Top 5 Countdown of BEST One-Party Campsites (THIS VIDEO! - Top 3 Countdown of BEST Side-By-Side Campsites For a Group This is a premium, ultra high quality Campground which I very highly recommend! In fact, it is my opinion that this is THE BEST Development Campground in the entire Mount Hood Area, with the Timothy Lake Zone being second. I think this is a bit of an undiscovered gem and very worth the extra short drive to the East side of the Mount Hood Area! These videos were made on November 27, 2023, in that transition time where it has had some snow, freezing, and frost but hasn't been totally transformed into a White Winter Wonderland quite yet. In the main Summer Season, sites are bookable at Recreation.gov.

This was a Day-Hike in Central Oregon, Willamette National Forest near Mount Washington, starting at Potato Hill Sno-Park, parking in what I have dubbed "Tater Tot Lot", and hiking Hash Brown Loop and Jack Pine Road to Potato Hill Summit with absolutely EPIC VIEWS of Mount Washington! Due to very heavy pack snow accumulation it was necessary to deploy snowshoes and trekking poles. The temperature was 22F with wind chill of 16F. The sky was mostly dark grey ominous hauntingly beautiful clouds but the sun battled back and came out a few times. This was hiked on 1/11/2022, and there were of course NO Mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway to the Potato Hill Sno-Park parking lot which is literally directly off 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 is a 4K Video Campsite Review of Campsite #43, my recommendation as the 2ND BEST CAMPSITE @ Bumping Lake Campground in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington! 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. 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. 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 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 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 is a 4K Video Campsite Review of Campsite #45, my recommendation as the BEST CAMPSITE @ Bumping Lake Campground in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington! 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. 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. 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 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!