Tumalo Mountain at Sunset

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Tumalo Mountain has been a repeat destination this year for snowshoe hikes. Although clouds had started to roll in, we decided to make the trek up Tumalo and test our luck. The snow right now is soft, and deep, ideal for snowshoeing (in my opinion). The hike itself is said to be 1.8 miles from parking lot to summit, but our tracker shows 1.55 miles, and a 1,400 foot elevation gain.
I recommend going after a fresh "dumping" of snow. The trees are loaded with cotton candy like snow, and bent in ways that remind me of Whoville.
It was far too foggy and windy to stay at the summit, so we started making our way back down the mountain before sunset. About a quarter of the way down, however, the sunset colors really started to blend with the fog. What it created was simply breathtaking.

Broken Top and the Unnamed Pool

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This last weekend we decided to hike up broken top, starting at Todd Lake. The first few miles are nice and easy - not too much elevation gain, and nice scenery. The "hardest" part is crossing some of the streams without getting wet!
One we got to the Broken Top trail (3.5 miles in), the shade was essentially gone, but the wildflowers were starting to bloom! Some of the hike was really pretty, but to be honest parts were very bare and boring (no real views, flowers). There weren't many people on the trail to begin with, but everyone we saw turned around before getting to what I considered the destination...I started wondering if it was even worth going up further.
Right when I started thinking that, we came across a relatively small, but powerful, waterfall!

Wanting to know its source, we climbed up the side of the waterfall (a bit harder than it looks) and found this beautiful lake/pool (It's bigger than the photo makes it look. For an idea of its size - this is 6 photos stitched together)!

This alone would have made the hike worthwhile. The water, reflection, and rock colors are just stunning, but just a short (very steep) hike up the side revealed a gorgeous view of the 3 Sisters Mountains! Maybe I'm strange, but I just can't get enough of those mountains.

Mount Bachelor Hike

Do you live in Central Oregon and ski/snowboard? If so, you've probably been to Mt Bachelor. Maybe you have even taken the Summit lift to the top and enjoyed the view. I, however, do not ski or snowboard, and had never had the pleasure of enjoying the panorama from this Central Oregon treasure.  On Sunday that changed. Ski season is over, so it seemed like the perfect time to hike to the top of Mount Bachelor! We stopped in to Pine Mountain Sports and rented a set of snow trekking poles (only $5 for the whole day!), since the mountain is still covered in snow, and headed up to the mountain. From the parking area, Mt Bachelor does not seem intimidating - but the 2.5 mile hike, and 2500 foot elevation gain was not exactly what I would call easy!
I can see why people love this mountain, and am a bit jealous of those who call Bachelor home on the weekends during ski season.

Above - near the top of Bachelor. Beautiful view, but it gets better!(see how steep the hike is??)

Taken from Mt Bachelor's "true summit". Although the mountains look small/far away, that's just because of the panoramic viewpoint. In reality they are HUGE and look so close!

*If snow hiking is not your thing, the snow will eventually melt. According to Mt Bachelor's website, you can buy a chairlift ticket (adult $17/seniors $14) starting July 4th, which will take you about half way up. From there you can either hike to the top, play disk golf, eat a meal at Pine Marten Lodge, or just enjoy the beautiful views!

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Tamolitch Pool

This is part 3 (and the final part) of my McKenzie River Trail posts! 

First I want to say this: The blue in the photos is completely untouched/un-enhanced. This is how the water photographed, and it's even more beautiful in person. 

 The Tamolitch Pool (also known as the Blue Pool) is the main reason I wanted to hike along the McKenzie River. I had seen pictures of it before, and had to see if it was really that beautiful for myself. After you hike past the waterfalls, you come to a dam, and after that the river seems to dry up. The trail has dried up river beds with fallen trees, no water, and in my opinion, is a pretty ugly part of the trail. After a couple miles though, you suddenly come to this stunning blue pool where the McKenzie River starts again. The river didn't really dry up, it just went underground, and when it reappears, it is pure and COLD! The water looks inviting and refreshing, but it sits around 40˚, which makes it hard to enjoy a leisurely swim. Although the Blue Pool looks shallow, it's up to 40 feet deep, and a popular place for people to cliff jump in the Summer. We ended up doing what we called an "offroad hike" and climbed down to the water. It's a bit of a hidden path if you don't know where to go, but with good shoes is very manageable for most fitness levels.

Pictures do not do this justice! If you are in the area, pack up some lunch, make the hike, and enjoy this beautiful hidden gem. You won't regret it!

Koosah Falls

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This is part 2 of my McKenzie River Trail posts. Along the same waterfall trail (a shorter trail on the 26 mile McKenzie River Trail) is Koosah Falls. The 70 foot falls might be a little smaller than the nearby Sahalie Falls, but it is no less beautiful, or powerful! It took less than 15 minutes to see both falls, so if you come to see one, I think it's worth it to take a little extra time to see both. You won't regret it!
PS - Yes, the water is that blue!